Matsuda and Partners, Otemachi Nomura Bldg. 10F 2-1-1

Matsuda & Partners is a full service law firm, providing professional legal service to our clients. The firm is a one-stop shop, offering a variety of legal services that cover business related practice including corporate law, M&A deals, intellectual property, IT/privacy law, cross-boarder transactions, legal disputes and litigation. The firm has been challenging and practicing actively on the forefront field of business law. Asahi Seimei Otemachi Building 7F2-6-1 Otemachi Chiyoda-ku Tokyo 100-0004 Japanjmatsuda-law.com/en/satoshi.shono@jmatsuda-law.com Satoshi is an experienced attorney, and has been advising clients on matters related to data protection, new technologies and intellectual property throughout his career. He has extensive experience on advising both domestic and international clients on various sectors, including e-commerce, entertainment, medical, manufacturing and retail industries. His broader expertise also includes a variety of areas relating to business laws, including corporate law, M&A, finance, entertainment law, internal investigation and litigation. Satoshi has been serving as a member of the drafting team of the Interpretative Guidelines on Electronic Commerce and Information Property Trading, a guideline on e-commerce and trading of information property in Japan, which is annually revised. He also has experience working at the Ministry of Economic, Trade and Industry ("METI"). His contribution at METI includes, matters relating to Personal Information, policy making relating to IT, IP and entertainment businesses, and the negotiation of numerous EPA/FTAs (IP chapters and E-commerce chapters).

Representatives

Satoshi Shono

partner

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Publications

• Japan’s First AI LegislationJapan’s first AI-specific legislation came into force on September 1, 2025, establishing a basic framework that signals the government’s intent to develop more comprehensive AI regulation in the near future.16 December 2025
• Predicting the Next Amendment of the Japanese Privacy LawThe Personal Information Protection Commission recently publishes an interim summary of issues for the next amendment of the Japanese Privacy Law.23 July 2024
• Generative AI and the Protection of Personal Information under the Japanese LawWhile generative AI has been getting attention in business, there has been a concern on the protection of personal information when using them. Recently, the Japanese Personal Information Protection Commission (“PPC”) has issued an Alert on the use of generative AI services, having the use of the generative AI service “ChatGPT” provided by OpenAI LLC. (“OpenAI”) in mind.18 October 2023
• New Cookie Regulations in Japan – Amendment of Telecommunications Business ActThe Telecommunications Business Act (“TBA”) is a law administered by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. Under the amended law, certain regulations for telecommunication businesses sending information to third parties (including cookies) have been newly established.22 May 2023
• PPC Introducing a Data Mapping Toolkit for Privacy ProtectionThe Personal Information Protection Commission (“PPC”), recently published a data mapping tool kit, while using cross-border transfer of personal information as a use case.29 November 2022
• Third Amendment of the Japanese Privacy Law – Amendment based on the Digital Arrangement ActThe Digital Arrangement Act was promuglated on May 19 of this year, which requires the Act on the Protection of Personal Information to be amended. This will be the third amendment to be made on the Japanese privacy law. The amendment is likely to have a major impact on the medical and academic fields, especially since the rules applied to incorporated administrative agencies will undergo major changes.20 October 2021
• Amendment on Enforcement Rules of the Japanese Privacy LawThe amendment on Enforcement Rules for the Act on the Protection of Personal Information was promulgated on March 26 of this year. The amended enforcement rules will be enforced on April 1st, 2022 together with the amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information. This article introduces the main points of the amended Enforcement Rules.12 May 2021
• Digital Platformer Regulations in JapanThe Act on Improvement of Transparency and Fairness in Trading on Specified Digital Platforms21 December 2020
• Overview on the Amendment of the Act on the Protection of Personal InformationThe Act on the Protection of Personal Information (“APPI”) of Japan was established in 2003, and had only been amended once, in 2015. The second amendment of the Act since its establishment was approved by the Diet and has been promulgated this June. The amendment act of APPI (“Amendment Act”) is to come into force by June 2022.21 September 2020