Abstract
This introduction is an atempt to formulate a realistic approach to the comprehensive system of loss compensation (higai kyusai). The term "loss" (higai) in this report is not limited to damage or injury. It means the difference between expectations and reality of any kind. The report focuses mainly on the theory of loss. It sorts out typical losses, e.g., political loss, judicial loss, administrative loss, transactional loss and environmental loss. It then spells out the types of persons who have suffered loss, persons who have caused loss, causes of loss, and interests or values lost or endangered as key factors regarding the theory of loss compensation. It also analyzes the possible combinations of various key factors. (For example, the social or public interest may be affected adversely as the consequence of loss of private property sustained by an individual person, such as we often see in the case of traffic accidents.) The report ends with a brief overview of the theory of compensation.
