find yourself in various countries as a criminal! In the scenario and
analysis you create you will truly be an international criminal. The “crime” committed can be of
your choosing is long as it is illegal in the country we are studying. You will find that this very
deep dive into the criminal justice systems of each country we study will help you become a
world criminal justice system expert.
The following is your prompt for the setting of your paper:
1) You are a US Citizen that is travelling to the country we are studying
2) You arrive at the country
3) You commit a crime
a. Make the crime interesting enough to write about
b. Make the crime of a nature that you will work through the country’s criminal
justice system
c. Do not get caught up in the detail of the crime at the expense of the analysis – this
will lead to failure of the assignment!
4) You are caught by the country’s law enforcement officers
5) You do not have diplomatic immunity and the country is balking at any means of
negotiation with the US for your release from the crime and subsequent punishment
The following is an outline of what you should cover in your paper:
1) Begin your paper with a brief analysis of the following elements:
a. Country analysis
i. Introduction to the country
ii. People and society of the country
iii. Economy
iv. Transnational issues (if applicable) that may impact law enforcement
v. Relations with the United States
b. What is the basic government structure and its relationship to the criminal justice
system
c. What is the “legal family” or basis of law in the country
d. What are the major components of the criminal justice system in the country
2) Please explain the following elements:
a. What crime did you commit? How were you caught? In other words, briefly set
up the scenario.
b. Explain the country specific law
c. Explain from first contact through arrest and questioning your experience with the
country’s law enforcement officials
d. Explain the detention process you will experience as a foreign national for the
crime you committed
e. Explain the judicial process you’ll experience for the crime you committed
f. Explain the detention, corrections, and/or incarceration process you’ll experience
for the crime you committed
CJUS 701
3) Provide an analysis on:
a. The effectiveness of the criminal justice system in the country
b. The human rights perspective of how you were treated through the lens of the
country where you were caught
c. A Holy Bible comparison/analysis of the criminal justice system of the country
where you were caught
1
Japan Criminal Justice System
Institutional Affiliation
Student's Name
Course Name
Instructor's Name
Date
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Introduction
This analysis focuses on Japan's criminal justice system. Japan is a traditional country,
with the oldest people living there and with several tea ceremonies. It is also known to be the
origin of Sushi, one of the most common dishes and loved dishes worldwide. Japan has a legacy
of having the most distinct sculptures and poetry worldwide. This assignment will demonstrate
Japan's analysis relating to its social, political, and economic structures. It will explain a criminal
offense Miss Alexandra committed in Japan and the whole process through her case. The
assignment would explain the effectiveness of Japan's criminal justice system if Miss Alexandra
were treated correctly, relating with the human rights perspective and a Biblical analysis of the
criminal justice system.
Country's Analysis
Society and People
Japan's population consists of an entirely homogeneous society, with immigrants forming
approximately 2% of the population (Columbia University, n.d.). Japanese people mostly do
things in groups because they find it more comfortable working and associating with their friends
and families. They get a sense of security when they are mainly close to people who are like
them. It is rare to find a person in Japan alone/ by themselves, and most of them love to be in a
harmonious relationship with everyone. Japanese believe more in social obligations than
individual relations and interactions with a god. Japanese are also religious, where their primary
religion is Buddhism and Shinto. Therefore, the Japanese value their society the most since they
do most of their duties and activities together.
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Economy
Japan is one of the extensively developed countries with a strong economy worldwide. It
has numerous industrious workforce with an affluent of well-educated people. According to the
2021 index of economic- freedom, Japan has economic freedom of approximately 74. It is the 6th
country among the Asian-Pacific region, and its general economic score exceeds the regional
averages. Japan has an open market with several trade agreements (The Heritage Foundation,
2021). It has also an expanded volume of interest-free loans to many small and average firms
affected by the pandemic, offering them an opportunity to grow again. The country also has a
shallow unemployment rate of approximately 2.3%, making it fast for growth.
Relationship with the U.S.
The U.S. values its relationship with Japan and sees it as one of its closest allies. This
relationship has resulted from a need for fundamental stability and prosperity since Japan is one
of the most successful democracies (State, 2020). The alliances the two states share result from
essential interests, including sharing and preserving political and economic freedoms and
ensuring prosperity for their citizens and their international communities. The U.S. and Japan
have had a security treaty for 61 years, which they have renewed on several occasions. Both
countries also associate in promoting and expanding integrity in I.T. supply chains while
ensuring smooth and secure transactions to more advanced Information technologies such as 5G
networks. Therefore, Japan's relationship with the U.S. has concerned its growth and expansion.
Japan's Government Relations with the Justice System
Japan having the lowest crime rates signifies a strict judicial system that is far from a
failure. The government's relationship with Japan's justice system is good since it has
implemented rules and measures to ensure the justice system is fair and the country's values are
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implemented (Kobayashi, 2020). The government also ensures that all judicial operations reflect
democracy and peace in society. Japan's federal system is centralized, where the legal system
consists of arbitration, Asian models, cultural aversion on legal processes, and Anglo-American.
The judicial system, just like any other, includes court cases and hearings, prosecutions,
penalties, sentences, imprisonment, and extradition.
Transnational Issues
Japan is the only Asian country that faces minimum transnational threats such as
terrorism and religious tension, which would result from their homogeneity society. However,
the country faces a lot of hostility from North Korea, which has numerous Korean communities.
Most of the disputes they face with the Northern territory are land problems. Since before World
War II, these problems have been present, and the problems have been with several countries.
One of the land disputes Japan faces is the Senkaku Island dispute, a struggle between China and
Japan. According to Brookings (2014), another transnational issue Japan faces with other Asian
countries is earthquakes, putting their population in danger.
Basis of Law
The basis of law in Japan is based on codified law, which is a combination of the
constitution and five codes essential in the legal system. The codes include civil processes,
criminal procedures, and commercial processes. It also comprises the legislative core, which has
several courts responsible for hearing cases with different intensities. Criminal law states that a
person accused of a crime will always remain innocent until the court finds them guilty of the
crime. The court will always give the defendant some benefit from the doubt, listen to their
claims, and justify showing their innocence. Therefore, it is sensible to say that the criminal
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justice system's basis of law relates to civil law to protect citizens from harm. It also ensures that
all parties in a court get equal treatment despite the citizenship state.
The Crime
Japan being immigrant unfriendly, Miss Alexandra did not expect to experience any
prejudice or discrimination there significantly since she believed that the U.S. and Japan have a
good relationship (Oishi & Hamanda, 2019). Miss Alexandra, an angry lady, often got in the
middle of verbal exchanges with the Japanese, who discriminated against her and treated her
poorly. In most cases, she avoided continuing with the quarrels and walked away, until one time
when she was coming from her classes, walking towards her new car and found a group of
Japanese painting it and demanding she goes back to her country. Alex tried to avoid the regular
insults she got in the middle of, go to her car and drive home until someone pushed her and made
her fall down. As she got angrier, Alexandra could not hold her anger and started fighting with
the people in the streets. Alexandra was hurt but managed to hurt around three people from the
crowd, and in the next few minutes, the place was flooded with police officers. One person from
the crowd had called the cops on her claiming she had assaulted three people and harmed them.
The person also claimed that Alex attempted to kill them. Alexandra was unaware of what she
had done and whether people recorded the incident or not.
Japan's Law
In Japan, fighting is seen as an assault on the victim unless the fight is a form of self-
defense. Japanese laws only allow the military to fight in self-defense, but citizens do not have
any laws supporting conflicts with one another, not even as a form of self-defense. Any forms of
violence are strictly prohibited in the country because Japan values the peace and safety of all
people, and specific laws are present from articles one to three. The laws also prevent any forms
6
of domestic violence against anyone, whether Japanese or non-Japanese. According to article
222 of the Japanese constitution, threatening someone is punishable in the criminal court. Article
6 of the constitution rules against property damage on a person relating to discrimination and
inequality. Any person found guilty will be liable to repair the damages properly and compensate
for the damage.
Experience with Law Enforcement Officials
The police officers first worked their way through the fight to separate Miss Alexandra
from the fight and asked what had been going on. Miss Alexandra was taken to custody after the
officers informed her why they were taking her away. The officers also demanded that she
remain silent and calm, or her words and actions could be applicable in court during her case/
prosecution.
The questioning process was fair and non-violent, where Alexandra was shown the
recorded video in the entire incidence. She was asked to explain what had been going on and
what forced her to hurt the three people involved in the fight. She got the right to get an attorney
of her own choice or a public defender if she did not have any means to hire one. Alex explained
the entire incident and demanded she get a defender when she noticed the police officers were
confused with the entire scenario.
Detention Process
The police officers conducted an immigration check to confirm that Alexandra's
immigration details were clean. The information she gave the officers matched with what was in
the system about her. The officers checked for Alexandra's criminal history to see whether there
were any offenses she was guilty of in the U.S. The detention process would take longer because
7
it was hard to know the entire story and if Alex was the victim or the criminal in this case.
Alexandra stayed in police custody for a few days before the hearing for the case reached.
The Judicial process
Alexandra was accused of two charges; physical violence on three Japanese people and
verbal threats against them. Her actions were on camera, how she physically beat up the people
after they pushed her, even though it was not yet clear that she acted in self-defense or out of
anger. The three people were also charged with racial discrimination and property destruction
relating to discrimination. The defender explained the scenario according to Alex's perspective,
and a few people from the audience were also brought in to witness the case. The video evidence
was also presented to the judge and played in the courthouse for the jury and witnesses to see.
The video showed how the three guys destroyed Alexandra's car, how they pushed her, and how
she fought them and shouted, and they were already dead. Therefore, the judge and jury decided
that the fight was a form of self-defense, but Alex should have called the police instead of
fighting. The judges and juries ruled that she would get six months in prison or pay 500 000
Japanese Yen for the medical bills of the three guys.
The three guys also got their sentence to compensate Alexandra for the car's damage and
a jail term of one year each for harassing and discriminating against Alex due to her nationality
and race. Therefore, Alexandra got 500 000 Yen compensation for physically assaulting the three
gentlemen, and the men got a jail sentence and compensation fee for Alex.
Effectiveness of Japan's Criminal Justice system
Japan's criminal justice system is very efficient and fair because it did its best to listen to
both sides of the story and equally apply the rules to both parties in the case. The judiciary
system also used correct channels to apply the laws and rules (Travel. ga, 2021). Due to police
8
officers' efficiency, many citizens trust the police to enforce the law and maintain order in every
area within Japan. The officer's efficiency is what got them to the scene on time before more
damage occurred.
Japan's criminal justice system is also efficient. The court implemented the correct
measures and channels to ensure that it provided justice for both parties and ensured that any
mistakes were corrected and punished accordingly. The entire criminal justice system did not
tolerate any inequality or discrimination during the court case and the detention process, making
it reliable and efficient for people's safety, both Japanese and non-Japanese.
Human Right's Perspective of Alexandra during her Detention
Alexandra received fair treatment from the judicial system because, in as much as Japan
is not immigrant-friendly, it does its best to ensure that all immigrants receive fair and equal
treatment. All human rights were correctly applicable in her case, where she was given the right
to an attorney, she received fair treatment and punishment for the crimes she committed (Jung &
Bae, 2020). Alexandra also got justice for the assault and discrimination she got from the three
Japanese guys. Alex was not forced to talk during questioning, neither was she harassed more
during her arrest and imprisonment. All sides of the story were present in court; without any bias,
the judges ruled fairly and ensured to explain why the ruling was done so, relating with the
constitution. Therefore, the judicial process was generally fair, and they applied all human rights
to Alexandra during the entire detention process.
A Holy Bible Comparison with the Criminal Justice System
According to the Bible, it is essential to speak up for people who cannot defend
themselves and support them through everything. Proverbs 31:8-9 "Speak up for those who
cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly;
9
defend the rights of the poor and needy." Japan's criminal justice system ensures that everybody
gets equal rights despite their financial status or race. In this case, the judicial system listened to
Alexandra's discrimination case and ensured that she got her rights and justice for the unfair
treatment she got from the Japanese citizens. The judicial system also ensured that they punished
the three people who assaulted Alexandra well, such she got justice and compensation for the
damage she got.
According to John 13:34, "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have
loved you, so you must love one another," people must love one another with fair and equal
treatment. The Japanese judiciary system has implemented equality laws to ensure that the
people do not receive any unequal treatment depending on their race or nationality. It also
ensures equal treatment for all persons by ensuring that both Alex and the three Japanese men
got punishment for their behavior and that all parties learned well. The system also allowed all
sides to have a voice, which was a clear sign of love for all people, even with the crime they
committed. The fair judgment in the court was a clear sign of love for everyone.
Conclusion
Conclusively, Alexandra may have been the more prominent victim because she was
discriminated against and treated with bias. Still, she let her anger get the best of her and
assaulted the gentlemen. Alexandra also threatened to kill the men as she beat them up, against
Japanese law. However, the court made sure to rule the case correctly and promote equality
during judgment. Before making any ruling, the judges and jury were also fair to take the
evidence and ensure they had both sides of the story with justification. If Alexandra had reported
the entire case to the police without involving in physical harm, the law would have been on her
side, and she would not get any penalties.
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References
Columbia University. (n.d.). Contemporary Japan: Japanese Society, Homogeneity. Retrieved
from Asian Topics: http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/at/contemp_japan/cjp_society_01.html
Jung, G., & Bae, H. Y. (2020). Rights Make Might: Global Human Rights and Minority Social
Movements in Japan. Contemporary Sociology, 49(2), 209-212.
Kobayashi, C. (2020). Resolved: Japan's Justice System is Fair. Debating Japan, 3(2), 1-6
Oh, K. (2014). Transnational Threats in East Asia. Retrieved from Brookings:
https://www.brookings.edu/opinions/transnational-threats-in-east-asia/
Oishi, N., & Hamanda, I. (2019). Quality of Life in Japan and Emigration: The Perspectives of
Japanese Skilled Immigrants in Australia. Quality of Life in Japan, 13, 193-214.
State. (2020). U.S. Relations With Japan. Retrieved from U.S. Department of State:
https://www.state.gov/u-s-relations-with-japan/
The Heritage Foundation. (2021). Japan. Retrieved from 2021 index of economic freedom:
https://www.heritage.org/index/country/japan
Travel. ga. (2021). An overview of the criminal law system in Japan. Retrieved from Travel. ga:
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories/japan/criminal-law-system
OUTLINE
Student's Name
Professor's Name
Course Title
Date
Japan Criminal justice system
Thesis Statement: It will explain a criminal offense Miss Alexandra committed in Japan and the
whole process through her case
1. Introduction:
This analysis will explain Japan's criminal justice system
2. Country's Analysis
I. Society and People
II. Economy
III. Relationship with the US
IV. Japan's Government Relations with the Justice System
V. Transnational Issues
VI. Basis of Law
3. The Crime
4. The Country's Law
5. Experience with Law Enforcement Officials
6. Detention Process
7. The Judicial process
8. Human Right's Perspective of Alexandra during his Detention
9. A Holy Bible Comparison with the Criminal Justice System
10. Conclusion
Alex let her anger get the best of her and assaulted the gentlemen.
11. References
