Graduated from Kyoto University, Faculty of Law in 1981

Appointed as a legal apprentice in 1981

I was recently appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I expressed my thoughts upon assuming this office in my Inaugural Address(PDF:105KB)(August 16, 2024).

I keep the following things in mind, not only as a Justice of the Supreme Court but more broadly as a judge.
- I try to humbly listen to the arguments of both parties and conduct trials based on a full understanding of their arguments. Court proceedings are basically based on allegations and evidence submitted by related parties, and judges never know the truth better than those parties.
- I used the expression "humbly" in the sense that I will be careful not to be self-righteous beyond the framework of trials.
- I think it important to develop an environment in courts where all participants can make statements without hesitation and to ensure that even small voices are surely heard.

A quote from Julius Caesar, translated by SHIONO Nanami in her book titled "The Story of the Roman People" as "Most people only see what they want to see," is my favorite. The original saying is apparently "Men willingly believe what they wish." However I prefer the translation by SHIONO. People often refuse to listen to information that is not convenient to themselves or that they do not want to hear. This phrase can also be interpreted as a warning to suggest that we should squarely face unpleasant circumstances instead of avoiding them. It is rather difficult to adopt such a mindset, though.

- I picked some books that I want to keep in my bookshelf forever, even after reading them, though I have forgotten much of their content as I read them long ago. Note that books by SHIONO are not listed here, as there are multiple works by her.
"Essence of Failure" (TOBE Ryoichi, et al.)
"The Century of the Emperor" (OSARAGI Jiro)
"Albert Ayler at the University of Tokyo" (History; Keywords) (KIKUCHI Naruyoshi, et al.)
"History of the Heisei Era" (YONAHA Jun)
"The Best and the Brightest" (David Halberstam)
- I also picked three books that I have read recently and that have inspired me. While these books have inspired me, it does not necessarily mean that I completely understand the content.
"Viewing the World in Terms of Mathematics" (OGURI Hiroshi)
"Techno-libertarian" (TACHIBANA Akira)
"What Are Prices?" (WATANABE Tsutomu)

I am not an interesting person, and I have no particular hobbies, but if I had to say, I do enjoy reading books and listening to music. I often listen to jazz, rock, and classical music, depending on my mood.