Justices of the Supreme Court

Justice
UGA, Katsuya
Date of Birth: July 21, 1955

image:UGA Katsuya

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.

  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