Supreme Court of Japan > About the Supreme Court > Justices of the supreme court > UGA Katsuya
Justice
UGA, Katsuya
Date of Birth: July 21, 1955
Career
Education:
Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law in 1978
Professional Career:
- 1978
- Research Associate, University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
- 1981
- Associate Professor, University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
- 1983
- Visiting Researcher, Harvard Law School (Fellow of Overseas Research Fellowships, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)
- 1984
- Visiting Researcher, University of California, Berkeley (Fellow of Overseas Research Fellowships, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science)
- 1990
- Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School
- 1991
- Associate Professor, University of Tokyo, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics / Faculty of Law
- 1994
- Professor, University of Tokyo, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics / Faculty of Law
- 1998
- Visiting Researcher, Georgetown Law School
- 2001
- Principal Lecturer / Visiting Professor, Open University of Japan,School of Graduate Studies
- 2004
- Professor, University of Tokyo, Graduate School of Public Policy
- 2019
- March 20, 2019 Justice of the Supreme Court
Motto, hobbies, etc.
Things to Keep in Mind as a Justice
Through the more than 40 years of my career as a researcher, I have read as many pieces of literature as I could, including court judgments and decisions, books, and academic articles, and have organized my thoughts and published them in my articles. As a Justice of the Supreme Court, I will closely read the materials and organize my thoughts regarding each case, while listening to the other Justices’ views attentively. In this process, I will face each and every case with sincerity from a fair and neutral standpoint, and will do what I can to draw a reasonable conclusion for the case.
Favorite Word or Term
In 2018, Princess Ayako, the third daughter of the late Prince Takamado, said in the press conference announcing her engagement: What we have today will not necessarily be there tomorrow. This comment was very impressive to me. With it in mind, I will try to make every day free of regret, without putting off until tomorrow what I can do today.
Books that Left an Impression on Me
I love history and I am a fan of Ryotaro Shiba. Among his books, Ryoma ga Yuku (Ryoma Goes His Way) and Saka no Ue no Kumo (Clouds above the Hill) made great impressions on me.
Hobbies
As I have gotten older, I have grown more fond of nature and begun to feel peace of mind by seeing beautiful natural scenery. I have had difficulty finding time to go on a trip the past several years, so when I am strolling in the beautiful park near my home, it is a blissful time for me.