OH-EBASHI English Newsletter_2023 Autumn Issue was published.

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Recent Amendments to the Arbitration Act and the New Mediation Law concerning the Enforcement of International Mediation - Part I by Kazuhiro Kobayashi
I. Introduction
Japan is promoting international alternative dispute resolution in the country. In 2003, the Arbitration Act of Japan (Act No. 138 of 2003) (the "Arbitration Act") was enacted. It adopted the UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration (1985) (the "1985 Model Law"). On May 22, 2020, the Act on the Handling of Legal Services by Foreign Lawyers (Act No. 66 of 1986) was amended to expand the scope of party representation in international arbitration and provide for party representation in international mediation by registered foreign lawyers in Japan and foreign lawyers from abroad. Recently, to be in line with the latest international standards, on April 21, 2023, the Arbitration Act was amended to adopt the 1985 Model Law, as amended in 2006 (the "2006 Model Law"), and the Act for Implementation of the United Nations Convention on International Settlement Agreements Resulting from Mediation (Act No. 15 of 2023) (the "Act Implementing the Singapore Convention") was passed.
This article is divided into two parts. This Part I will explain the amendments to the Arbitration Act while the new mediation law concerning the enforcement of international mediation will be covered in Part II, which will be featured in the next newsletter.....( Please click here to read the whole article.）

Overview of Revitalization Support for SMEs in Japan by Yuta Shozaki
A. Introduction
99.7% of companies in Japan are small and medium enterprises ("SMEs").
In 2003, the Small and Medium Enterprise Agency of Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry ("METI") established a public organization called the "Small and Medium Enterprise Revitalization Council" (the "Council") to help revitalize SMEs.
In recent years, Japanese SMEs have been severely affected by Covid-19, making it more essential that they be revitalized through the efforts of the Council. This article provides an overview of the workout options available to Japanese SMEs.....( Please click here to read the whole article.）