Justices of the Supreme Court

Chief Justice
TOKURA, Saburo
Date of Birth: August 11, 1954

image:TOKURA Saburo

Career

Education:

Graduated from Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Law in 1980

Qualification:

Appointed as a legal apprentice in 1980

Professional Career:

1982
Appointed as a Judge, and then, assigned to Osaka District Court, Sapporo District Court, Civil Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court, Personnel Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court, Tokyo District Court
1992
Judge, Tokyo District Court
1994
Professor, Legal Training and Research Institute
1998
Judge, Hiroshima District Court
1999
Presiding Judge, Hiroshima District Court
2000
Director of the Secretariat, Hiroshima High Court
2004
Counselor, Personnel Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court
2004
Councilor, General Secretariat, Supreme Court
2008
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court
2009
Director-General, General Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court
2013
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2013
Chief Judge, Saitama District Court
2014
Secretary-General of Supreme Court
2016
President, Tokyo High Court
2017
March 14, 2017 Justice of the Supreme Court
2022
June 24, 2022 Chief Justice of the Supreme Court

I was recently appointed Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. I expressed my thoughts upon assuming this office in my Inaugural Address(PDF:108KB)(June 24, 2022). Continuing to remember how I felt when I became Justice of the Supreme Court about five years ago, I will deal with each case and issue with sincerity to ensure that courts become more familiar to and reliable for citizens and eventually further strengthen the “rule of law” in Japan.

Favorite Word or Term

My favorite words of wisdom are “Ichigu o terasu.” This is a phrase from the writing of a Japanese priest who lived long ago. It summarizes the importance of individual persons identifying the significance of the given task in the given situation and exerting quiet, devoted efforts to the task. This phrase serves as a caution to myself, and it also reminds me to have respect for people who are fulfilling their responsibilities in their respective positions in society.

Hobbies

I enjoy reading books. I buy pocket-sized paperbacks that catch my eye at bookstores and read them when I have time. My favorite genre is British travel and history writing, but I also read books focused on the histories of other countries and on the histories of specific fields, such as currency, finance, and science. I sometimes reread books that I read when I was young, for instance, “Nihon no Rekishi 1 -26” (History of Japan, Vol. 1 to 26) (Chukobunko) and works written by MATSUMOTO Seicho. After I reread these books, my impression was, of course, different from when I originally read them at a young age. I wonder if this is because I have grown up or because I have become less sensitive (maybe the latter).
I have had a long-time interest in railways since childhood. As I was interested in railway cars that had run in the Showa era, I visited the Railway Museum, Usuitoge Railway Heritage Park, and other places where old railway cars, such as those of the Oigawa Railway, were preserved.
Another pastime of mine is walking, which is also intended for health maintenance, and it has now become a habit. I also enjoy exploring towns and streets. I began walking Tokaido Road years ago, but due to difficulty finding time to walk, coupled with the COVID-19 pandemic, I have not yet reached the end of the road.

  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. MIYAMA Takuya
      3. MIURA Mamoru
      4. KUSANO Koichi
      5. UGA Katsuya
      6. HAYASHI Michiharu
      7. OKAMURA Kazumi
      8. NAGAMINE Yasumasa
      9. YASUNAMI Ryosuke
      10. WATANABE Eriko
      11. OKA Masaaki
      12. SAKAI Toru
      13. IMASAKI Yukihiko
      14. OJIMA Akira
      15. MIYAGAWA Mitsuko
      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. Chief Justice of the Supreme People‘s Court of Vietnam visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      42. Online Judicial Meeting with the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
      43. Justice of the Constitutional Court of the Republic of Indonesia visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      44. President of the Supreme Court of the Republic of Latvia visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      45. President of the Supreme Court of Iceland visited the Supreme Court of Japan
      46. A delegation of the German-Japanese Association of Jurists visited the Supreme Court of Japan.
      47. The Supreme Court of Japan invited The Right Hon The Lord Reed of Allermuir, President of the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
    5. Committees