Our lawyers

Takashi ITO

Attorney (Illinois, Japan), Financial Planner (CFP)

Profile

Born in Kashima City, Ibaraki Prefecture
2001 University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law (LLB)
2005 Admitted as Attorney in Japan
2007-2009 Head of the Noshiro Himawari Fund Law Office
2014-2015 New York University (Visiting Researcher)
2016 Admitted as Attorney in Illinois, USA
2019 Managing Partner, Tokyo Public Law Office, Foreign and International Service Section (FISS)
2021 Co-founder, Tokyo Kokusai Partners Law Office

Professional Members
・Tokyo Bar Association
・Illinois Bar Association
・Executive Director of Lawyers Network for Foreigners
・English Speakling Lawyers List of the Embassies in Japan (US, UK, Australia, etc.)
・Application handling lawyer (Tokyo Immigration Bureau)

Committee Members
・Temporary member of the Consumer Affairs Agency Consumer Safety Investigation Committee
・Executive Secretary, Product Liability and Whistleblower Subcommittee, Consumer Affairs Committee, Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA)
Publications
<Product Liability>
・“Practice of establishing a fact of Defect in Product Liability” (Minjihokenkyukai, 2015).
・“Comparison of US and Japanese Product Liability, Especially the Proof of Defects” (Jiyu to Seigi, June 2016).
・What the Debate on Autonomous Vehicles and Product Liability Asks of Us　(Foreword Essay, FY2019 Activity Report, Japan Automobile Product Liability Consultation Center)
・Overview and Challenges of Laws Related to Product Safety　(Journal of Consumer Affairs Research, December 2023)
・Toward Product Liability in the Digital Society (Gendai Shohisha Hou, March 2024)
・On the 2024 Amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Act　(Consumer Law News, October 2024)
・Key Points of the Amendment to the Consumer Product Safety Act (Consumer Information, November 2024)

<Estate Planning>
・How to read and check family register useful for estate planning practice (revised edition) (Business Kyoiku Shuppansha, 2020).
・Estate Planning Q & A – Law, Tax, Insurance, Life Planning – (Shinnippon-Hoki Publishing, 2019)
and many others.

Website
Consultation Room on Product Liability

Kenji YANO

Attorney (Japan), LLM (UCL, UK)

Profile

Kenji YANO is a founding partner of Tokyo Kokusai Partners Law Office and specialises in complex cross-border family law.

He advises and represents clients in high-conflict and high-value cross-border matters, including international divorce, child custody and relocation, complex financial disputes, and Hague Convention proceedings. His practice covers litigation, mediation and arbitration, with a particular focus on cases involving internationally mobile families.

He is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL) and a member of the International Society of Family Law (ISFL).

CAREER
2007  Hitotsubashi University, Faculty of Law (LLB, Japan)
2009  Kobe University School of Law (JD, Japan)
2010  Admitted as Attorney in Japan
2011-2017  Associate, Usui & Partners (Tokyo, Japan)
2018  LLM in Human Rights Law, University College London (UCL) (London, UK)
2019  Dawson Cornwell (London, UK)
2020  Partner at Tokyo Public Law Office, Foreign and International Service Section (FISS) (Tokyo,        
Japan)
2021  Co-founder, Tokyo Kokusai Partners Law Office (Tokyo, Japan)

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS 
I. International Leadership & Global Practice
• Fellow, International Academy of Family Lawyers (IAFL)
• Member, International Society of Family Law (ISFL)
• Listed Attorney, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan (Central Authority under the Hague Convention)
• Deputy Chairman, Hague Convention on Child Abduction Committee, Daiichi-Tokyo Bar Association
• Vice-Chairman, International Family Affairs ADR Subcommittee (Arbitration Center)
• Member, Japan Association of Arbitrators (JAA)
II. Bar Association and Legislative Committees
• Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA)
 – Domestic Relations Legislation (International Family Law & Hague Convention Section)
 – Listed Attorney for Hague Convention cases
• Daiichi-Tokyo Bar Association
 – Family Law Legislation Committee
 – Human Rights Protection Committee (Foreign Affairs Section)
 – Committee on Children’s Law (School Issues Task Force)
III. Government and Public Appointments
• Member, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Network Conference on Spousal Violence (since 2023)
• Member, Musashino City Board of Education Bullying Countermeasures Committee (since 2023)
IV. International Networks and Diplomatic Listings
• Secretariat Member, Foreign Lawyers Network (LNF)
• Listed English-Speaking Lawyer (US & UK Embassies in Japan)
• Listed Family Law Specialist (Australian Embassy in Japan)
• Registered Lawyer for Entry and Residence Procedures (Tokyo Regional Immigration Bureau)
V. Academic Memberships
• Society for the Study of Family and Law (Japan)
• Family and Law Study Group (Japan)
• International Private Law Association (Japan)
VI. Civic Engagement
• Member, Fathering Japan (NPO)

PUBLICATIONS
(Selected Publications)
– Chambers Global Practice Guides – Child Relocation 2025, Law and Practice （sole contributor from Japan, September 2025）
– Chambers Global Practice Guides – Family Law 2026, Law and Practice（sole contributor from Japan, February 2026)
– Chambers Global Practice Guides – Family Law 2026, Trends and Developments（sole contributor from Japan, February 2026: commentary on the Reform of Japanese Family Law）

(Books and Articles)
– ‘A Relational Welfare Approach to Child Contact’ (Hanrei Jiho No.2417, 2019)
– ‘The best interests of children in England & Wales – from individualistic understanding to
relational understanding’ in “How to Protect Children after Divorce” Section3-9 (Nihon Hyoronsha, 2020)
– ‘Report on Custody and Parental Rights/Responsibility in Australia’ (Co-author, Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, 2019)
– ’Q&A and Case Commentary: Practical Points of the Amendment to the Civil Code, etc. for Enforcement in April 2023: Adjacent, Co-ownership, Land with Unknown Owner, Inheritance and Registration (Shin Nihon Hoki, Co-author, 2022)
– ’Divorce of Vietnamese nationals and its resolution‘ (Koseki Jiho Journal, vol. 832, 2022).
– ’Q&A: Legal Consultation in times of Disaster‘ (Keiso Shobo, Co-author, 2023).
– ‘Joint Custody and Child-Rearing Plans for Children of Foreign-National Couples in Divorce Cases’ (Koseki Jiho Journal, vol. 850, 2024)
– ‘Practical Q&A 142 Questions on International Family Law Cases’ (Nippon Kajo Publishing, 2024)

INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
• Acted as arbitrator in international family law arbitration proceedings seated in Singapore
• Provided expert opinions on Japanese family law in proceedings before courts and authorities in England, Australia, Canada, the United States and South Africa

RESEARCH
His research focuses on comparative family law and the concept of the child’s best interests.
He has developed particular interest in “Relational Welfare Theory”, drawing on the Ethics of Care and relational theory scholarship in England and Wales, and actively introduces comparative family law developments into Japanese practice.

LANGUAGES
Japanese (native) and English

MESSAGES
Since his admission as an attorney in Japan, Kenji Yano has been engaged in complex civil and commercial litigation, corporate advisory work, and crisis management and investigation matters.
He now focuses primarily on international family law, including cross-border divorce, child custody, relocation, Hague Convention proceedings, and complex financial disputes. His practice also extends to arbitration, investigations, and legal issues involving foreign nationals.
He advises internationally mobile families, private clients, and professionals on highly complex cross-border matters, and represents clients before Japanese courts and in international proceedings.
He conducts his practice in both Japanese and English and regularly collaborates with overseas counsel.

Nahoko AMEMIYA

Attorney (Japan, France)

Profile

1998 University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law (LLB)
2010 University of Paris I (LLM)
2012 Admitted as Atttorney in Japan
2012 Haruka Law Office
2016 Partner, Tokyo Public Law Office , Foreign and International Service Section (FISS)
2020 Meguro International Law Office
2021 Admitted to the French Bar (Paris Bar Association)
2022 Joined Tokyo Kokusai Partners Law Office

*Ms Amemiya is currently practising in Paris.

Personal Website
https://www.avocat-amemiya.com

Professional Memberships
・Tokyo Bar Association Committee on the Rights of Foreigners
・Lawyers Network for Foreigners
・Lawyers for Foreign Labour Issues
・Lawyer at the Embassy of France in Japan and the Embassy of Japan in France
・Application handling lawyer (Tokyo Immigration Bureau)

Publications
・Social Insurance for Foreign Workers (Japan Times, February 2018)
・“Q&A on Preventing Troubles Related to Employment of Foreign Nationals” (Co-author, Labour Research Institute, 2018)

Lectures
・French Seminar: About the Japanese Judicial System (Justice au Japon, Mode d’emploi)’ (November 2016, jointly organised by the Tokyo Bar Association and Français du Monde)
・ ‘Higher Education, Schooling and Status of Residence’ (June 2017, Kanagawa International and Multicultural Social Work Study Group)
・French Seminar: ‘Conférences sur le droit du marriage et de la famille au Japon’ (April, May and June 2018, jointly organised by the Tokyo Bar Association and Français du Monde).

Takeshi HARIGAYA

Attorney (Japan)

Profile

Born in Fukushima Prefecture
2012 Tsukuba University, Social and International Studies
2015 Tohoku University School of Law (JD)
2016 Admitted as Attorney in Japan
2016 Gotanda Law Office (Tokyo)
2019 Partner, Tokyo Public Law Office, Foreign and International Service Section (FISS)
2021 Co-founder, Tokyo Kokusai Partners Law Office

Professional Members
・Japan Federation of Bar Associations (Foreign Workers Acceptance Project Team, Human Rights Committee)
・Tokyo Bar Association (Committee on Foreigner’s Rights)
・Lawyers Network for Foreigners
・English Speakling Lawyers List of the Embassies in Japan (US, UK, Australia, etc.)
・Foreign Technical Self-Learning Issues Lawyers Association
・Foreign Labor Attorney
・Medical Affairs Attorney
・Consumer Organization Japan (NPO)
・Application handling lawyer (Tokyo Immigration Bureau)

Publications
・Foreign Technical Intern Trainee Legal Support Manual (Foreign Technical Intern Trainee Attorney Liaison Board, Akashi Shoten, 2018).
・“Statement on the Survey Results Regarding Technical Intern Trainees Missing from Trainees” (“Jyuumin To Jichi” Institute for Local Government Affairs, 2019).

Lectures
・“Current Status and Future Prospects of Accepting Foreign Workers” (July 2018, Tokyo Bar Association Summer Training Course).
・“Government’s Policy on Bone 2018 and New Acceptance of Foreigners” (October 2018, Japan Bar Association 61st Human Rights Conference Symposium 1st Working Group).
・“Tokyo Bar Association’s Proposal for Elimination of Racial Discrimination Model Ordinance-Explanation of Points-” (Dec. 2018, exchange meeting with Tokyo Bar Association Foreign Resident Support Organization).
・“Introduction to Foreign Cases” (February 2019, Lawyers Network for Foreigners).
・“System of Accepting Foreign Workers – Institutional issues-” (February 2019, OCNet / Legato Ota).
・“Overview of the “Specific Skills” System and “Comprehensive Measures” (May 2019, Symposium of the Lawyers Network for Foreigners General Assembly).
・“Current Situation of Acceptance by “Specific Skills” and “Practice of Lawyers” (July 2019, Tokyo Bar Association Summer Training Course).

・“Fundamentals of Foreign Cases” (September 2019, Shiga Bar Association).
・“Introduction to Foreign Cases” (January 2020, Shizuoka Prefectural Bar Association).
・“Introduction to Foreign Cases” (February 2020, Lawyers Network for Foreigners).

Msssages
After admitted as an attorney, I have handled cases in a wide range of fields; I have been particularly focused on medical cases (patient side) and foreign cases.
I have been working on public interest issues regarding the acceptance of foreign workers and the realization of a multicultural society that has become a hot topic in recent years.
I believe that the best option to solve the issues clients have is to listen carefully to the client’s voice, discover any issues and help as an expert. I strive to provide my clients with such a service.

Yayoi HASEGAWA

Attorney (Japan)

Profile

1996 Kyoto University, Faculty of Law (LLB)
1996 Aozora Bank(formerly Nippon Credit Bank)
2010 Admitted as Attorney in Japan
2010 Tokyo Kita Law Office
2018 Tokyo Public Law Office,
　　　Foreign and International Service Section (FISS)
2020 Sakakibara Law Office
2022 Joined TKP law
2023 Queen Mary University of London, LL.M. in Human Rights Law

Professional Affiliations
Officer, Office of International Affairs in Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA)
Member, Committee on International Human Rights of JFBA
Member, Committee on Equality of Men and Women of JFBA
Secretariat, Lawyers Network for Foreigners

Lectures & Presentations
“Japan’s Act on the Protection of Specially Designated Secrets”-2014, Belgium, the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) Conference
“The situation of foreign residents in Japan” -2016, Davao, Philippines, the International Conference for People’s Rights in the Philippines (ICCPR)   
 “The Legal Profession and Foreign Residents in Japan”-2019, Public lecture at Seigakuin University (Tokyo)

Publications
“Field Study of Japanese-Filipino Children (JFC) in Manila and Cebu, Philippines” (Co-authored, self-publishing,2018)
“Bringing an International Human Rights Protection System to Japan – Towards the Realization of the Individual Communications System and a Domestic Human Rights Institution” (Co-authored, Akashi Shoten, 2020)
“150 Selected Cases of Individual Communications under International Human Rights Law” (Co-authored, Gendai Jinbunsha, 2023)
“142 Practical Q&As on Cross-Border Family Law Cases – Insights from the LNF Mailing List” (Co-authored, Nihon Kajo Publishing, 2024)

Maho TAKENOSHITA

Attorney (NY, Japan)

Profile

2025 Joined TKP law

(Profile under preparation)

Paralegal

Messages

　We support our clients in Japanese, English and Vietnamese.