The Japanese Basic Hydrogen Strategy
I. Introduction On June 6, 2023, the Renewable Energy and Hydrogen Ministerial Meeting revised the Basic Hydrogen Strategy for the first time in about six years. The Japanese government’s plan, which envisions a significant investment exceeding 15 trillion Japanese yen over a period of 15 years by public and private sectors into the hydrogen and …
Amendment to the Arbitration Act
The amendment to the Arbitration Act of Japan (the “Arbitration Act”), passed by the Japanese Diet on April 21, 2023, will become effective within one year from the day of promulgation,
“Customer Oriented Business Conduct” in the Forthcoming Amendment to the FIEA
On March 14, 2023, the Financial Services Agency of Japan (the “JFSA”) submitted to the Diet a bill (the “Bill”) for partial amendment of the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act of Japan (the “FIEA”) and the Act on Provision of Financial Services of Japan (the “Financial Services Act”).
Looking Back on Shareholder Activism in Japan in 2022
When it comes to the shareholder activism in Japan, 2021 was a dramatic year: after hostile takeover attempts by third parties,
Utilization of Medical Data and Act on the Protection of Personal Information
I. Introduction Medical data has the potential to revolutionize healthcare by enabling more personalized and effective treatments, improving patient outcomes, and reducing healthcare costs.
Japanese offshore wind energy: 2022 update and outlook
Countries around the world are tackling the unprecedented dual challenge of achieving climate targets to halt the worst effects of global heating whilst ensuring the stable supply of energy. The Japanese Government is no exception and aims to make renewable energy a major source of electricity to achieve its goal of net-zero greenhouse emissions by …
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Rulemaking developments for Level 4 autonomous driving
On October 27, 2022, the National Police Agency of Japan (the “NPA”) issued drafts of amendments to Cabinet Orders and Ordinances (the “Draft Amendments”) under the Road Traffic Act (the “RTA”) for public comment. The Draft Amendments follow on from amendments made to the RTA, which were passed in April 2022, that introduced a framework …
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Recent trends in Chinese merger filing: Why does it take so long?
Since the enactment of Chinese Anti-Monopoly Law (“AML”) in 2008, merger filings in China have become a common bottleneck for global M&A transactions due to the long time required for review and the difficulty in predicting the prospects for clearance. The implementation in 2014 of a simplified procedure available to transactions that satisfy certain market …
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Changes to rating algorithms used by online platform business operators may violate the Antimonopoly Act
On June 16, 2022, the Tokyo District Court held that “Kakaku.com”, the operator of an online restaurant review and search platform, had abused its superior bargaining position and violated the Antimonopoly Act by improperly changing its restaurant rating algorithm.
Trends and market standards regarding startup investment in Japan
According to a recent survey [1], the amount of total funds raised by startups incorporated in Japan reached a record high and exceeded JPY 800 billion in 2021 (the total funding amount was just shy of JPY 90 billion in 2013). Despite the weakening economy and stock market, the pace does not seem to have …
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