FAQ

February 23, 2016

Can someone be sued for breaking a contract if the breach wasn’t their fault?

Unfortunately, not every contract is completed as promised. Business partners find better deals or decide that they no longer want to perform their obligations. When one side breaks his or her promise a “breach of the contract” occurs and usually the other party can sue them in court to recover their damages. However, Japanese law, like most developed contract law around the world, makes a distinction for parties that didn’t keep their promise because it became impossible to keep.
February 23, 2016

If goods are destroyed in transit, can a buyer force the seller to ship another delivery?

In many purchase and sales agreements, delivery is a key component of the contract. When, how and where delivery will take place is often crucial to the business operations of both the seller and the buyer. However, delivery is also frequently performed by a third party delivery company. Therefore, the question of who takes on the responsibility for a successful delivery is an important consideration when drafting a purchase and sales agreement.
February 23, 2016

What happens when goods are delivered to an employee who is not authorized to receive them?

In sales contracts, one of the most important parts of the contract is who will accept delivery of the goods. However, many times this is not identified beyond the standard term “Buyer” in the contract. This can result in confusion and mistakes when the seller makes a delivery to a person who is not authorized to accept it.
February 23, 2016

What laws govern contracts in Japan?

Japan does not have a separate code of law for contracts to determine what laws govern contracts in Japan. Instead, contract law is governed by various laws contained in the Civil Code, the law of torts, the law of property, the law of succession and family law. While these codes contain the basic rules governing contract formation and execution in Japan, special rules relating to contracts between merchants are contained in the Commercial Code. Furthermore there are many other laws relating to protection of consumers and regulation of business operators.