Legalscape, the No. 1 Legal Research AI in the industry for number of books included (*1), agrees to feature back issues of "Quarterly Criminal Defense" with Gendai Jinbun Sha

Legalscape Inc. (Headquarters: Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo; President & CEO: Itsuki Yagita, hereinafter "Legalscape") is pleased to announce that it has reached a new partnership agreement with Gendai Jinbun Sha Inc. (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Toshihisa Narisawa, hereinafter "Gendai Jinbun Sha"), and will begin featuring back issues of the comprehensive specialized journal for criminal defense practice, "Quarterly Criminal Defense," from July 2026.

Through this partnership, Legalscape will now cover the highest quality content that has supported the development and advancement of Japanese criminal procedure, particularly criminal defense practice, in addition to the legal fields such as corporate legal affairs, for which it has already received overwhelming support. This marks a significant step forward in our mission to become an indispensable "digital infrastructure for Japanese legal information" for all legal professionals.

Background: Evolution into a Comprehensive Digital Infrastructure from Corporate Legal Affairs to Criminal Defense

Legalscape has been developing "Legalscape," a legal research platform that fuses advanced natural language processing technology and generative AI technology, with the purpose of "implementing a future legal society through the co-creation of people and technology." To date, it has earned trust as an industry standard in the fields of major corporate legal affairs and business law, with adoption by approximately one in five lawyers, one in five TSE Prime-listed companies, and one in three Nikkei 225 constituent companies.

Meanwhile, we are comprehensively incorporating the back issues of "Quarterly Criminal Defense," which holds immense trust and a long history among practitioners in the field of "criminal defense," another pillar supporting Japan's legal order. This will evolve Legalscape into a "comprehensive legal information digital infrastructure" that covers corporate legal affairs, criminal defense, and human rights advocacy in a one-stop service.

Details: Decision to Feature the Criminal Defense Journal "Quarterly Criminal Defense"

"Quarterly Criminal Defense," first published in January 1995 by Gendai Jinbun Sha, is Japan's first specialized journal for criminal defense, with the motto "Opening a New Era of Criminal Justice." It has consistently served as a "compass" for the field in Japan's criminal justice reforms, including the establishment of the duty lawyer system, the development of the court-appointed defense counsel system, and the introduction of pre-trial consolidation procedures and jury trials.

The journal features in-depth discussions on the latest practical issues from investigation to trial, and a rich collection of cases, including "Criminal Defense Reports" and "Summaries of Not Guilty Verdicts." These are extremely rare practical data meticulously documenting the insights needed to ensure the protection of the rights of suspects and defendants through due process, the ability to identify illegal investigations, advanced defense techniques using the latest scientific evidence and psychiatric evaluations, and courtroom examination techniques. The digitization and searchability of this knowledge hold immense social significance in raising the quality of criminal practice.

Synergy with Legal Research AI

Beyond simply "viewing electronic versions," combining Legalscape's proprietary legal research AI will optimize the 30 years of wisdom contained in the journal for modern practice.

When users of "Legalscape" input practical questions related to criminal defense, the AI will instantly summarize the most relevant explanations, court precedents, and articles from a vast amount of legal information, presenting them along with the accurate sources (such as the relevant sections of "Quarterly Criminal Defense") that formed the basis for the information. This will dramatically improve access speed to advanced criminal defense expertise for everyone from junior practitioners to veteran lawyers, fundamentally transforming the research experience in the justice system.

Comments from Stakeholders

Toshihisa Narisawa, Representative Director, Gendai Jinbun Sha Inc.

"'Quarterly Criminal Defense' was launched in 1995 to provide specialized knowledge and information for criminal defense practice, with the expectation of ensuring due process in criminal justice and realizing the protection of the rights and freedoms of suspects and defendants. From its inception to the present day, our journal has provided case reports and judicial precedent commentaries based on case theories for cases such as denial cases and sentencing cases, from initial contact to the trial stage. Furthermore, as investigative methods become more sophisticated and scientific, criminal defense is increasingly compelled to acquire knowledge of scientific appraisals and techniques for questioning expert witnesses, and we are actively engaged in disseminating information on these topics. In recent years, there has also been an increase in cases where corporate economic activities are suspected of violating criminal laws and regulations. We hope that our journal's specialized knowledge and information will enable prompt responses to these cases and contribute to their resolution."

Itsuki Yagita, President & CEO, Legalscape Inc.

"Since its founding, Legalscape has aimed to create an environment where legal professionals can access necessary knowledge at the fastest speed. While building a track record in the field of corporate legal affairs, we have also recognized the high demand for content supporting criminal defense practice. Our partnership with 'Quarterly Criminal Defense,' which has accumulated specialized knowledge rooted in the field of Japanese criminal justice for 30 years since its inception in 1995, is directly linked to our mission to 'deliver legal knowledge more accurately, swiftly, and to all corners of society.' We expect that through integration with our legal research AI, we can contribute to the improvement of Japanese criminal justice by providing an environment where criminal defense attorneys nationwide can instantly access advanced specialized knowledge."

About Gendai Jinbun Sha Inc.

Our company was founded in 1994. "Quarterly Criminal Defense" (published four times a year), launched the following year in 1995, has earned high praise from legal professionals such as lawyers as a "compass for criminal defense" bridging practice and theory. Since its founding, our book publishing activities have focused primarily on criminal defense practice and criminal law. Furthermore, we have steadily expanded our themes to include human rights of foreigners, international human rights law, business and human rights, journalism, education, energy issues, and peace and war issues, publishing over 900 titles to date. We will continue to challenge themes that consider the state of society together with our readers, with a focus on valuing human rights and culture.

【Company Profile】

Company Name: Gendai Jinbun Sha Inc.

Representative: Toshihisa Narisawa, Representative Director and President

Location: 8th Floor, Higashi-mae HIRAKU GATE, 2-3-10 Mukogaoka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0023

Established: November 1994

Official Website: https://www.genjin.jp

Sister website of "Quarterly Criminal Defense": "Keiben Oasis" https://www.keiben-oasis.com

About the Legal Research Platform "Legalscape"

"Legalscape" is a legal research platform launched in June 2021. The AI instantly summarizes the necessary legal information, allowing for the fastest access to what you want to know.

▼ "Legalscape" Service Site

https://www.legalscape.jp/

▼ Download Service Materials

Detailed materials for "Legalscape" can be downloaded here.

https://www.legalscape.jp/contact

In September 2023, we were the first in Japan to introduce an AI research function combining generative AI and our proprietary natural language processing technology (*2).

We are favored by legal professionals nationwide, including the "Big Five" law firms, major corporate legal departments, community-based law firms, and social insurance labor attorney and judicial scrivener offices, for its next-generation experience that allows for an overview of books, laws, and guidelines at a glance, and for its industry-leading content (over 44,000 items in total, including over 4,500 books).

About Legalscape Inc.

Legalscape is a legal data & AI company that aims to "implement a future legal society through the co-creation of people and technology," leveraging its technological strengths in areas such as advanced natural language processing and fundamental research and application of generative AI in the legal field. We aim to realize a richer legal society by supporting intellectual production related to law and delivering legal knowledge more accurately, swiftly, and to all corners of society.

Company Overview

Company Name: Legalscape Inc.

Representative: Itsuki Yagita, Representative Director and President & CEO

Location: Todai-mae Office (Headquarters)

8th Floor, Higashi-mae HIRAKU GATE, 2-3-10 Mukogaoka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0023

Toranomon Office

6th Floor, Sumitomo Fudosan Toranomon Tower, 2-2-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0001

Growth Toranomon Room 6

Established: September 14, 2017

Official Website: https://www.legalscape.jp/corp

*1 Survey Overview

Survey Subject: Mirai Trend Research Institute Inc.

Survey Method: Conducted multi-dimensionally and comprehensively through interviews with operators of "legal research services" and experts in Japan.

Survey Period: September 10, 2025 - September 29, 2025

Target Period: October 2024 - September 2025

Target Market: Research services that allow for cross-sectional searching and browsing of legal literature.

*2 As of September 2023. Self-researched.