In Japan, the means to end private, commercial disputes amicably appears to be gaining traction.
That mediation is on the rise may not be surprising in a culture that values harmony and collaborative problem-solving. But what is encouraging too, is the recent, successive birth of two new institutions to promote mediation’s wider adoption:
The Japan International Dispute Resolution Center (Osaka) on May 1, 2018; and the Japan International Mediation Centre (Kyoto) on November 20, almost a year after SIMC and the Japan Association of Arbitrators (JAA) inked an MOU to help set it up.
That was last year. This year, the week of March 11, 2019, saw diplomatic ties reaffirmed again, with the JAA hosting Singapore Senior Minister of State for Law & Health Mr Edwin Tong at a memorial lecture.
SIMC Vice Chairman Mr Lok Vi Ming also said a few words at the inaugural Japan-Singapore International Legal & Dispute Resolution Conference on Mar 12.
Exchanges on the enforcement of mediated settlement agreements and the Singapore Convention on Mediation followed, at panel discussions with the Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association, the Japan Federation of Bar Associations, King & Spalding, and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Tokyo. In short, a busy bee week of refreshing friendships and encouraging mediation.
Here are a few thousand words to sum it up:
We thank all our gracious hosts who have welcomed us into their home and hearth to make that week a success.