https://legal.excellentwiki.com/japan/evidence/Recent content in Evidence on ExcellentWiki - Legal EncyclopediaHugoen-USTue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://legal.excellentwiki.com/japan/evidence/japan-evidence-law/Tue, 07 Jul 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://legal.excellentwiki.com/japan/evidence/japan-evidence-law/<h2 id="foundational-sources-and-structure">Foundational Sources and Structure</h2> <p>Japanese evidence law derives from two principal codes: the <strong>Code of Criminal Procedure</strong> (Keiji Sosho Ho, Act No. 131 of 1948) and the <strong>Code of Civil Procedure</strong> (Minji Sosho Ho, Act No. 109 of 1996). The criminal evidence regime was heavily shaped by American occupation legal reforms (1945–1952), creating a hybrid adversarial-inquisitorial framework. The Constitution establishes fundamental evidentiary principles: <strong>Article 38(1)</strong> guarantees the privilege against self-incrimination; <strong>Article 38(2)</strong> establishes the exclusionary rule for coerced confessions; <strong>Article 38(3)</strong> requires corroboration (no conviction solely on confession); and <strong>Article 37</strong> guarantees the right to confront witnesses and compulsory process.</p>