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Learn how Japan makes ‘trade barriers’
- A brief guide to Japanese rule-making procedures -

To newly enter a foreign market, it is imperative to learn and understand local laws and regulations. Despite the lucrative markets, you may face visible hard rocks and invisible barriers in doing business overseas.

Even if your company currently works successfully in Japan, you may suddenly face new rules and regulations being imposed. Such changes or new stipulations might threaten your business sustainability.

Corporate executives must be vigilant about policy changes and stay on top of legislative movements to protect your business in Japan. Before thinking of actions such as lobbying the government, you need to have a basic understanding of how the legislative and administrative branches work in Japan.

Takeo Nishitani, chairman of Weber Shandwick, will give you a brief guidance about the policy development and rule-making process in Japan. Also, he will introduce some prominent lobbying cases by foreign companies in Japan. The session will include a Q&A session.
Mr. Nishitani is one of the most seasoned communications and government relations consultants in Japan, and represents the Dutch-Japan Trade Federation (DUJAT) in Japan.
He is the author of the first book on public affairs in Japan, titled “Public Affairs Strategies,” and subtitled “Not to be bound by rules, but creating rules,” published by leading publisher Toyo Keizai. The author, with long experience in government relations, suggests that global companies should aggressively participate in “rule-making wars.” This book has attracted considerable attention from Japanese corporate executives and policy makers at a time when Japan is preparing to negotiate free trade agreements with the EU and trans-Pacific partners.