News

Kojima Law Offices mourns the loss of Hideki Kojima, founder and managing partner of our firm, who passed away on December 4, 2021. We would like to express our deepest gratitude for your kindness and friendship during his lifetime. In view of the recent restrictions caused by the Covid pandemic, funeral services were held in a quiet manner with only close relatives, and the notification of his death was made after the memorial service.

Harold Godsoe cycled solo over the length of Japan this year and recorded the experiences in “Two-wheel Freedom”, published in the magazine of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan.

Hiromasa Ogawa, Darcy Kishida, and Keitaro Shimomura have authored the article, “Resolving Labor Disputes in Japan”. This article discusses the three main ways to resolve labor disputes in Japan, including their respective benefits and drawbacks: court-run labor tribunals, standard court litigation, and alternative dispute resolution.

We are pleased to announce that the firm has made Norio Mitsuuchi a partner effective September 1, 2021.

Hiromasa Ogawa, Darcy Kishida, and Mutsuki Shibata have authored the article, “Trouble reducing headcount in Japan? Try cutting pay instead”. This article discusses pay cuts as an alternative to layoffs, which are difficult to implement in strongly pro-labor Japan.

In July 2021, Norio Mitsuuchi was welcomed back to our office after his secondment period to the Review Division of the First Large Enterprise Examination Department of the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau.

Osamu Ishida, Darcy Kishida, and Rena Takamatsu have authored the article, “Licensors of Well-Known Names or Logos May Be Liable For Damages Under Japan’s Product Liability Act”. This article discusses a company’s potential liability under Japan’s Product Liability Act when that company licenses its logo for use on another company’s product that the logo owner did not design, engineer, or manufacture.

Co-managing partner Hiromasa Ogawa was interviewed as a prominent representative of lawyers in Japan, as part of a story surveying a cross-section of Japanese society by the oldest and most widely read newspaper in Australia, the Sydney Morning Herald. Please read the article on the newspaper’s website or as a pdf version

Norio Mitsuuchi, Harold Godsoe, and Kohei Honda have authored the article, “Tax Issues Arising from M&A in Japan". This chapter written for Lexology’s Japan M&A Practice Guide focuses on tax issues of importance to M&A dealmakers working with corporations in Japan.

Hiromasa Ogawa, Darcy Kishida, and Moeko Takeda have authored the article, “Frequently Asked Questions - What Employers in Japan Need to Know About Employee “Stress Check” Requirements", which provides a useful overview of Japan’s Stress Check system in an easy-to-understand question and answer format.

Makoto Toyoshima, Harold Godsoe, and Moeko Takeda have authored the article, “Compulsory Requirements for a Company Under Japanese Patent Law for the Payment of Reasonable Profits for Employee Inventions", a high-level summary of the requirements for companies with creative employees under Japanese Patent Law.

Osamu Ishida, Naoki Takahashi, and Harold Godsoe have authored the article, “An Overview of Civil Litigation in Japan", on what to expect when you are considering going to the courts.

Hiromasa Ogawa, Harold Godsoe, and Moeko Takeda have co-authored “Advice from Japan’s Law Against Power Harassment". Almost one in three workers have reported workplace bullying or abuse in Japan and, while the government is not cracking down, a new revision to an old law provides helpful advice for employers in this area.

We are pleased to announce that on January 5, 2021 Keitaro Shimomura and Rena Takamatsu joined the firm as associates, and Naoki Takahashi was promoted to counsel.