Koichi HAMAI (Professor, Faculty of Law)
With the aim of establishing evidence-based measures against crime in Japan, this unit cooperates with the Campbell Collaboration: C2, an international research project that was started in 2000 to formulate and share science-based evidence in the field of criminology (crime prevention), and also aims to advance policy evaluation research. Specifically, this unit will translate into Japanese the scientific evidence (systematic reviews) on effective interventions in the criminology fields of crime prevention and recidivism prevention that have been produced by Campbell Collaboration: C2, and disseminate this information to relevant academic societies and governmental and legislative bodies by widespread distribution in electronic media and print.
In particular, this unit plans to: (1) translate new systematic reviews gathered by Campbell Collaboration: C2; (2) publish translated reviews on the unit web site; and (3) hold seminars and symposiums aimed at formulating and sharing scientific evidence.
Masahiro TSUSHIMA (Professor, Faculty of Sociology)
This unit also aims to coordinate with the Sociological Criminology Unit to prepare for and conduct research so we can participate in plenary meetings of the International Self-Report Delinquency Study (ISRD) as a representative of Japan. As in the Sociological Criminology Unit, young researchers with limited experience in conducting self-directed scientific research will be positioned as central members of this project, and through exposure to the entire research process from investigation to analysis, which includes: (1) translation of questionnaires; (2) formulating a study design; (3) communicating with various related organizations; and (4) data input. This will give these young people a practical education of how to conduct self-reported research, of which there are few opportunities in Japan.
Akiko KOGAWARA (Associate Professor, Faculty of Law)
This unit collects the latest domestic and foreign knowledge on forensic methodologies, and presents a framework based on scientific findings with the aim of shaping a group of experts capable of the practical application of these forensic methodologies in a criminal trial. Specifically, this unit: (1) conducts general theoretical research into the problems of cognitive bias in expert witnesses and statistical treatment to examine standards that deserve general application in forensic methodologies; and (2) looks at specific fields and investigates circumstances and problem areas related to the latest findings in each forensic methodology.
In study sessions held in 2018 or earlier, this unit covered a wide range of topics, from orthodox matters such as handwriting analysis, shaken baby syndrome (SBS), and criminal responsibility, to the latest topics in criminology. Of these areas, this unit has a particular focus on investigating SBS. For 2019, this unit plans to publish notes from an international SBS symposium in the Ryukoku Law Review journal, and publish leaflets on forensic methodologies.