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Kana Itabashi

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Kana Itabashi is a member of the Corporate / Mergers & Acquisitions, Environmental and Labor / Employment practice groups in the Firm’s Tokyo office and has over ten years of legal experience. From 2007 to 2009, she was seconded to the principal investment department of a Japanese securities company, and engaged in a variety of investment matters including corporate rehabilitation, private equity investment, emission trading and non-performing loan investments. Ms. Itabashi is a native Japanese speaker and is also fluent in English.

On 31 March 2023, the Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry initiated a public comment procedure for the Draft Amendment to Ministerial Ordinance and the Draft Amendment to Circular that is intended to impose new export control requirements on certain sensitive semiconductor manufacturing equipment from Japan. The public comment period is from 31 March 2023 to 29 April 2023. Anyone can submit a comment through either (i) the Japanese government’s website, (ii) email, or (iii) mail.

Several means exist to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in order to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, including development of new technologies, transitioning to renewable energy and voluntary energy conservation. In addition to these efforts, there is growing interest in offsetting residual emissions that are inevitably emitted despite reduction efforts through the use of carbon credits.

On May 11, 2022, the Diet of Japan approved the “Act on the promotion of national security through integrated economic measures.” Key features of the Act include the establishment of (i) a system to ensure stable supplies of critical materials, (ii) a system to ensure stable provision of services using critical infrastructure, (iii) a system that supports the development of critical technologies and (iv) a secret patent system. The Act will enter into force on or before 18 February 2023.

On May 1, 2022, the amendment to the Ministerial Ordinance for Exporter Standards and relevant administrative notices (the “Amendment”) came into force. Upon enforcement of the Amendments, so-called “Deemed Exports” will be interpreted in a more restrictive manner than previously. Although export licenses were not required for the provision of technology information between Japan residents, pursuant to the Amendment, if certain conditions are met, such provision may be regarded as a “Deemed Export” and subject to an export license under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act

This report, the third in our Asia Pacific Business Renewal Series, explores how digital transformation (DX) has become a driving force in business decision making, and how it will shape the business landscape over the decade to come. As companies respond to shifting demand patterns and propel their DX agenda, the conversation turns to areas such as managing emerging risks, creating value from new technologies and aligning DX efforts with business renewal.

As the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread across the world, and governments and health authorities work tirelessly to defeat it, major economies, including China, are experiencing mounting pressure as consumer spending, production and investment are drastically curtailed due to virus-related risks. Subsequently many companies are therefore also facing…