[MIKOTAMA Seminar #05]
Lecture "Learning the Basics of the Policy Formation Process: An Introduction to Lobbying for Businesses" to be held
[Friday, June 2025, 6, 20:15~]

Event Outline

Title: "Learning the Basics of the Policy Formation Process: An Introduction to Lobbying for Businesses"

·program:
　2025.6.20 (Fri)
　15:00-15:30 Open
　15:30-16:55 Seminar (lecturers: Kengo Nose, Kotaro Tanabe, Junya Komatsu)
　16:55-17:15 Q&A
　17:15-18:00 Social gathering
*The seminar video will be available on our YouTube channel from June 2025th to July 6th, 27 exclusively to those who register.
　The link will be sent to your registered email address.

・ Participation fee: Free　
*We kindly ask that applications from lawyers not be accepted.

・Lecturer: Attorney at Law, Mimura Komatsu Law Office
　　　　NOSE Kengo
　　　　TANABE Kotaro
　　　　KOMATSU Junya

・Inquiries: Mimura Komatsu Law Office Email: info＠mktlaw.jp

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[If participating at the venue]
·venue:Mimura Komatsu Law Firm(Meiji Seimei Kan ６th Floor,２-１-１ Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo）
・Capacity: 24 people (first come, first served)
　* We will ask for one business card at the reception.

[If participating online]
　When the time comes, please join us by clicking the URL provided on the Peatix event viewing page.
　*Only the seminar will be streamed online; the Q&A will not be streamed.
・Capacity: 100 people (first come, first served)

Seminar Outline

In recent years, we have seen many legal reforms and policy formations triggered by lobbying activities by companies. The Road Traffic Act was revised to allow for electric scooters, and many shared mobility vehicles are now seen on the roads for commuting, etc. In addition, regarding the introduction of ride-sharing services such as Uber, which first appeared in Europe and the United States, startups and the existing taxi and hire car industry have been lobbying, and lively discussions are taking place in the Diet, which has become a hot topic.
The importance of policy proposals and lobbying from the business community is gaining attention, but many people are unsure of where to begin lobbying the Diet and the government in relation to their own business. Although the policy formation and legislative process within the Diet and government appears to be open to society, there are various conferences within the Diet and ruling party, the contents of discussions are not made public, and it is unclear what role each body plays, giving the impression that it is complicated and difficult.
In reality, these conferences work together to discover real-world problems and distortions in the system, and have a mechanism for linking these to legal reform and policy. Some companies and industry groups understand this mechanism and proactively make requests to the Diet, but for groups that do not take part in activities to convey their opinions to politics, politics is unable to grasp the actual interests of the groups, and it becomes difficult for the groups to follow the latest policy and legislative discussions.
Even in a world of free competition, politics have a major influence, especially when it comes to business regulations and business involving foreign countries. By the time a bill is reported in the news, it is often the case that the bill has already been largely decided, and if you cannot get your say from the stage when discussions are underway among lawmakers and within government ministries, there is a risk that legal changes that will significantly restrict business will be made, so many companies and organizations are in a situation where they cannot remain uninvolved in communication with politics.

Therefore, in this seminar, members of the Mimura and Komatsu Law Office, who have experience working as policy secretaries to Diet members and seconded to government ministries in the so-called Nagatacho and Kasumigaseki areas, will talk about how to get started with policy proposals and lobbying and effective strategies, based on their experience providing legal advice to companies as lawyers. We hope that this seminar will be helpful for companies and organizations that have issues with how to start lobbying the Diet and government, and for those who feel that they have reached a dead end with their current approaches.

[Major Topics]

-Overview of the legislative system in the Diet and the roles of each actor
- Policy formation mechanisms within ministries and agencies
- Differentiating between individual companies and industry groups, and making effective use of associations
- The reality of requests and lobbying by industry groups, etc.
・What is effective policy proposal and lobbying?
・Why lobbying activities require legal expertise. The importance of identifying legal issues

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【2025.5.26】