Intelligence

Japan's business manager visa requirements have undergone a dramatic transformation since October 2025, raising the bar for foreign entrepreneurs seeking to establish operations in the country. What was once a relatively straightforward process requiring JPY 5 million in capital or two employees now demands JPY 30 million in paid-in capital, specific employee qualifications, Japanese language proficiency, and professional business plan review.

Japan has enacted sweeping amendments to its Act on the Protection of Personal Information, introducing an administrative surcharge regime with monetary penalties for data protection violations, new protections for children under 16 and biometric data, and expanded exceptions for data utilization in statistical analysis and AI development. The reforms, which take effect in stages through 2028, fundamentally reshape Japan's privacy enforcement landscape by granting the Personal Information Protection Commiss

CONVINUS publishes regular Global Mobility Alerts and seasonal newsletters covering international workforce mobility, immigration updates, and cross-border employment regulations.

Finnegan attorney Chiaki Kobayashi explores the complex landscape of genus claiming in biotechnology and pharmaceutical patents, examining doctrinal developments and practical drafting approaches. The article, edited by partner John D. Livingstone, provides strategic guidance for navigating means-plus-function claiming methodologies in life sciences intellectual property.

Finnegan attorneys Naoki Yoshida and Chiaki Kobayashi examine emerging patterns in discretionary denial practices at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board under the Squires Administration, analyzing their impact on corporate intellectual property strategy and practice. This article, published in the Japan Intellectual Property Association's journal, explores how recent administrative changes are reshaping PTAB proceedings and what corporate practitioners need to know to adapt their IP management approaches.

Japanese police have arrested an alleged first uploader on Nyaa, the torrent index at the heart of anime piracy, marking a strategic shift from blocking sites to targeting source distributors. Using attribution tools developed under CODA's Cross-Border Enforcement Project, investigators identified and detained a Kanagawa resident suspected of seeding an NHK drama and numerous other works. This case signals a new enforcement approach focused on chokepoints in the distribution chain rather than endless domain