Ministry of Justice Collaborative Training

This internship aims to understand the difference between theory and practice by learning and experiencing how the theories learned in university lectures on topics such as human rights, criminal policy, local government policy, and public-private collaboration are put into practice in society. Specifically, participants will visit the Numata Town Employment Support Center (Numata Town, Uryu District, Hokkaido), which provides vocational training in agriculture and other areas to support those provisionally released from juvenile prisons in becoming independent through farming, and also provides life guidance and social skills training from probation officers. They will have discussions with government agencies, local residents, and inmates, and experience agricultural training.

Prior to the on-site training, a lecture by the Ministry of Justice will be given and participants will be required to write a report on this lecture as well as a comprehensive report after the on-site training is completed. Through this experiential learning about the differences between theory and practice, participants will reaffirm the significance of studying law.

This training is conducted with the cooperation of the Ministry of Justice and the local government, and is the only program in Japan that is a regular university course. The training site, Numata Town Employment Support Center in Hokkaido, is a facility that provides vocational training in agriculture and other fields to support self-reliance through farming for those provisionally released from juvenile prisons, and also provides life guidance and social skills training from probation officers. In this training program, participants visit Numata Town, the local government where the Employment Support Center is located, and hold discussions with administrative agencies, local residents, and incarcerated juveniles, and experience agricultural training. By actually doing farm work while communicating with incarcerated juveniles, participants can experience the reality of juvenile delinquents, who are generally viewed with a negative eye. In addition, by listening to probation officers and support groups in Numata Town, the local government where the center is located, participants will learn about the state of the community that supports the rehabilitation of juveniles and the past struggles that led to the center being located, and will face the difficulties and possibilities of society accepting juvenile delinquents.
The second half of the program also includes a "case study" in which participants, together with a current probation officer, consider how they would respond to specific cases if they were a probation officer. Based on their own experiences communicating with juveniles, participants propose their own responses and exchange opinions, learning about the difficulties of dealing with individual situations while also listening to the views of a current probation officer and exploring the most appropriate response. (Instructor: Associate Professor Fukagawa Mayuko)

(Reference) Schedule
1. Pre-lecture
2. Lecture before the start of practical training
3. Explanation of business activities and tour of the Numata Town Employment Support Center
4. Farm visit
5. Agricultural training experience ①
6. Discussion meetings with related organizations "Suzuran Association," "Probation Officer Association," and "Ashitamoe Association"
7. Learning about Numata Town Government
8. Visit to an agricultural processing plant
9. Agricultural training experience ②
10. Community service activities (e.g., community service experience at a senior care facility)
11. Exchange meeting with boys admitted to Numata Town Employment Support Center
12. Case Study Meeting
13. Summary

Aogaku Courtroom Drama

Aogaku Courtroom Drama is legal entertainment that uses a format called "rensageki." Rensageki is a form of expression that combines live "theater" and "video (film)." During the performance, the "mock courtroom" set up on campus is transformed into a "theater." Many stage effects such as music, art, and lighting are used, and the world of law (trials), which is often thought of as inaccessible and difficult, is dramatically portrayed.
Every year, we perform four to six times at the summer open campus, and many people, including high school students, high school graduates, and their parents, enjoy the show. By sharing the joys and sorrows of creating a single stage, the students in the seminar make irreplaceable friends and grow into "adults." (Instructor: Professor Yasuhiko Oishi)