Japan Legal Update

AMT is committed to delivering up-to-date insights on Japanese legal matters to our clients. Our Japan Legal Update provides comprehensive summaries of recent legislative changes, court precedents, and industry trends in Japan across various practice areas. For those seeking more in-depth information, we invite you to explore our newsletter

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare Revises the Corporate Manual on Combating Customer Harassment

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare （MHLW） published its "Corporate Manual on Combating Customer Harassment"（the "Manual"） in February 2022. Thereafter, the law governing customer harassment was amended and it became a legal obligation for employers to take measures in response to customer harassment, beginning on October 1, 2026. In particular, if an employer fails to take such measures, it may receive advice, guidance or a corrective recommendation from an administrative authority, and if it fails to comply with said recommendation, the fact of such non-compliance may be made public. In light of such amendment, the MHLW revised the Manual in September 2026.

Expanding Capital-Raising Options for Startups: Japan’s 2026 Financial Instruments and Exchange Act Reform

On July 15, 2026, the Diet passed an amendment to Japan’s Financial Instruments and Exchange Act. The reform covers a wide range of topics, but one of its important themes is the supply of growth capital to startups. The background to this reform is a policy concern that the existing disclosure rules have been burdensome for fundraising, and, from the perspective of reducing that burden, the following three amendments were made. The amendments discussed below will take effect on April 1, 2027.

Amendment to the "Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act" and Enactment of the "Act on the Promotion of the Breeding of Important Varieties and Production of Their Propagating Material"

A bill partially amending the "Plant Variety Protection and Seed Act" (the "Act") (Cabinet Bill No. 47 of 2026) was passed and enacted at a plenary session of the House of Councillors on July 17, 2026 (the "Amendment").

Enactment of the Amended "Space Activities Act" — Overview of the Amendments and Remaining Issues

In June 2026, the Japanese Diet passed a bill to amend the Space Activities Act (the "SAA"), the basic law governing private space activities in Japan. The amendment bill was eventually approved pursuant to recommendations made during discussions held in 2024 by the subcommittee on the review of the SAA, as well as discussions held in 2025 by the working group on amendments to the SAA. These amendments have been passed against the backdrop of increasingly advanced and diversified space activities, and in light of recent international developments.

The Japan Fair Trade Commission Published "Enforcement of the Antimonopoly Act in FY2025"

On June 8, 2026, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) published "Enforcement of the Antimonopoly Act in FY2025" (the "Report") . Although the number of legal enforcement measures taken by the JFTC decreased in FY2025 relative to FY2024, FY2025 still recorded the second-highest number of enforcement measures taken in the past five years, indicating that the JFTC continues to enforce the Antimonopoly Act actively. This article provides an overview of the Report’s key points.

Recent Regulatory Updates Relevant to Insurance Brokers and Reinsurance

Insurance brokers have long played a pivotal role in the reinsurance market. Foreign insurers without branch offices in Japan are generally prohibited from concluding insurance contracts covering persons domiciled or resident in Japan, property located in Japan, or vessels or aircraft of Japanese nationality. Reinsurance contracts, however, are expressly excepted from this prohibition, and only insurance brokers are permitted to solicit reinsurance contracts to be concluded by such foreign insurers. Consequently, insurance brokers have developed a particular expertise in reinsurance.