Reparations and Reconciliation in East Asia as a Hot Issue of Tort Law in the 21st Century: Case Studies, Legal Issues, and Theoretical Framework

Abstract

Reparations and reconciliation issues have been still marginalized in tort law in spite of their pragmatic and theoretical importance in East Asian legal scholarship. On the other hand, there are already many reparations lawsuits, especially relating to Japanese invasion and colonization, on forced slave labor, comfort women, massacres in China. In this article, first, wel deal with why these legal cases have been unsuccessful so far in Japan, and the ways to overcome legal obstacles. Second, we will discuss the mechanisms of reparation and its goal: reconciliation and changes in international and racial relationship. The important role of an apology, comparison of legal and moral reparations and the related issues will also be considered.