From the moment American law students enter their first Contracts class to the day they receive their Juris Doctor degree, their education is specifically geared towards preparing them for a law-oriented career. Japanese law schools, in comparison, are ill-equipped to serve this purpose, and, by their own accounts, provide little more than a general collegiate education. For various reasons, Japanese law schools may not even be classified as professional schools at all. Through a comparison of Harvard Law School's curriculum, student body, faculty and teaching methodology, with that of some of Japan s most well-respected law schools, the author asserts a lack of adequate legal education in Japan, and suggests possible changes to fill the void. Several suggestions are evaluated, with the most promising possibilities at the law school level.