In Japan they have the option of trial by jury, but they rarely use it. Why is that?

Question

In the US, every defendant has the right to a jury trial. They may opt for a trial without jury, but almost no one does. The situation in Japan is opposite: there no one chooses a jury trial. Why is that? Are juries more punitive there? What is the cultural and/or governmental reasoning behind this?

Answer 1

A judge's verdict is respected in Japan, and the judges are held to very high standards. However, many Japanese people actually bypass the legal system all together, since the processes are costly and it takes a long time for verdicts to go into effect. A lot of Japanese people do business via the Japanese mafia, the Yakuza, instead. Even good honest businessmen occasionally make business with them. Strange but very true!

Answer 2

I believe the Japanese hold people to higher standards, so they'd rather put their fate in a judges hands. Japanese qualities are much higher than in the United States. Not a rip on my own country, but something I've come to realize over time.