A Message from the Dean

Welcome, and thank you for visiting our website.
My name is Masami Okino, and since April 1, 2025, I have had the honor of serving as Dean of the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics as well as Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo. My academic areas lie in civil law, consumer law, and trust law, with a primary focus on contract law.
In this message, I would like to share few thoughts on what it means “to pursue one’s studies at the Faculty of Law at the University of Tokyo”, and to reflect on some of the distinctive features of both “the Faculty of Law” and “the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics” (＊). For the sake of simplicity, I will hereafter refer to the Faculty of Law as “the Faculty,” and the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics as “the Graduate Schools”.

 

The Faculty traces its origins to the Law School of the Ministry of Justice (established in 1872) and the Faculty of Law of Kaisei School (established in 1873). It was formally established in 1877, in conjunction with the founding of the University of Tokyo. In two years, both the University and the Faculty will mark their 150th anniversary. (For more on the Faculty’s history, please see here ; for a chronology overview, see here.)
As a venerable center of research and education in the fields of law and political science, the Faculty and Graduate Schools have, on the one hand, produced numerous outstanding scholars in these disciplines, building a body of scholarship of exceptional quality―if one is allowed to say so, of the very highest standard―and have taken a leading role in advancing academic discourse in Japan. On the other hand, the Faculty and Graduate Schools, though sometimes met with both praise and criticism, have also nurtured individuals who have gone on to play vital roles in upholding the very foundations of the state and society.
When people think of the career paths pursued by our graduates, many may first picture public servants, government officials, judges, prosecutors, lawyers, or journalists. And indeed, the Faculty has produced many such professionals. Yet, a large number of our alumni have also gone on to build careers in the private sector and business world. In fact, they make up the majority among our graduates. This reflects the longstanding role of the Faculty: to prepare individuals cultivated in legal and political thinking to contribute across the full breadth of society.

 

Cultivating students with a grounding in both law and politics, this two disciplines form the very core of study at our Faculty. While political science may, depending on institutional structures, be placed within faculties of economics or other departments, our Faculty and Graduate Schools treat law and political science as twin wheels, each supporting and enriching the other. This dual focus is one of our defining features, and one of our greatest “strengths”.
Law and political science are social sciences that explore the workings of society. They ask how we address problems and conflicts in a world where people hold diverse values, perspectives, positions, and backgrounds. Law approaches these questions by focusing on the “norms”, while political science focuses on the “phenomena” of policymaking and decision-making processes. Grounded in long histories and a vast accumulation of debates, law and political science are disciplines that seek to examine “how the various problems that arise in human society are, or ought to be, resolved”; to explore the norms and ideas that sustain society and contribute to the resolution of its problems; and to develop analytical frameworks for examining social phenomena. Consider, for instance, the rapid advances in science and technology, such as AI. How should society respond to these innovations? What institutional arrangements are needed to support their development? How should we integrate social needs and considerations into the evolution of these technologies? These are precisely the kinds of issues that law and political science are called upon to address. Technological developments and business activities do not take place in a vacuum, they are inseparable from the society in which they occur. As new phenomena emerge, the importance of law and political science grows in weight. These fields provide essential analytical frameworks for identifying, recognizing, and understanding social problems and issues, for discussing possible solutions, and for designing social systems that are responsive to such challenges. Because of this very nature, the study of law and political science naturally involves an understanding of history, comparative perspectives from other countries, and analysis and consideration of international affairs. It also requires engagement with various other disciplines, such as economics, sociology, philosophy. This is why the Faculty offers a diverse curriculum, including courses taught in English, that spans these many dimensions of social inquiry.

 

Another vital set of “twin wheels” lies in research and education. While this may seem too obvious to mention. At our Faculty and Graduate Schools, scholars who are active at the forefront of their fields are equally devoted to education. We believe that the education we offer must be firmly grounded in research. This kind of research-supported teaching and education is something only we can offer, and it is of great significance. At the same time, the insights and inspirations gained through education regularly feed back into research. In this way, research and education function as “twin wheels”, both at the institutional level of the Faculty and Graduate Schools, and at the individual level for each faculty members.
At the heart of our research and education in law and political science is our outstanding body of scholars. Approximately 80 professors and associate professors are actively engaged in research across a wide range of fields in law and political science, channeling their findings directly into their teaching. The scale of our faculty fosters a rich diversity of research areas, allowing the Graduate Schools to cover a broad spectrum of specializations in law and political science. Our professorial faculty is also becoming increasingly diverse, with members coming from a variety of backgrounds, including international scholars, legal practitioners, and―though it is somewhat regrettable that it still warrants mention—a growing number of women. As of April 1, 2025, thirteen members of the Faculty Council are women professors or associate professors.
A rich collection of books and archival materials―an enduring accumulation of knowledge―supports our research and education in law and political science. We take great pride in being home to the extraordinary resources: the Faculty of Law Library, which, as a specialized legal and political science library, boasts the largest collection of books of its kind in Japan; and the Center for Modern Japanese Legal and Political Documents, which collects and preserves modern and contemporary Japan’s newspapers, magazines, and valuable primary sources, including the most extensive collection of periodicals published in Japan during the Meiji era.
And perhaps most notably, there is the long-standing tradition of a “community of knowledge”. Centered on the constant accumulation, transmission, development, and creation of scholarship in law and politics, the “community” of the Faculty and Graduate Schools of the University of Tokyo is composed of faculty, staff, and students—including alumni, graduates, and those who withdrew—as well as a wide range of collaborators and partners, all those who support the research and education carried out here.

 

In these turbulent times, I see it as my responsibility, as Dean of the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics and the Faculty of Law, to carry forward the many strengths that define who we are: nearly 150 years of history, a tradition of scholarship shaped by both continuity and innovation, a distinguished faculty, rich resources in books and archival materials, and, above all, exceptional students. I see it as my duty to safeguard these legacies and hand them on to the future, ensuring that the Faculty and Graduate Schools continue to fulfill the role they have long played—and must continue to play—in society. And if fortune allows, I hope to strengthen these foundations, even if only in some small way. I believe that it is the calling entrusted to me.

 

Thank you once again for taking the time to visit our website.

 

If you are interested in studying at the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law, we warmly invite you to explore the following pages: For those considering undergraduate study at the Faculty of Law, please see this page. For those interested in entering the Law School, please see this page. For those seeking to pursue research at the master’s or doctoral program, please see this page. And if you are thinking of supporting our research and education, we would be sincerely grateful if you could visit this page as well.

 

＊An official “message” on the website can be a perplexing undertaking. One reason may be the ambiguity surrounding whom the “message” is for, and from what standpoint it should be conveyed. The form of website suggests that the message is addressed to the entire world, but then, what does it mean to send a “message” to the world? There is also uncertainty about perspective: Is this a personal message marking my appointment as Dean of the Faculty of Law and the Graduate Schools for Law and Politics? Or should I speak as a representative of these institutions, presenting their current state and vision? While not settling firmly on either stance, I would like to take this opportunity—on the occasion of my appointment—to share my thoughts on what the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law and Graduate Schools for Law and Politics are, and what they represent. I hope this message reaches those who has visited our website and taken an interest in our institutions. On that note, please allow me to offer this as my greeting.

 

Dean of the Graduate Schools for Law
and Politics and the Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo

Masami Okino