Website Rating Judges in Japan under Spotlight

Tokyo, April 12 (Jiji Press)--A website that assesses judges across Japan has gained attention for its five-level rating system and detailed commentaries on the rulings they were responsible for.

"I want people to easily imagine what kind of person each judge is," said Kazuya Tanaka, a lawyer who created the website, called "Saibankan Map" (judge map).

Tanaka of the Tokyo Bar Association specializes in internet-related lawsuits. The website, created using generative artificial intelligence, shows names of judges involved in high-profile trials, along with explanations of their rulings and research papers they have published. Users can assign ratings and post reviews.

According to Tanaka, the website was attracting between 20,000 and 30,000 daily viewers as of mid-March.

The website was inspired by Tanaka's dissatisfaction with rulings in a lawsuit where he represented the plaintiff. A real estate company in Ibaraki Prefecture, eastern Japan, lost both district and high court rulings in the lawsuit against Google LLC of the United States seeking the removal of reviews posted on Google Maps.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]