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Special Feature:
Automated Driving and MaaS

Author:  Koji Toshima, Norihito Sato, Kensho Akita, Kohei Shiozaki, Hiroyoshi Sanada

Today, the automotive industry is said to be entering a once-in-a-century period of transformation. At the core of this transformation is a series of technical innovations called "CASE" (Connected, Autonomous, Shared/Service, Electric), which is represented by new technologies and services such as "automated driving" and "MaaS" (Mobility as a Service).

For many years, we have provided legal services for our clients including domestic and overseas automobile manufacturers and automotive parts companies. In order to deal promptly with the arrival of this transformational period, we have established a support system for the automated driving and MaaS fields ahead of any other law firm.

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"Regulations on Autonomous Cars and MaaS Businesses" was published on June 23, 2020 and the second edition was published on December 28, 2023.
This is an unprecedented book that broadly explains the legal systems in relation to automobile-related businesses, such as automated driving and MaaS, as well as connected cars.

Our Initiatives to Date

  • Capital and business alliances and restructuring of major automobile manufacturers, and the merger of major automotive parts companies

  • Business integration of a taxi dispatch application company

  • Advice on a foreign company’s service providing GPS location information for automated driving

  • Advice to a major IT company on the regulations regarding automated driving

  • No-action letter to MLIT to request advance confirmation of the application of laws and regulations concerning the Road Transport Act

  • Advice to a logistics company on the gathering of information including drivers’ biometric information by IoT equipment, data contracts, and telecommunications business law

  • Advice on transportation service applications by an overseas startup company

  • Advice on the Road Transportation Act related to MaaS services

  • Advice on the launch of a food delivery application

  • Advice on the regulations in relation to electric scooter sharing services

  • Advice on draft safety standards related to automated driving

  • Advice on recalls related to cars, automated driving and MaaS, intellectual property rights/data, and product liability

  • Investment in a startup company related to automated driving

  • Joint venture with an automobile service company

Awards & Recognitions

ALB Japan Law Awards 2024
Norihito Sato Named to ALB Japan Law Awards 2024 for Young Lawyer of the Year
The Best Lawyers in Japan 2025
Norihito Sato Named to The Best Lawyers in Japan™ in 2025 in Transportation Law
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2024 Ranks MHM in Tier 1 for TMT and Hiromi Hayashi and Atsushi Okada for Leading Individuals
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2024 Recognized MHM in Tier 1 for Technology, Media, Telecoms and Atsushi Okada
The Best Lawyers in Japan 2024
Norihito Sato Named to The Best Lawyers in Japan™ in 2024 in Transportation Law
ALB Japan Law Awards 2023
ALB Japan Law Awards 2023 Ranks MHM in Technology, Media and Telecommunications Law Firm of the Year and Technology, Media and Telecommunications Deal of the Year
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2023 Ranks MHM in Tier 1 for TMT and Hiromi Hayashi and Atsushi Okada for Leading Individuals
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2023
Chambers Asia-Pacific 2023 Recognized MHM in Spotlight Table for Technology, Media, Telecoms and Atsushi Okada
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022
The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2022 Ranks MHM in Tier 2 for TMT and Atsushi Okada for Leading Individuals
ALB Asia 40 Under 40 2021
Norihito Sato listed in ALB Asia 40 Under 40 2021

Our Initiatives to Date

2015

Three partners set up a "Study Group on Robots and Related Laws" at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto and commenced a full-scale study.

Jul. 2015

Articles by our lawyers began to be published bimonthly in the Nikkei Robotics Legal Consultation.

May. 2016

"Legal framework and challenges for achieving autonomous (driverless) cars (Part 1)/(Part 2)" by Koji Toshima was published in NBL.

May. 2017

"Recent Japanese Regulations on Ride Sharing and Car Sharing" by Koji Toshima and Norihito Sato was published in NBL.
(Many articles related to automated driving and MaaS were published subsequently.)

May. 2017

Norihito Sato was with the Road Transport Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) to accumulate know-how on automated driving, recall regulation and MaaS (until 2019).
(Thereafter, until June 2021, Kensho Akita was with the Road Transport Bureau of MLIT. Keita Mashita is currently with the same bureau since July 2021.)

2018

Koji Toshima became a member of the Study Group on New Mobility Services Brought About by IoT and AI at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (until 2019).

Nov. 2018

The MHM Seminar 2018 entitled "The arrival and required rules of the AI/IoT society" discussed the topics of "automated driving, connected cars, and MaaS". More than 2,000 guests participated in the seminar.

2020

Norihito Sato became a member of the Project Adoption and Screening Committee (for digital technology development aimed at regulatory advancements in the field of mobility), at the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO).

Mar. 2020

"Automotive Newsletters" specializing in automotive-related matters commenced periodical publication.

Jun. 2020

"Regulations on Autonomous Cars and MaaS Businesses" was published.

Related Topics

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Update date

November 22, 2024

People
Koji Toshima Norihito Sato Yoshihiro Kojima Hiromi Hayashi Atsushi Okada Mikio Sonoda Seijun Lee Kazuhisa Kita Kensho Akita Kohei Shiozaki Hiroyoshi Sanada Daisuke Mosaka Yuki Saito Taisei Katano Kazuki Sawa Yu Nakayama Noriko Makino Yuma Yoshikawa Kosuke Anan Yu Furuhashi Rio Ichii Takuma Oyama Keitaro Wakabayashi
Practices
Automotives / Auto Parts Mobility

*Please note: Information is current as of the time of disclosure.

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