#Japan #Environmental Compliance #Tokyo #City Lab Tokyo #2026 Forum

Forum on Environmental Compliance: A Necessity in Today's Industrial Landscape

On July 28, 2026, a significant forum titled "What does it mean to be a trusted industry? - Environmental compliance supporting corporate trust -" will take place at City Lab TOKYO and online. This forum, organized by the Environmental Business Agency, marks the release of the practical book Environmental Law Update and features high-ranking officials from the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Ministry of the Environment, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The importance of environmental compliance in Japanese corporations has steadily increased since the pollution issues during the period of rapid economic growth. However, today’s manufacturing sector is grappling with a severe labor shortage and the retirement of veteran employees, which poses a challenge for accumulating and passing down the necessary knowledge and experience in environmental management. Consequently, there are cases of environmental law violations that arise not from malice but from ignorance and a lack of communication during transitions, such as "I didn’t know the laws" or "the person in charge forgot to file a report." Currently, the number of environmental law violations still exceeds 5,000 annually.

The forum will bring together experts from various fields, including the legal profession, to discuss practical measures for businesses to maintain their environmental compliance amid such shortages and continue to earn societal trust.

Background: A Crisis in Knowledge Transmission Despite Established Environmental Compliance

While reports of environmental law violations have decreased since their peak, the numbers remain high, consistently exceeding 5,000 incidents per year.
This reality becomes clear when examining the current major challenge for businesses—labor shortages. Often, companies face situations where:

• - Employees are unaware of existing regulations.
• - Application procedures and management standards are poorly communicated.
• - There are no dedicated environmental personnel, leading to shared responsibilities among various departments.

These gaps mean that violations, such as failure to report under the Water Pollution Prevention Act or non-compliance with the Fire Service Act for hazardous materials, are often discovered only during audits or administrative guidance. The forum will address these pressing real-world challenges and explore how companies can sustain their environmental governance in the labor-short era while retaining public trust.

Why is Environmental Law Update Attention-Grabbing for Legal Professionals Now?

The new publication that catalyzed this forum, Environmental Law Update, has received notable interest from legal professionals. Its supervising lawyer, Yuta Iba, highlights the complexity of adhering to environmental laws, stating, "It’s often challenging to comprehensively cover all compliance points, leading to oversight in many companies. Typical issues manifest during M&A due diligence." This essential book systematically organizes environmental law compliance tasks that tend to be fragmented across departments, ensuring organizations don't solely depend on individual experiences for sustainability.

A Look Ahead: Insights from Government, Legal, and Practical Perspectives on Building Trustworthy Industries

Key speakers and their topics include:

• - Ingo Kikukawa, Director of the Innovation and Environment Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: "Environment and Innovation - Toward a Time When Trusted Industries Drive Growth."
• - Hirofumi Iida, Councilor at the Ministry of the Environment: "Trends in Environmental Policy and Initiatives to Promote Environmental Management."
• - Takayuki Nakajima, Director of the Environmental Improvement Department, Tokyo Metropolitan Government: "Environmental Compliance from the Perspective of Local Governments."
• - Yuta Iba, Lawyer at Takagi Law Firm: "Challenges of Environmental Compliance from the Legal Perspective."
• - Atsuko Suzuki, CEO of Environmental Business Agency: "Why is Trust in Industry Under Scrutiny Now?"
• - Akira Numazato, Senior Consultant Leader, Environmental Business Agency: "Challenges in Environmental Compliance and Practical Solutions."

Event Information

Date: July 28, 2026 (Tuesday) 15:00-18:00 (Doors open at 14:30)
Venue: City Lab TOKYO (6F Tokyo Square Garden, directly connected to Kyobashi Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line) & Zoom
Participation Fee: Free
Program Details: Link to Program
Registration: Link to Registration
Organizer: Environmental Business Agency
Support: Minjiho Research Institute

About the Environmental Business Agency

The Environmental Business Agency focuses on supporting compliance with environmental laws, particularly in the manufacturing sector, providing essential services from regulatory information to compliance management.

Company Name: Environmental Business Agency
Representative: Atsuko Suzuki
Location: 8F Kanda Ogawamachi Building, 2-3-12 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Phone: 03-3296-8655 (Weekdays 10:00-17:00)
Established: Founded in 1999, established in 2005.
Official Site: Environmental Business Agency

For more inquiries regarding this matter, please contact the Environmental Law Support Secretariat’s PR representative: Komatsu at 03-3296-8655 or via email at [email protected].