法 医 学(ほういがく)

ほういがく

noun

forensic medicine; legal medicine

1. forensic medicine; legal medicine

The branch of medicine that applies medical knowledge to legal questions, most commonly by examining deceased bodies to determine cause and time of death in criminal investigations. In Japan, 法医学(ほういがく) is taught in medical schools and practiced by specialists at universities and police-affiliated institutes.

法医学(ほういがく)を学(まな)ぶ。

To study forensic medicine.

彼(かれ)は大学(だいがく)で法医学(ほういがく)の教授(きょうじゅ)をしている。

He is a professor of forensic medicine at a university.

法医学(ほういがく)の鑑定(かんてい)結果(けっか)が事件(じけん)の鍵(かぎ)を握(にぎ)っていた。

The results of the forensic examination held the key to the case.

日本(にほん)の法医学(ほういがく)者(しゃ)は慢性的(まんせいてき)な人手(ひとで)不足(ぶそく)に悩(なや)まされている。

Forensic medical experts in Japan are plagued by a chronic shortage of personnel.

Formed from 法(ほう) (law) + 医学(いがく) (medicine). Refers specifically to the application of medical science to legal and criminal investigations.

Usage

Mainly academic and professional — appears in university curricula, police/court documents, and news reports on criminal cases.
Frequently features in Japanese mystery novels and crime dramas, where a 法医学(ほういがく)者(しゃ) or 法医(ほうい) performs autopsies and helps solve cases.
In Japan, criminal autopsies may be performed as 司法(しほう)解剖(かいぼう) (judicial autopsy) or 行政(ぎょうせい)解剖(かいぼう) (administrative autopsy), both within the scope of 法医学(ほういがく).

Common collocations

法医学(ほういがく)教室(きょうしつ): forensic medicine department (at a university)
法医学(ほういがく)者(しゃ): forensic medical expert
法医学(ほういがく)鑑定(かんてい): forensic medical examination
法医学(ほういがく)的(てき)証拠(しょうこ): forensic medical evidence
法医学(ほういがく)の専門家(せんもんか): specialist in forensic medicine

Related words

解剖(かいぼう): autopsy, dissection — a common procedure within forensic medicine
司法(しほう)解剖(かいぼう): judicial autopsy — court-ordered autopsy in a criminal investigation
監察(かんさつ)医(い): medical examiner — physician who investigates suspicious deaths
鑑識(かんしき): forensic investigation — police work including fingerprinting and evidence analysis
犯罪(はんざい)科学(かがく): forensic science / criminal science — broader scientific support for criminal investigations

Related Words

Related: 解剖(かいぼう) (autopsy, dissection)

Related: 司法解剖(しほうかいぼう) (judicial autopsy)

Related: 鑑識(かんしき) (forensic investigation)

general

Added 2026.4.13 1:39 · Revised 2026.9.2 13:02

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