Dear members of the DJJV,
On November 8, 2024 from 2:00 pm to 6:00 pm, a public workshop on the topic of invented traditions in Japanese law will take place at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main.
The British historian Eric Hobsbawm coined the term “invented traditions” for traditions that appear old, but on closer inspection are often of surprisingly recent origin or even constructed. Since traditions - both real and invented - are often invoked to legitimize legal policy decisions, the workshop will apply the concept of “invented traditions” to aspects of the Japanese legal system and examine whether and to what extent it can contribute to an understanding of Japanese law.
Program:
14:00 Welcome (Dr. Oliver Schön [President of the DJJV])
14:05 Introduction (Prof. Dr. Moritz Bälz)
14:30 The Meiji Constitution of 1889/90 and the invention of tradition (Prof. Tomoaki Kurishima)
15:15 The symbolic position of the Tennō: New wine in old bottles? (Jan Felix von Alten)
Break
16:15 The Origin of the Household System and Its Remaining Impact: Lingering “Preferences” on Koseki (Mai Ishijima)
17:00 Industrial harmony as an invented tradition in Japanese labor law (Felix Dröll)
17:45 Final discussion
The event is organized by the Interdisciplinary Center for East Asian Studies (IZO) of Goethe University together with the German-Japanese Lawyers' Association (DJJV).
Further details on the event program and location can be found in the flyer.
We would be very pleased about your participation in the event.
