Justices of the Supreme Court

Justice
IMASAKI Yukihiko
Date of Birth:November 10, 1957
 

image:IMASAKI,Yukihiko

Career

Education:

Graduated from Kyoto University, Faculty of Law in 1981

Qualification:

Appointed as a legal apprentice in 1981

Professional Career:

1983
Appointed as a Judge, and then, assigned to Tokyo District Court, Criminal Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court, Second Southeast Asia Division, Asian Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Embassy of Japan in the Philippines, Kyoto District Court, Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
1995
Judge, Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
1998
Judge, Tokyo District Court
2000
Director, Second Division, Criminal Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court
2002
Director, First and Third Division, Criminal Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court
2004
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2004
Professor, Legal Training and Research Institute
2008
Director, Secretary Division and Public Information Division, Supreme Court
2010
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court
2013
Director-General, Criminal Affairs Bureau and Director of the Supreme Court Library, Supreme Court
2015
Chief Judge, Mito District Court
2016
Secretary-General of Supreme Court
2019
President, Tokyo High Court
2022
June 24, 2022 Justice of the Supreme Court

Motto, hobbies, etc.

Things to Keep in Mind as a Justice

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.
For that purpose, 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.

Favorite Words

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. According to information from the internet, the original saying is "Men willingly believe what they wish." However, I prefer the translation by SHIONO. People often refuse to listen to information inconvenient to themselves or what 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.

Books that Left an Impression on Me

I am not an extensive reader, but I cited some works that strongly impressed me in the last one year or so. It is regrettable that I forget the details soon after reading, perhaps because I am getting old.
"Russo-German War, Calamities due to a War of Extinction" (OKI Takeshi)
"Doing Justice" (Preet Bharara)
"Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan's Disaster Zone" (Richard Lloyd Parry)
"Chinafication in Japan" (YONAHA Jun)
"Testimony: A Memoir by Robbie Robertson"

Hobbies

I enjoy listening to music. When I was a junior high school student, I started to listen to Western music played on a late-night radio show and this has been my source of refreshment since then. I don't know much about the currently popular music running on TV or on the internet. I solely listen to songs that were popular in the 70s and 80s and my family often complains, saying "You are listening to the oldies again."
I also like jazz and usually looked forward to Tokyo JAZZ that was broadcast on TV every year, but that has unfortunately been suspended due to COVID-19. I listen to classical music as well, mainly orchestral music. I like Johannes Brahms and Gustav Mahler from among German musicians, Claude Debussy and Maurice Ravel from among French composers, and Igor Stravinsky, a Russian composer.

  1. About the Supreme Court
    1. Access to the Supreme Court
    2. Organization Chart of the Supreme Court
    3. Justices of the supreme court
      1. TOKURA Saburo
      2. YAMAGUCHI Atsushi
      3. MIYAMA Takuya
      4. MIURA Mamoru
      5. KUSANO Koichi
      6. UGA Katsuya
      7. HAYASHI Michiharu
      8. OKAMURA Kazumi
      9. NAGAMINE Yasumasa
      10. YASUNAMI Ryosuke
      11. WATANABE Eriko
      12. OKA Masaaki
      13. SAKAI Toru
      14. IMASAKI Yukihiko
      15. OJIMA Akira
      16. Former Justices
    4. Topics
      1. Message on the 25th anniversary of Japan becoming an observer to the CoE
      2. FY2020 Study Meeting on Foreign Judiciary Practices
      3. Online Lecture by Former Senior Judge of the Court of Protection in the U.K.
      4. FY2021 Study Meeting on Foreign Judiciary Practices
      5. Online lecture meeting with the director of École nationale des greffes
      6. Online meeting between the judiciaries of the UK and Japan
      7. Japan-France Online Judicial Meeting
      8. Notice on Measures against COVID-19
      9. Deputy Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      10. The former Deputy President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      11. The President of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Thailand Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      12. The Prosecutor General of the Supreme People’s Procuracy of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      13. The Judge of the European Court of Human Rights Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      14. Judges from Germany, U.K. and U.S. Visit the Supreme Court of Japan
      15. Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam visits the
      16. The Minister of Justice of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      17. The Attorney General of the Ministry of Justice of Israel Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      18. The Attorney General of Malaysia Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      19. Chief Justice of Canada Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      20. The President of the German-Japanese Association of Jurists Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      21. The Head of Division, Administrative, Finance and Social Courts, Federal Ministry of Justice and Consumer Protection of Germany Visits the Supreme Court of Japan
      22. Participants of “Japan-France Law Conference” Visit the Supreme Court of Japan
      23. Participants of “Japan-Germany Constitutional Conversation” Visit the Supreme Court of Japan
      24. Judges who speak in JSIP2019 Visit the Supreme Court of Japan
      25. Errata in Court Decisions Posted on the Japanese Version of the Court Website and in the Supreme Court Civil and Criminal Case Law Report
      26. Online Seminar between the Court of Cassation, France, and the Supreme Court, Japan
      27. Online lecture meeting with Master of the Rolls in England and Wales
      28. The Honorary President of the German-Japanese Association of Jurists Visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      29. Online Judicial Meeting with Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
      30. Outline of the Press Conference by Chief Justice TOKURA on Constitution Memorial Day (2023.5)
      31. Outline of the Press Conference by Chief Justice Tokura on 24 June, 2022
      32. Online lecture was held by the President of the Higher Regional Court of Düsseldorf, Germany.
      33. Chief Justice TOKURA and Justice NAGAMINE received British Ambassador to Japan at the Supreme Court
      34. Online Judicial Meeting with the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada
      35. Online Judicial Meeting with President of the European Court of Human Rights
      36. Justices of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Thailand visited the Supreme Court of Japan(2023.2)
      37. Prof. Dr. Dr. h. c. Johannes Masing, former Justice of the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany, visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      38. President of the Supreme Court of the Czech Republic visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      39. Vice-President of the Supreme Administrative Court of the Kingdom of Thailand visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      40. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Kingdom of Thailand visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      41. Online Judicial Meeting with the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
      42. Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia visited the Supreme Court of Japan
    5. Committees