Dealing with small claims in Japan

In his report on the operation of civil justice in England and Wales "Access to Justice", Lord Woolf regarded expansion of the small claims jurisdiction of the county court as the best way of securing greater public access to civil justice. Against this background , it may perhaps be of some interest to outline how small claims are dealt with in Japan by adjudication, special payment orders, and mediation. Revisions of the Code of Civil Procedure, introduced this year, affecting small claims are described, so are the reasons which led to reforms. Finally it is suggested that the Japanese experience of resolving claims of relatively low value may have relevance beyond Japan.