Justices of the Supreme Court

Justice
OJIMA Akira
Date of Birth:September 1, 1958
 

image:Ojima,akira

Career

Education:

Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law in 1983

Graduated from the Cornell University Law School (LL.M.) in 1990

Qualification:

Appointed as a legal apprentice in 1983

Professional Career

1985
Appointed as a Judge, and then, assigned to Tokyo District Court, Kofu Family/District Court, General Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court, Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Tokyo District court, Yokohama District Court
1995
Judge, Yokohama District Court
1998
Judge, Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
2003
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2003
Counsellor, the Second Department, Cabinet Legislation Bureau
2008
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2009
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court
2012
Deputy Chief Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
2016
Chief Judge, Shizuoka District Court
2017
Presiding Judge, Tokyo High Court
2018
Chief Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
2021
President, Osaka High Court
2022
July 5, 2022 Justice of the Supreme Court

Motto,hobbies, etc.

Things to Keep in Mind as a Justice

In my view, the essential value of the judiciary, which has been established through a long history, is that judges, who exercise independently their official authority from an impartial standpoint, solve disputes in a timely manner, through transparent proceedings. I will continue, as I have done so far, to engage in my duties, firmly keeping in mind these four basic elements, that is, impartial, independent, transparent, and timely.

Favorite words

"With shoes that fit my feet, I would be able to walk to anywhere I want to go."
This is the first sentence of the prologue to the book titled "Yourcenar's Shoes", written by SUGA Atsuko. I was impressed by the mindset to keep thinking about what you will need to achieve something.

Books that Left an Impression on Me

Judges are expected to have sophisticated skills in writing judgments and decisions as they are required to impart their thoughts to readers accurately with the texts they write; thus, in a sense, they can be described as writers.
The writers who impress me emotionally with their texts include TANIZAKI Junichiro, MISHIMA Yukio, and SHIBUSAWA Tatsuhiko. Among currently active writers, OGAWA Yoko's texts are impressive to me.

Hobbies

Playing flute: I am fascinated by Bach, Schumann, and Debussy.
Seeing plays: I enjoy seeing plays of any genre, from Zeami and CHIKAMATSU Monzaemon to BETSUYAKU Minoru and Keralino Sandorovich.
Appreciating art: In the Kansai Region, where I was working just before, there were many attractive museums. When I go on trips, I almost always visit museums around the destinations.

  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