Mayu Kannari

Associate
Judge, Chiba District Court, Japan
Headshot of Mayu Kannari.
mkannari@fas.harvard.edu

Research Project: Collaboration among Lay and Professional Judges: Lessons from the U.S. for Japan

Judge Mayu Kannari received an LL.M. (Master of Laws) from Harvard Law School in 2025 and holds a Juris Doctor and a Bachelor of Laws from Keio University. Since her judicial appointment in 2021, she has adjudicated a range of criminal and civil cases, including serious criminal trials before panels consisting of both saiban-in (lay judges) and professional judges. In addition to her courtroom work, she has engaged in public outreach to promote civic understanding of the judicial system and organized cross-professional workshops to enhance legal practice. Her research focuses on criminal justice reform and lay participation in criminal trials, with an emphasis on improving Japan’s justice system through comparative analysis.