in Japan, a judicial system is reputed to have been in place since the 4th century,
when the nation was unified. Legal proceedings at that time involved a form of
guilt discrimination based on fire or hot water that may have been adopted from
ancient Asia or Europe.
The first lex scripta (codified legal system) known as “ Ritsuryo” was
established in the 7th century during the reign of the emperor.
Judgments were rendered by referring to an article in the Ritsuryo, and could be
appealed against, but the Ritsuryo system gradually changed from the 9th century,
before eventually being abolished.