The Institute of Comparative Law contributes to the advancement of legal education at Kokushikan University and to the development of legal scholarship in Japan through systematic comparative research into the the legal systems, past and present, of Japan and other countries. The Institute is comprised of faculty members (both full- and part-time) from the Faculty of Law and the Graduate School of Law. The results of their research are published in an annual bulletin, Kokushikan Comparative Legal Review. The Institute's research is not confined to comparing legal systems and their interpretation; it also involves comparative research into the various institutions arising from these systems. Nor is it solely concerned with comparisons between different countries; single-country comparative historical research is also conducted.

At present, the main theme of the Institute's research is a comparative study of Japanese and American law schools.