One of the more refreshing aspects of life in Japan is the lack of lawyers and lawsuits as a major part of society. Japan has a civil court system, just like any other modern nation, but for unique cultural reasons the Japanese are far less likely to make use of it to resolve disputes than in the West. On one of my mother’s visits to Japan we took her to Gunma Safari Park, a small but pleasant wild animal park where Japan’s city dwellers can see various wild animals in something resembling their natural habitat. One of the main attractions of the park is getting your picture taken with a cute orangutan and…a giant lioness, declawed but very alert. As I posed with this incredible creature lying across the laps of myself and my family for a once-in-a-lifetime picture, it occurred to me that if Japan had an overly-evolved legal system like the U.S., no number of waivers could make an experience like that possible.
Japan has fewer lawyers to spoil everyone’s fun.
