The "saiban-in" (lay judge) system thrusts ordinary citizens into a position of responsibility in major criminal trials, and efforts are underway to prepare them better to handle the evidence they may see and the decisions they may face.
In 2012, the Osaka Bar Association produced an interactive Windows-based simulator that gives players a taste of what they may experience as a citizen judge.
The software proved popular, and this year a version for smartphones was released. The two versions have been downloaded more than 40,000 times in total.
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