This is a list of landmark cases of the Supreme Court of Japan. Case Number Date of Judgment Commonly Used Case Name Significance2003 No. 157February 19, 2008Mapplethorpe CaseThe Court found that a collection of Mapplethorpe photographs that included images of male genitalia was not obscene. The Court's decision was believed to be the first time the top court overruled a lower court ruling on obscenity."Japan's top court rules erotic photo book is not obscene", International Herald Tribune, (2008-02-19)2005 No. 1977November 1, 2007Overseas Hibakusha CaseThe Court found that the government's refusal to provide health-care benefits to hibakusha living abroad was illegal. It was the first time the Court declared a government order illegal and upheld a ruling mandating the payment of damages.Korean hibakusha benefit snub illegal, Japan Times, (2007-11-02)2007 No. 30August 7, 2007Bull-Dog Sauce CaseDiscriminatory treatment of some shareholders designed to prevent hostile takeover of a company (in this case the use of a "poison pill") does not necessarily violate the principle of shareholder equality under Japanese statutes. Such decisions must be made by shareholders who deem it in the company's best interest; it cannot be a move made by management to protect itself.株主総会決議禁止等仮処分命令申立て却下決定に対する抗告棄却決定に対する許可抗告事件(in Japanese)
Footnotes
See also Politics of Japan Japanese law Judicial System of Japan 2008 Decisions of the Supreme Court of Japan
References Decisions of The Supreme Court of Japan (Japanese language) Decisions of The Supreme Court of Japan (English language, does not include latest cases) Teruki Tsunemoto, Trends in Japanese Constitutional Law Cases: Important Judicial Decisions for 2004, trans. Daryl Takeno, Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal Teruki Tsunemoto, Trends in Japanese Constitutional Law Cases: Important Legal Precedents for 2005, trans. John Donovan, Yuko Funaki, and Jennifer Shimada, Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal Teruki Tsunemoto, Trends in Japanese Constitutional Law Cases: Important Legal Precedents for 2006, trans. Asami Miyazawa and Angela Thompson, Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal Teruki Tsunemoto, Trends in Japanese Constitutional Law Cases: Important Legal Precedents for 2007, trans. Mark A. Levin and Jesse Smith, Asian-Pacific Law & Policy Journal