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Stupid question.

Do Japanese believe using the courts is a cultural nono?

In the USA there are definitely two types. Those that sue and those that feel it is sleazy or wrong.

I haven't been to Asia (yet), but I can say that in the "Western World" courts are overloaded with cases that should probably not go further than your local ombudsman which in itself is a very old concept found in millenia old civilizations, predating the court system as we know it. This is probably why courts in the US have quick processing of a group of independent, alleged criminal offenders. It's unfair to those accused of breaking the law as it is to the lawyers and maybe even the judge who has to decide in two minutes whether the accused should go to jail/prison while the case is progressing. I'm afraid to suggest fixing the latter, because law enforcement organizations would likely push for legislation to make it quicker and easier to put people in real prison without a hearing or trial.

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