Japan is planning to change the entire text of the Commercial Code in early 2017. The code is said to be written in classical literary style, however, the government will change it into modern Japanese.
The country is expected to translate all the six codes of the basic laws: the Civil Code, the Penal Code, the Commercial Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Code of Civil Procedure, and the Constitution, into a modern idiom within the period of 70 years after the enforcement of the Constitution back in 1947.
Out of the six codes of basic laws in Japan, only the text of the Commercial Code remains in classical style. Scholars have pointed out that the text is difficult to comprehend.
The Legislative Council is currently considering amendments to air transport regulations, and the inclusion of a requirement to give notice when entrusting the transport of dangerous materials or objects - this is regarding the Commercial Code. Such code and its text will be modernized by the council early in February next year.
The Justice Ministry also plans to submit a bill to the Diet to change the code as early as the ordinary Diet session next year. The revision of code includes the modernizing of the text about 230 out of 300 articles, excluding those which has already been deleted.
After the enforcement of the Constitution back in 1947, the colloquial style was being adopted in Japanese laws. The law was written using hiragana. However, during 1948, part of the Civil Code was change into colloquial style. Meanwhile, in 1995, Penal Code was translated into modern idiom.
The plan to change the text of the Commercial code into modern Japanese was proposed by former Justice Minister Okiharu Yasuoka in 2000. After the part of the Commercial Code was taken off from the Companies Law in 2006, the Commercial Code's provisions related to the Companies law were revised to modern Japanese text.
