Professor Masahiko Omura and Professor Keita Sato (both of Chuo Law School) receive medals from Cambodia; Professor Emeritus Mitsuhiko Tsuruta receives medal from Cuba.

On February 26th, Professor Masahiko Omura and Professor Keita Sato (both of Chuo Law School) received the Cambodia Friendship Medal from the Kingdom of Cambodia. The medal was presented to the professors for their involvement in activities to support the drafting of Cambodia's Civil Code and Civil Procedure Code. Also, on May 26th, Professor Emeritus Mitsuhiko Tsuruta was presented with a Friendship Medal by the National Assembly of the Republic of Cuba (Chairman: Raul Castro). The award ceremony took place at the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in Azabu, Tokyo.

In 1999, the Cambodian government issued a request to the Japan Ministry of Foreign Affairs for supporting in drafting Cambodia's new Civil Code and Civil Procedure Code. In response to this request, a Drafting Committee was assembled from Japanese legal scholars and judges, and draft procedures were performed for the two legal codes. As part of this process, Professor Omura spent a period of time as a member of the Civil Procedure Code Drafting Committee, and Professor Sato spent a period of time participating in the Civil Code Drafting Committee in relation to the treatment of intellectual property law.

As a result of these efforts, the Civil Procedure Code was promulgated in July 2006, and the Civil Code was promulgated in December 2007. The current award was bestowed upon 37 members of the Japanese team and members of the Drafting Committee, which cooperated with Cambodia over a period of 10 years.

Professor Omura gave the following statement: "I was involved in these activities for 10 years, and the activities are an important part of my life as a researcher. During drafting of the codes, we did not force the Japanese legal system on Cambodia. Rather, we proceeded while paying attention to onsite conditions and needs. I believe that one of the reasons for the success of the project was the communication conducted through events such as onsite meetings."

Also, Professor Sato discussed the project as follows: "Cambodia was considering regulations related to intellectual property as part of the Civil Code. I gave advice regarding necessary regulations and appropriate civil code. I will never forget the passion that Cambodian members displayed in their quest to absorb new knowledge. After completion of the project, I was able to invite the current Director of the Copyright Bureau to visit Japan. Furthermore, I had the opportunity to lead students and become involved in FLP and other programs that showed the current status of Cambodia and Vietnam. I am grateful for all of the opportunities I gained through participation in the project."

The Friendship Medal presented to Professor Emeritus Tsuruta is given in recognition of foreigners who contributed to friendship and mutual understanding with Cuba. During the era of Chairman Fidel Castro, the same award was previously received by Mr. Shuji Hisano, Chairman of the Board of Regents and Director of the Alumni Association at Chuo University.

From his time as faculty of Chuo University, Professor Tsuruta conducted instruction of visiting Cuban researchers who were Cuban National Foreign Exchange Students or were receiving international exchange grants. He also gave research presentations at international conferences and symposiums held in Havana. Also, from 2004, Professor Tsuruta has served as Chairman of the Japan-Cuba Friendship Association. The Friendship Medal was awarded in recognition of these outstanding activities.

The award ceremony began with a speech by Vice President Alicia Corredera of the Cuban People's Friendship Committee. In her speech, Ms. Corredera, who holds the right to recommend a recipient of the Friendship Medal to the National Assembly, explained her reasons for recommending Professor Tsuruta. Next, the medal was presented by Ambassador Fernandez de Cossio, and Professor Tsuruta gave a speech expressing his gratitude for the award. Finally, a congratulatory toast was held by Government Counselor Andres Ballester.

(Offered by: Gakuin Jiho, Issue No. 458)