JAPAN Law and Practice Contributed by: Hiroki Wakabayashi, Kenichi Sadaka and Kei Akagawa, Anderson Mori & Tomotsune
14.2 Growth Areas The information technology and renewable energy sectors are experiencing notable growth in the con- text of disputes. Internet service providers (ISPs) and platform opera- tors are increasingly facing claims from consumers and businesses whose human rights or economic interests are allegedly harmed by their activities. While legislative efforts are underway to address these issues, they primarily aim to protect the rights of the affected individuals. As a result, these measures often lead to an increase in related claims rather than a reduction. Also in relation to information technology, more companies, including large ones, are encounter- ing cyberattacks, many of which are from overseas, and are getting involved in disputes with their cus- tomer and vendors. The renewable energy sector presents a range of legal challenges, including disputes over site ownership, nuisance claims, and construction defects. The rapid growth of renewable energy projects, spurred by gov- ernment policies over the past decade, has given rise to these issues during the implementation of such projects. In addition, M&A remains a highly active area, while finance continues to be stable. Within the financial sector, disputes related to fintech are on the rise and hold significant potential for further growth. In addi- tion, the sharp rise in real estate values in urban are- as has led to a corresponding increase in disputes between landlords seeking rent increases and tenants resisting such demands.
ings). For this purpose, following the amendment of the CCP in May 2022, several civil procedure-related laws (eg, the Bankruptcy Law, the Civil Execution Act, etc) were amended in June 2023 and are set to become operational gradually. The new amendment enables: • online submission of new cases and service of court documents; • attending court sessions via the internet or other telecommunication methods, like video or phone conferencing; and • online access to court records. As stated in 1.3 Court Filings and Proceedings , 3.4 Initial Complaint , 3.5 Rules of Service , 7.1 Trial Pro- ceedings and 8.2 Settlement of Lawsuits and Con- fidentiality , many of these reforms will take effect no later than 24 May 2026, by which time the techno- logical modernisation of civil procedure will be fully operational. In relation to ADR, the Act for Implementation of the United Nations Convention on International Settle- ment Agreements Resulting from Mediation (the Singapore Convention on Mediation), as well as the amendment to the ADR Promotion Act, took effect on 1 April 2024 – the same time as the said Convention entered into force in Japan. Further, in order to pro- mote online dispute resolution (ODR), Japan played a role in the issuance of international standards adopted as ISO32122:2025, “Transaction assurance in E-com- merce – Guidance for offering online dispute resolu- tion services”, on 10 March 2025.
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