GMAP in Law
Kobe University
Graduate Schoolof Law

GMAP in Law

MAY 2015

NEWSLETTER
IssueInternship
GMAP inSecond
Law Course’sProgramme
The GMAP in Law course has been sailing alongsmoothly into its second month with the month of April
filled with lectures on Legal English, the Japanese Legal
System,Business
Economics
andInternational
Investment Law.

InsideTest your vocabulary
Expandvocabularysimple quiz!

yourEnglish
by taking this3

An introduction to space law[vol. 1] by Yuri Takaya
Have you ever been curious on
theactivities
happening
beyond our atmosphere? Are
there any laws governing suchactivities? Read on to find out!

2As mentioned in the previous issue, part of the GMAP in
Law course requires students to participate in aninternship, which would contribute to 2 of their overall
credits for the programme.
Students will be given the option of choosing between
certain selected institutions for their internship stint,
which should generally be between one to threemonths.
The selected institutions include law firms in South East
Asia and arbitration institutions as follows:

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KOBE UNIVERSITY :: GMAP in Law

SECOND ISSUE :: MAY 2015

AnIntroduction toSpace Law[Vol. 1]
By Dr. Yuri Takaya

Space – The unexplored frontier; what activities happen in space and are
there any laws regulating the activities occurring outside of our atmosphere?
Space Law is an area of law, which could be considered new and hasn’t
been widely explored; we therefore have Dr. Yuri Takaya GMAPs research
fellow and lecturer at Kobe University specialising in Space Law to introduce
us to the basics of Space Law. For more information on Dr. Takaya please referto www.spacelawnotebook.com (in Japanese only)
Have you ever heard about “spacelaw”? Most likely the answer is no. Even
though Japan is listed as one of thespace-advanced countries with fulllaunch capabilities the existing laws that
apply to space activities are still not wellknown. Since October 2014, theDepartment of Law of Kobe University
has been holding classes on space law
with the aim of deepening theunderstanding of space law as well as
critical issues relating to outer space
activities. A brief introduction of space
law is given pursuant to the Q&A,
quoted from the website of the UnitedNations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
[See,http://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/FAQ/s
plawfaq.html#Q1 for the Q&A].

2

1. What is space law?
Space law can be described as the bodyof law applicable to and governingspace-related activities. The term "spacelaw" is most often associated with therules, principles and standards ofinternational law appearing in the fiveinternational treaties and five sets ofprinciples governing outer space, whichhave been elaborated under theauspices of the United Nations Office forOuter Space Affairs. However, space law
also includes international agreements,treaties,conventions,rules
andregulations of international organizations(e.g.
theInternational
TelecommunicationsUnion),
national
laws, rules and regulations, executive andadministrative
orders,andjudicialdecisions.

KOBE UNIVERSITYSECOND ISSUE :: MAY 2015

Countries that have enacted national legislations
governing space-related activities include inter alia
Argentina, Australia, Canada, Finland, France,
Germany, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, New Zealand,
Philippines, the Republic of Korea, Russian Federation,Slovakia, Sweden, South Africa, Tunisia, Ukraine, theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland,
and the United States of America.

Test your legal vocabulary! Pickthe correct answer:

1 Consideration
A: Remuneration; B: Reasoning;
C: Require; or D: Convey

2Assignee

A: A person to whom a gift ismade; B: A person to whom
property is transferred by saleor gift; or C: A person who
holds interest in property

3 Clause
A: Contract; B: Concrete; C:Position; or D: Condition

Warranty(2) B – e.g. the privity ofcontract followed the estate,
so that the assignee of thereversion could sue the personthen holding the term.
(1) A - a payment or reward –e.g. I agreed to do the work fora small consideration.
Answers:

3. Can any State claim a part of outer space as itsown?
No. Article 2 of the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 statesthat outer space, including the Moon and othercelestial bodies, is not subject to national
appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means ofuse or occupation, or by any other means. The Treaty
establishes the exploration and use of outer space as
the "province of all mankind". The Moon Agreement,
although not ratified by many states, expands onthese provisions by stating that neither the surface nor
the subsurface of the Moon (or other celestial bodies
in the solar system), nor any part thereof or natural
resources in place, shall become the property of any
State, international intergovernmental or nongovernmental organization, national organization or
non-governmental entity or of any natural person.

Vocabulary
Corner(3) D – term in a contract – e.g.
the clause in this agreement isvague.

2. Why do we need laws for outer space?
Outer space is an exciting and highly importantregion, which because of its unique nature, holds thepotential for both significant benefits and dangers.
The primary goals of space law are to ensure arational, responsible approach to the exploration anduse of outer space for the benefit and interests of all
humankind. To this end, space law addresses a variety
of diverse matters, such as military activities in outerspace, preservation of the space and Earthenvironment, liability for damages caused by space
objects, settlement of disputes, protection of nationalinterests, rescue of astronauts, sharing of information
about potential dangers in outer space, use of spacerelated technologies, and international cooperation.

3

KOBE UNIVERSITY :: GMAP in Law

SECOND ISSUE :: MAY 2015

Continued from page 1

Law Firms
Jeff Leong, Poon
Malaysia (“JLPW”).

&Wong,

Kuala

Lumpur,

JLPW Vinh An Legal, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.

Rajah & Tann LCT Lawyers, Ho Chi Minh City,Vietnam.
Places to go:
Arima Hot Spring

Arbitration Institutions
Korean Commercial Arbitration Board, Seoul,
Korea.
UNICTRAL Regional Centre for Asia and thePacific, Seoul, Korea.

The University is currently looking into placements in law
firms in Myanmar and Tokyo, which details will beannounced at a later date.
Whilst the GMAPs in Law course is relatively new, theinternship programme has been on-going since 2009,
especially with JLPW and the University’s graduate
School of Law, with at least 84 students having
participated as of to date. Students can therefore rest
assured that the University will use its best endeavours inassisting students applying for their respective internship.
ccws.

One of the highlights of visiting
Japan has always been its hotsprings, also known as onsen / 温泉.
Most foreigners are adverse tostripping down and joining othernaked people in a bath, but if
you are up to it, Kobe city does
have a hot spring tucked within
it’s vicinity which one could makea day trip to for a dip.
Known as Arima Hot Springs / 有馬
温泉 which is located on the otherside of Mt Rokko, one can findquaint old styled shops squeezed
into alleys and enjoy a dip ineither the Kin Sen / 金 泉 (goldwater) or Gin Sen 銀 泉(silverwater) hot springs.
As the name suggests, the Kin
Sen’s water has a gold tinge to it
while the Gin Sen has a clearer
hue. Both have been reported tobe beneficial for amongst others
muscle and skin ailments.
Arima is also known as one of theoldest hot springs spa in Japanand is definitely worth a visit.

Please refer to Page 6 on the application details for
the GMAP in Law Course
4ccws.

Application for the GMAP in Law
CourseStudents wishing to apply for the GMAP in Law Course,
may find the details for the course and application
procedures on the Kobe University Graduate School ofLaw & Faculty of Law website at
http://www.law.kobeu.ac.jp/kobe_univ_global/english/admission/graduate.html.
Admission requirements include the submission of yourtest score for an English proficiency test (e.g. TOEIC,TOEFL, IELTS etc.); a research plan of 1,500 words; andan interview (via Skype for foreign students).
Foreign students
programme!

arewelcome toapplyfor

thisSECOND ISSUE :: MAY 2015

KOBE UNIVERSITY :: GMAP in Law

Disclaimer: All content published herein belong to their appropriate authors and/or owners and the University takes no responsibility for
any losses, injuries or damages from the display and/or use of such content.

For further information on theGMAP in Law Course kindly
contact the following person:

GMAP in Law’s Academic Staff

Professor Dai Tamada
tamada@port.kobe-u.ac.jp
Tel: +81-78-803-2507

Professor Akira Saito (Co – Director): International
Commercial Law and Arbitration

Graduate School of Law, 2-1
Rokko-dai-cho, Nada-ku, Kobe
City, 657-8501, JAPANwww.law.kobe-u.ac.jp

Professor Dai Tamada (Director): Public International
Law and International Investment Law

Professor Shunichiro Nakano: Private International Law
Professor Keith Carpenter: Legal English, Legal Practice,and Financial Law
For any queries or if you would like to contribute to thisNewsletter, please feel free to contact Cindy Cheong at:
cindy.cheong@phoenix.kobe-u.ac.jp
Tel: +81-78-803 – 6709
Graduate School of Law, 2-1 Rokko-dai-cho, Nada-ku,
Kobe City, 657-8501, JAPAN