Makoto Nakamura Becomes Japan’s Supreme Court Justice; Former Tokyo High Court President Promises to ‘Face Each Case with Sincerity’

The Yomiuri Shimbun

14:15 JST, September 12, 2024

Former Tokyo High Court President Makoto Nakamura took up the post of Supreme Court justice on Wednesday.

“I will always focus on the role of the judiciary and trials, and face each case with sincerity as I wrack my brains and have discussions,” he said at a press conference on the day.

Nakamura graduated from the law department at Kyoto University and was appointed as an assistant judge in 1988, mainly handling civil trials. In the top court, he served as secretary general and general affairs bureau chief.

At Wednesday’s press conference, Nakamura touched on the utilization of information technology in civil trials, saying that the adoption of video conferences in oral arguments “has been steadily increasing due to the great needs of the parties involved.”

As for the overall introduction of tech in the judiciary, he said it “will be of great significance in terms of improving accessibility and the convenience of court proceedings and making the courts more familiar to the public.”