The NihonEuropA Netword Celebrates Its 10th Anniversary. 

The NihonEuropA network is regularly organising a series of cross-perspective conferences, bringing together French and Japanese colleagues to engage in discussions on shared themes or present specific topics that consistently give rise to rich and stimulating exchanges. 

The theme of this eighth edition, to be held at the Faculty of Law of the University of Tours on Thursday, 27 November 2025, will focus on : « The Transfer of Legal Concepts as a Dimension of Legal Francophonie ». The term « concepts » here refers to legal notions originating from French law (and European Union law) that are applied or adapted within Japanese law. Japanese law continues to attract significant interest among European jurists, and it offers fertile ground for reflection in the field of comparative law.

The opening of the conference will take a comparative approach to the question of conceptual transfers. A frequent misunderstanding – often from the European or French perspective – is to assume that Western legal systems can be directly applied to Japan. However, the Japanese legal system engages in a substantial process of reception of these « imported » concepts or legal frameworks. This reception involves a specific process of adaptation, which is both shaped by and measurable through Japan’s legal culture. It is precisely these mechanisms that will be explored during the discussions. 

From the French perspective, the November conference will also extend the reflection on legal Francophonie – a theme already addressed at the Meiji University symposium held on 18-19 March 2025 (under the academic direction of Prof. Dr. Loïc Levoyer and Prof. Dr. Hiroshi Otsu). Legal Francophonie represents a significant stake for France and the French language in ensuring that French legal concepts take root and are disseminated in Japan. It encompasses both the preservation of French as an academic language within Japanese universities – particularly in law faculties – and the promotion of French legal ideas within Japanese law. French is a specific way of thinking, which gives rise to a distinctive conceptual expression of law and legal reasoning. 

Programme to be published shortly.