Japan takes steps to welcome more foreign lawyers

The Law Society of England and Wales welcomes the Japanese Ministry of Justice’s (JMoJ) commitment to simplifying how foreign lawyers – including English and Welsh solicitors – can work in Japan, with the changes coming into force today (31 July).

Despite being a relatively open jurisdiction, Japan has a lengthy process to register foreign lawyers, which creates challenges for both international law firms and solicitors according to the Law Society.

This is also considered to be a primary reason for the low number of registered foreign lawyers currently practising in Japan.*

Over the past few years, the Law Society has worked closely with the British Embassy in Tokyo, the UK’s Ministry of Justice and the Department for Business and Trade to identify** ways to streamline the registration process and make it easier for British firms to access Japan’s legal services market which was valued at over $5 billion in 2023***.

Commenting on the new changes, Law Society president, Nick Emmerson said: “we are delighted the JMoJ has committed to allowing law firms to reuse certain employer-related documents on behalf of their foreign lawyers when registering.

“For applicants that have previously worked as registered foreign lawyers in Japan and would like to reregister, the required documents verifying their former work experience have also been simplified.

“These changes to streamline the registration process will help to save time and money for both law firms and foreign lawyers in Japan.

“They are a positive reflection of the Japanese government’s broader desire to attract more foreign direct investment and highly-skilled talent to its domestic market. This helps both foreign and Japanese firms hire foreign lawyers.

“This is a positive step in streamlining the registration process for foreign lawyers in Japan.”

Justice minister Heidi Alexander said:

“This exciting move creates a more streamlined route for UK lawyers to practice in Japan and will bolster collaboration between our legal sectors, boosting bilateral trade in legal services.

“The UK’s world-leading legal services sector is a key part of our economy – contributing £34 billion in 2022 – and facilitates global trade and investment. We will keep working with our international counterparts to strengthen trading ties for this important sector.”

Minister of state for trade policy the Rt Hon Douglas Alexander said:

“This is welcome news for our legal professionals.

“Delivering economic growth is this Government’s top priority and unblocking these kinds of barriers to trade is part of our strategy to do that. By making it easier for our world-class services sector to sell their expertise around the world we can create more opportunities for UK businesses and deliver that growth.”

Simon Collins, a partner at Watson Farley & Williams who is based in Tokyo, said:

“We welcome this positive announcement from the Ministry of Justice in Japan. This change will ease the documentation process for future foreign lawyer registrations in Japan and hence will be of benefit to all international law firms operating in Japan.

“We appreciate the effort that has gone into making this change, including the time and willingness shown by the Law Society of England and Wales and the British Embassy in Tokyo, as well as the Ministry of Justice and all other stakeholders, to engage in discussion and to find solutions. We hope this will continue so that further improvements to this process can be made.”

Notes to editors

*As of April 2021, there were only 448 registered foreign lawyers in Japan.

**President Nick Emmerson visited Japan in April 2024 to meet with key stakeholders including Law Society members, government ministries, bar associations and business organisations to discuss ways in which the registration process for foreign lawyers can be streamlined.

During this time, the Law Society met with the JMoJ where we put forward two recommendations to remove the scope of documents required to register. The JMoJ had previously indicated that these recommendations might be feasible to implement during a past Law Society visit, as they do not require legislative changes.

***Figure according to Astute Analytica.

The UK government has been working closely with the Japanese government and Law Society to help simplify the registration process, including discussions facilitated by the UK-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA), which came into force in January 2021.

About the Law Society

The Law Society is the independent professional body that works globally to support and represent solicitors, promoting the highest professional standards, the public interest and the rule of law.

Press office contact: Naomi Jeffreys | 020 8049 3928