Letter from the Editor

Dear Readers

I hope you are enjoying receiving the magazine more regularly. This issue is our legal special and we are excited to cover what seems to be a thriving industry, in spite of the credit crunch. In June this year, London’s ‘Magic Circle’ top law firms announced record turnovers with Clifford Chance reporting a leading revenue figure of £1.3 billion, up 13% from last year. In Japan, the industry can also be said to be experiencing something of a boom and our cover story features three firms that have recently opened Tokyo offices; we spoke to them about the growing need for their services and consider how their arrival might change the dynamics of the industry.

On the social side, Anna Kitanaka tackles one of the Japanese justice system’s thorniest legal issues, the death penalty. Her article considers whether there has been any shift in attitudes towards capital punishment and whether the implementation of the lay judge system will make any difference. We also take a look at some cases that suggest growing uncertainty about freedom of expression, plus, our legal expert gives some advice on protecting trade secrets and personal information.

Peter Harris MA (Oxon) - Editor-in-Chief

On other pages, we keep on top of the latest technological advances with Hugh Ashton’s exploration of new, energy-saving methods for cooling down data centers and Brad Frischkorn’s piece on how HDTV is revolutionizing broadcasting. Meanwhile, Sarah Noorbakhsh gets submerged in Japanese corporate culture, scrutinizing the phenomenon of why more and more young Japanese professionals are quitting their jobs after only a few years.

On top of all this I hope you enjoy our range of other articles, including a piece on the beer industry in Japan, plus all our regulars. I also recommend trying our brand new Sudoku puzzle.

Please send letters to the editor to peter.harris@japaninc.com