Though the old laws were not universal but were drawn by individual domain lords whose primary motivation was to protect their own interests, they nonetheless succeeded in controlling their people. From the outset of the Meiji government, the welfare of ordinary citizens did not command the leaders' serious attention. The legacy of this practice remains apparent today in the Liberal Democratic Party's steady hold over the rural areas. Following these observations, it may safely be said that what separates Japan from the West is not Japan's degree of willingness to resort to law, but Japan's attitude towards law itself. In the West, laws exist to ensure individual rights and the pursuit of happiness.
Japan utilizes the adversarial system minimally.
This difference will persist as long as the Japanese legal system is derived from its cultural and historical background. In Japan today, an increasing number of people and corporations now appear in court to obtain redress for their complaints. The majority of issues are concerned with multinational business ventures, as well as problems arising from advance science and technology. The present challenge lies in recognizing the legacy of the old regime without hindering Japan's progress in the international arena of cooperation and competition.