Structured Lists Directory

Overview

Types of Courts in Japan

The Japanese court system consists of the Supreme Court and lower courts based on the Constitution. The Court Organization Act establishes four types of lower courts: High Courts, District Courts, Family Courts, and Summary Courts. Japan adopts a three-tier court system with first, second, and third instance courts, allowing parties to receive up to three hearings in principle. Each court exercises judicial power independently and has different jurisdictions and characteristics.

courts judiciary Supreme Court High Court District Court Family Court Summary Court three-tier system law
code slug name description courtType instance location numberOfCourts branches locations localOffices civilLimit_amount civilLimit_currency civilLimit_description
1 supreme-court Supreme Court The sole and highest court in Japan, established by the Constitution. supreme third Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 1
2 high-court High Court Established in 8 major cities, handling appeals and first-instance trials for crimes such as insurrection. high second 8 6 ["Sapporo","Sendai","Tokyo","Nagoya","Osaka","Hiroshima","Takamatsu","Fukuoka"]
3 district-court District Court 50 courts nationwide, serving as the principal court of first instance for civil and criminal cases. district first 50 203
4 family-court Family Court 50 courts nationwide, specializing in family matters and juvenile cases. family first 50 203 77
5 summary-court Summary Court 438 courts nationwide, handling minor civil and criminal cases through simplified procedures. summary first 438 1400000 JPY Claims where the subject matter value does not exceed 1.4 million yen

Japanese courts consist of the Supreme Court and four types of lower courts.