The Ritual of Rights in Japan rejects the traditional view that Japan is a nation where overt conflict and the assertion of rights are unacceptable. It examines both mistorical events and contemporary policy, particularly recent battles over AIDS policy and the definition of death--in concluding that rights-based conflict is an important part of Japanese legal, political, and social practice. This book describes a nation where rights have become weapons in battles over politics and policy, asserted by those seeking both individual remedies and social change.