What is Education and Research Center of Legal Medicine?

Japan's system for investigating the cause of death and determining identity is far from adequate. This fact has been pointed out in the media and parliament, resulting in the passing of two laws in 2012 related to determining cause of death, and the debate on how to improve Japan’s forensic systems is still underway. The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has undertaken the aim of implementing a new framework for training legal medical professionals and improving medico-legal training, and Chiba University has devised and implemented Education and Research　Center of Legal Medicine in connection with the Department of Legal Medicine.

The Center opened in April 2014, marking its inception as a new center for teaching and research in legal medicine, and breaking new ground, not only in investigating the cause of death but also in the field of clinical forensic medicine practice that has yet to be established in Japan.