Justices of the Supreme Court

Justice
OKA, Masaaki
Date of Birth: February 2, 1956

image:OKA, Masaaki

Career

Education

Graduated from Kagawa Prefectural Takamatsu High School in 1974

Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law in 1980

Qualification

Appointed as a legal apprentice in 1980

Professional Career:

1982
Registered as an attorney(Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association)
1986
Researcher (income tax), Japan Tax Research Institute
1996
Examiner, Qualification Examinations for Real Estate Transaction Specialists
2004
Outside Auditor, Nifco Inc.
2005
Lecturer, School of Law, University of Tokyo
2008
Vice President, Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association
2009
Member of the Civil Law Committee (Claims), Legislative Council, Ministry of Justice
2010
Chairperson, Bankruptcy Law Committee, Japan Federation of Bar Associations
2011
Member of the Supervisory Board, National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations
2014
Representative Director, Japanese Association for Business Recovery
2015
Vice President, Japan Federation of Bar Associations
2015
President, Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association
2015
Outside Auditor, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
2016
Member of the Quality Control Oversight Board, Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants
2018
Outside Director, Sumitomo Life Insurance Company
2019
Outside Director, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation
2021
September 3, 2021 Justice of the Supreme Court

Motto, hobbies, etc.

Things to Keep in Mind as a Justice

Article 76, paragraph (3) of the Constitution of Japan provides: "All judges shall be independent in the exercise of their conscience and the performance of their duties and shall be bound only by this Constitution and the laws." I will always bear this in mind and take it as my fundamental code of conduct.
I will make effort day by day to improve and enhance my "conscience" that I should exercise; although I must be "independent", always check myself to not become dogmatic; and, "in the performance of my duties," cope with each and every case with all my energy, making it a principle to "read records and materials well, think with my own head, express my opinion plainly, and engage in multifaceted and deep deliberations with my fellow Justices."
The Constitution also provides, in Article 81, that: "The Supreme Court is the court of last resort with power to determine the constitutionality of any law, order, regulation or official act." Taking this into my heart, I will fulfill my constitutional responsibility.

Books that Left an Impression on Me

"Chuūō Ginkō" (Central Bank) written by SHIRAKAWA Masaaki (Toyo Keizai, Inc.)
"Artificial intelligence vs. Children who can't read textbooks" written by ARAI Noriko (Toyo Keizai, Inc.)
"Aru Meijijin no Kiroku" (A Record of a Man in the Meiji Era) written and edited by ISHIMITSU Mahito (Chuko Shinsho)
"Tsuyama Sanjūnin Goroshi" (30 Murders in Tsuyama) written by TSUKUBA Akira (Shincho Bunko)
"Don Quixote," "The Iliad," "The Odyssey," and "One Thousand and One Nights" (Iwanami Bunko)

Hobbies

For these three years, I have been enjoying mountain walking (trekking), twice a month in the high season, if possible. I usually go to the mountains mainly in the Kanto region, such as Tanzawa, Hakone, Okutama, and Chichibu, but there are also mountains in other regions that are impressive to me, such as Mt. Yotei, Mt. Shari, Mt. Rausu, Yakushima Island (Jomonsugi, or Jomon cedar trees), and Mt. Myoko.
I also have a hobby that I have enjoyed for more than 30 years: growing flowers in planters. I have regularly grown tulips (I plant about 100 bulbs every year), roses (this year I enjoy Papa Meilland), and chrysanthemum morifolium or "saga giku." In 2021, morning glory grew in clusters as I scattered spare seeds.

  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