Completion of International Family Law Mediator Training

In December 2021, Kenji Yano, a lawyer at our firm, completed the “International Family Law Mediator Training Course” organized by the Japan Association of Arbitrators.

The training, which was conducted in English over a period of seven days, was designed to train arbitrators and mediators to deal with global international family law mediation and arbitration, taking into account the differences between mediation and arbitration in Japan and overseas (particularly in the US).

Mediation, which in Japan is translated as “調停(Cho-Tei)”, has a very different meaning in Japan and overseas. In the latter, for example, the mediator is not supposed to give a legal opinion to the parties and to mediate in the presence of both parties, and to respect and promote the autonomous and interactive resolution of the parties.

The importance of arbitration and mediation in the field of international family law is expected to continue to increase, and an understanding of global standards is considered essential.

Kenji Yano has had the opportunity to act as an arbitrator, mediator and assistant arbitrator for the international family law cases both in Japan and abroad in the past year, and will continue to be actively involved in arbitration and mediation in the field of this area, including Hague Convention (International Abduction) cases, as well as negotiating and representing clients in arbitration and litigation.