FEATURED NEWS

Public Comment on the Long-Term Decarbonisation Auction Scheme and Support Framework for Offshore Wind

Public Comments on Cabotage Rules Affecting Offshore Wind Developments

EBC Automotive Components Committee event, 18 March

Recommendations for Policy Reform to Streamline Expense Settlement in Japan

PRESS RELEASE: European Business Council Welcomes Reforms to Foreign Lawyer Registration Rules in Japan

The Sustainability Imperative: Decarbonization & Nature Restoration for a Resilient Future (September 12)

Events Calendar

UPDATES

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DIGITAL WHITE PAPER

Kindly sponsored by CHANEL

NEW ISSUES

  • published_date_iconPublished:

    Streamline expense settlement

    Committee:
    Tax
    status:
    New

    Japan has made significant strides in digital transformation, particularly through the adoption of cashless payments and secure data systems. Cashless payments and tamperproof systems, along with sensible rules on expense processing eliminated the need for receipts in a large portion of employee expense claims. However, the introduction of the Qualified Invoice System in October 2023 has inadvertently complicated expense claim processing by newly requiring receipts for almost all transactions, even for small cashless payments. Previously, companies could rely on electronic transaction data from credit card companies for expense claims without needing receipts.

  • published_date_iconPublished:

    Pillar Two model rules for domestic implementation of a global minimum tax

    Committee:
    Tax
    status:
    New

    The rules and guidance published by the OECD define the scope and set out the mechanism for the so-called Global Anti-Base Erosion (GloBE) rules under Pillar Two, which will introduce a global minimum corporate tax rate set at 15%. The GloBE rules provide for a co-ordinated system of taxation intended to ensure large MNE groups pay this minimum level of tax on income arising in each of the jurisdictions in which they operate.

  • published_date_iconPublished:

    Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Environment Product Declaration (EPD)

    Committee:
    Materials
    status:
    New

    LCAs and EPDs are becoming more common both as suppliers are disclosing the information as part of their transparency efforts and as buyers are requesting this to fulfil their environmental goals and requirement. In the EU, some standards, such as EN 15804+A4 for the construction related materials, and platforms for EPD, such as Environdec, are being used. In Japan we have Ecoleaf. As more and more data are being covered by LCA and EPD it is important that there is harmonisation between various systems to avoid that additional costs. This can become significant considering the number of products of a given company. It should be mentioned that some collaboration already exists. Usage of Product Category Rules (PCR) should be promoted and harmonised to reduce the efforts on EPDs of products within the same category. The EU is slightly more advanced/ahead in the efforts due to the already started implementation of CBAM.

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URGENT ISSUES

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RESOLVED ISSUES

  • published_date_iconPublished:

    Temporary in-activation of gaiben licence

    Committee:
    Legal Services
    status:
    Resolved

    With the increased use of secondments within the legal services field, it is not uncommon that registered gaiben temporarily leave Japan and then come back to again practise foreign law in Japan. For a domestic lawyer it is possible to either (1) continue paying their bar membership fees while remaining on the bar rolls with their original registration number or (2) stop paying fees whilst temporarily suspending their license only to re-activate it when returning to Japan through a simple application process. This is not possible for a gaiben. The only thing possible for a gaiben is to re-apply from scratch. The EBC sees no reason for this blatant discrimination of foreign lawyers.

  • published_date_iconPublished:

    Branches

    Committee:
    Legal Services
    status:
    Resolved

    Legislation was finally passed in 2014, permitting a gaiben law firm to incorporate  as a hojin, and thereby become eligible to open more than one branch. However, the 2014 legislation did not permit gaiben and bengoshi together to establish a hojin. The effect is to severely limit the usefulness of the 2014 legislation. We understand that the changes in the Act to permit gaiben and bengoshi to establish a hojin together have been enacted and we await confirmation that the changes have been implemented by no later than September 2020.

  • published_date_iconPublished:

    Malt and quota management system

    Committee:
    Food & Agriculture
    status:
    Resolved

    Japan had a tariff quota system for malt even from before the EPA, which introduced a quota for EU origin malt. However, only companies manufacturing beer themselves or importing exclusively for the use of a particular brewery were allowed to apply for a quota, discriminating against traders wishing to import on their own account for selling to multiple customers in small volumes or on short notice. Following multi-year efforts by the EBC and the EU, this was remedied in late 2021, opening the door to importers to provide for a large variety of EU-origin malts even in smaller quantities for the flourishing craft beer market, and for non-brewery users.  However, an administrative burden remains, which is unreasonable considering the quota is not fully utilized and all eligible quota applications are being granted.

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Eurobiz Japan

JUNE 2022

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NEWS FEED
  • Japan to launch Cabinet team on issues related to foreign residents (Kyodo News+)
  • Japanese Solar Panel Makers Eye Business Opportunities after Ordinance Mandates Installation on New Houses (The Japan News)
  • Govt Mandates Collecting, Recycling of Some Devices with Lithium-Ion Batteries Amid Fire Concerns (The Japan News)
  • Japan’s average pay ups over 5% for 2nd year in row amid price hikes (The Mainichi)
  • Japan Prime Minister Plans Council to Debate Social Welfare; Intends to Invite Ruling, Opposition Parties to Participate (The Japan News)
  • Japan Ranks Lowest Among G7 for Gender Pay Gap (News on Japan)
  • Japan to establish guidelines for chip industry cybersecurity (Nikkei Asia)
  • Japan weighs delivery rule changes to promote contactless drop-offs (Kyodo News+)
  • 7,000 Manufacturers Aim to Raise Wages for Foreign Workers with Specified Skilled Worker Status through New Association (The Japan News)
  • Japan falls to 19th in world rankings for SDG progress (The Asahi Shimbun)
  • Japan to Collaborate with 3 European Countries on Infrastructure Development; Will Work With Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic to Build Railroads, Energy Systems (The Japan News)
  • Joint venture for Japan-Britain-Italy fighter jet project launched (Japan Today)
  • Japan weighs ‘national shipyard’ to revive shipbuilding sector (Nikkei Asia)
  • Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Says Govt Will Take Measures to Ease Price Hikes of Petroleum Products (The Japan News)
  • Japan Eyes Hosting Major International Standards Conference in 2029; Govt Making Plans to Host IEC Event in Yokohama (The Japan News)
  • Japan and EU plan major upgrade to defense-sector cooperation (Nikkei Asia)
  • Japan draws up 100 bil. yen policy to attract foreign researchers (Kyodo News+)
  • Ishiba Cabinet Adopts Basic Policy Prioritizing Wage Hikes Over Tax Cuts; National Average Minimum Wage to Increase to ¥1,500 Later this Decade (The Japan News)
  • Japan remains 118th in 2025 gender gap report, worst among G7 (Kyodo News+)
  • G7 to review tax-free import rules as low-price products flood in (Japan Today)
  • Japan, EU eye launch of “competitive alliance” scheme to boost trade (Kyodo News+)
  • Japan, EU to begin negotiations for security info-sharing pact (Japan Today)
  • Global energy investment set to hit record $3.3 trillion in 2025, IEA says (Japan Today)
  • Govt Sets 2025 Intellectual Property Strategy; Aims to Maximize Japan’s Capital Such as Anime, Manga, Games (The Japan News)
  • Japan eyes next-gen geothermal tech that eases site limitations (Nikkei Asia)
  • Japan Govt Plans Scheme to Increase People’s Ties to Regional Areas; Cabinet to Approve Regional Revitalization Draft (The Japan News)
  • Airlines less optimistic for 2025, facing ‘headwinds’: IATA (Japan Today)
  • Japan automotive chip group proposes international standard (Nikkei Asia)
  • Japanese Small, Midsize Firms Increasingly Employing Foreign Workers; Effort Aims to Secure Talented Employees (The Japan News)
  • Japan enacts law obliging firms to join CO2 emissions trading scheme (Kyodo News+)
  • Govt, Carmakers to Join Hands on Autonomous Cars With AI; New Technology Allows Greater Adaptability, Lower Cost (The Japan News)
  • Japan enacts law obliging firms to join CO2 emissions trading scheme (Kyodo News+)
  • Japan to introduce US-style online visitor entry system in FY2028 (Nikkei Asia)
  • Japan eyes 17 eligible sectors under new foreign labor training plan (The Mainichi)
  • Japan plans to launch pilot fusion power plant next decade (Nikkei Asia)
  • Japan to launch prescreening of visa-free travelers in FY 2028 (Kyodo News+)
  • Japan to partly introduce biofuel-mixed gasoline for autos in FY 2028 (The Mainichi)
  • Japan rolls out fuel subsidy for hydrogen trucks (Nikkei Asia)

Join & Support

EBC members can not only learn about important changes taking place in Japan, but also play a critical role in influencing change themselves.

Some 300 of the over 2,500 affiliated local European companies and individuals participate directly in one or more of the EBC’s 22 industry committees covering a wide variety of economic sectors.