On January 13, 2023, Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") proposed a draft of "Guidelines Concerning the Activities of Enterprises, etc. Toward the Realization of a Green Society under the Antimonopoly Act" ("Draft...more
JFTC’s policy to actively promote competition in response to social economics, such as digitalization: Coordinating and strengthening advocacy and enforcement -
On June 16, 2022, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC")...more
On April 8, 2022, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") published the Market Survey Report on Credit Card Transactions ("Report"). The JFTC conducted a survey on credit card transactions in order to ascertain disclosure of...more
On January 28, 2022, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") published a report "Understanding the reality of the public offering price setting process in the initial public offerings (IPOs)" ("Report"). The Report was...more
On December 27, 2021, the New Capitalism Headquarters at the Cabinet Secretariat of Japan, Consumer Affairs Agency ("CAA"), Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare ("MHLW"), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI"),...more
On December 23, 2021, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI") proposed a draft of Guidelines for Business Collaboration with Startups and Investment in Startups...more
1/10/2022
/ Appraisal Rights ,
Compensation ,
Competition ,
Disclosure ,
Draft Guidance ,
Investors ,
Japan ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
METI ,
Non-Disclosure Agreement ,
Public Comment ,
Startups ,
Third-Party ,
Trade Secrets ,
Trading Restrictions
On March 29, 2021, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI") issued Guidelines for Business Collaboration with Startups ("Guidelines") for the purpose of promoting open...more
The Competition Policy Research Center ("CPRC") of the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") is seeking comments from the public on a list of proposed issues to be discussed at the Study Group on Competition Policy for Data...more
On December 24, 2020, the Competition Policy Research Center ("CPRC") of the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") announced a list of proposed issues to be discussed at the Study Group on Competition Policy for Data Market...more
On December 22, 2020, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI") proposed a draft of cabinet order ("Cabinet Order"), implementing regulations ("Implementing Regulations") and guidelines ("Guidelines")for the Act on...more
On December 23, 2020, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI") proposed a draft of Guidelines for Business Collaboration with Startups ("Guidelines") for the purpose of...more
On December 9, 2020, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") brought criminal accusations with regard to bid-rigging involving pharmaceutical products ordered by the Japan Community Healthcare Organization ("JCHO"). Three...more
12/21/2020
/ Antitrust Investigations ,
Bid Rigging ,
Cartels ,
Criminal Investigations ,
Criminal Prosecution ,
Dawn Raids ,
Enforcement Actions ,
Indictments ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Pharmaceutical Industry ,
Public Prosecutors ,
Restraint of Trade
On November 2, 2020, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") proposed amendments to relevant rules ("Drafts") in accordance with the Government of Japan's "Regulatory Reform Implementation Plan" ("Government's Plan")...more
11/12/2020
/ Amended Rules ,
Digital Platforms ,
FinTech ,
Japan ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Mergers ,
Premerger Notifications ,
Proposed Amendments ,
Public Comment ,
Regulatory Reform ,
Resale Price Maintenance (RPM)
During FY 2019, the Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") received 310 notifications, which is a 3.4 percent decrease from FY 2018. It provided clearance for 300 cases at Phase I review. Two cases were sent to Phase II review....more
On June 29, 2020, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (“JFTC”) issued a draft of amendments to relevant cabinet orders and rules (“Drafts”) in accordance with the amendments to the Anti-Monopoly Act (“AMA”) previously passed in...more
On June 30, 2020, the JFTC published an interim report about market research on startup business practices (the "Report"). The JFTC will continue its research and will issue a final report. This is part of the effort by the...more
7/11/2020
/ Abuse of Power ,
Anti-Competitive ,
Anti-Monopoly ,
Bargaining Power ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Japan ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Japan Patent Office ,
JPO ,
METI ,
Startups ,
Status Reports
On June 16, 2020, the Digital Market Competition Council published the “Report on the Medium-Term Vision on Competition in the Digital Market” (“Report.”) The Report discusses the current situation surrounding the digital...more
The JFTC published the “Interim Report Regarding Digital Advertising” (“Interim Report”) on April 28, 2020 based on the market research (“Research”) conducted by the JFTC. The Research was conducted in accordance with the...more
The JFTC published two reports ("Reports") including the "Report on Cashless Payment Services using QR Codes, etc." ("Cashless Payment Report" or "Report")1 and "Report on the Household Account Book Services, etc."...more
The JFTC conducted market research ("Research") from April 2019 until March 2020 on online portal sites ("Portal Sites") that review restaurants and bars ("Restaurants") and published a report of its findings on March 18,...more
The Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") amended the "Guidelines to Application of the Antimonopoly Act Concerning Review of Business Combination" ("Guidelines") and the "Policies Concerning Procedures of Review of Business...more
2/5/2020
/ Amended Rules ,
Cash Value ,
Conglomerates ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Platforms ,
Foreign Acquisitions ,
Horizontal Merger Guidelines ,
Japan ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Merger Reviews ,
Mergers ,
New Guidance ,
Policies and Procedures ,
Research and Development ,
Vertical Mergers
The 2019 Amendments to the Anti-Monopoly Act ("Amendments") including revisions to surcharge system (i.e., administrative fine system) will be fully in force within 2020. Accordingly, so-called attorney-client privilege will...more
1/24/2020
/ Abuse of Superior Bargaining Position (ASBP) ,
Administrative Hearings ,
Amended Rules ,
Anti-Monopoly ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Attorney-Client Privilege ,
Bid Rigging ,
Cartels ,
Data Collection ,
Digital Marketplace ,
Digital Platforms ,
Japan ,
Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) ,
Restraint of Trade ,
Secretary Generals ,
Transparency
The Japan Fair Trade Commission ("JFTC") issued "Guidelines Concerning Abuse of Superior Bargaining Position in Transactions between Digital Platform Operators and Consumers that Provide Personal Information, etc."...more
The Japan Cabinet proposed the "Approaches to a bill on improving transparency of transactions of digital platform operators (provisional name)" on December 19, 2019 ("Proposal") and is seeking comments from the public until...more
On October 25, 2019, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (“JFTC”) announced that it approved a commitment plan proposed by Rakuten, Inc. (“Rakuten”). As a result, the JFTC closed its investigation without finding violation or...more