Japanese Universities’ High Policy Implementability: The Introduction of Law Schools

In Japan, education has often been used by the government as a means of introducing social changes, due to its high policy implementability. The Japanese law school system is a good example to illustrate Japanese universities' high policy implementability because it was introduced when Japan needs numerous talented lawyers to operate a rule-of-law society. The idea of introducing a law school system was initiated by some pro-American law professors. They were concerned that no academic institution was responsible for legal professional education in Japan. Soon after, the Ministry of Education jumped at the opportunity. The ministry viewed the law school proposal as a suitable measure for advancing its education reform drive. Law professors, the most relevant stakeholders of the law school system, were reluctant about the law school proposal, but their low solidarity and the Ministry of Education's tight control made them too vulnerable to protest against the proposal. In addition, law professors in elite universities did not proactively oppose the new law school proposal because they found it a good opportunity to crush the large number of lower-state law undergraduate faculties.