JAPAN Law and Practice Contributed by: Atsushi Igarashi, Yoichiro Kuriyama, Misa Takahashi and Kosuke Ojio, TMI Associates
TMI Associates has strived to create a law firm dis - tinct from any other in Japan since its establishment in 1990. Over the last 35 years, the firm has experi - enced rapid organic growth in both headcount and geographical reach, while maintaining its progressive culture. Based in Tokyo, TMI Associates has, as of 2 March 2026, 676 lawyers and 101 patent/trade mark attorneys among a total of 1,317 personnel and it has become one of the five largest law firms in Japan. In addition to TMI Associates’ domestic branch offices in Nagoya, Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe, Fukuoka and Hiro -
shima, the firm has branch offices overseas in Shang - hai, Beijing, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Yan - gon, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Silicon Valley, London, Paris and Brussels. The firm’s sports and entertainment law practice constitutes a major aspect of its work, with the firm representing sports organising committees, sports federations, professional leagues, teams and athletes. The team has also received top-tier recognition in sports law from international legal directories.
Authors
Atsushi Igarashi is a partner at TMI Associates, where he plays a leading role in the firm’s intellectual property practice group. His practice focuses on sports and entertainment law, intellectual property, data protection,
marketing, brand protection, contracts, and regulatory compliance.
Misa Takahashi is an associate attorney at TMI Associates. She has represented and advised both Japanese and international clients in
and telecommunications. He advises both domestic and international clients in the sports, technology, media, and entertainment industries, with extensive experience in handling sports and entertainment transactions, IP licensing, and data protection matters. Mr Igarashi has served as legal counsel to major international sports organisations, national sports federations, professional teams, and professional athletes. Notably, he led the legal department of the organising committees for the large-scale international sporting event held in Tokyo in 2021. Yoichiro Kuriyama is a partner in the IP practice group at TMI Associates, focusing on sports and entertainment, intellectual property, governance, and compliance. He was the first Japanese lawyer to graduate from a European law school with a degree in sports law and gained practical legal experience within major European football organisations, including UEFA, The Football Association, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation. Mr Kuriyama has played significant legal roles in major international sporting events, including the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Rugby World Cup 2019, advising organising committees on governance,
cross-border dispute resolution, general corporate matters and a variety of other legal matters, including those in the fields of sports and entertainment as well as telecommunications. The WE League appointed her as a member of its tribunal in November 2021, and she has also been appointed as a director of the Japan Women’s Football League, an auditor of the Japan Wrestling Federation, as well as a member of the ethics committee of a national para-sports federation. She has also represented and advised the Japanese organising committee of an international sports competition. management. He was previously seconded to the Japan Sports Agency, and he now supports sports administration bodies, as well as national governing bodies and national federations. Kosuke was a crucial member in the development of two sports governance codes in Japan, one applicable to national federations and the other applicable to general sports organisations. He has also applied Kosuke Ojio is an associate at TMI Associates, specialising in sports and entertainment, compliance and crisis
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