Court

00-尾島判事
Name: OJIMA Akira
Position: Justice of the Supreme Court
Biography
1983
Graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law
1983
Appointed as a legal apprentice
1985
Appointed as a Judge, and then, assigned to Tokyo District Court, Kofu Family/District Court, General Affairs Bureau, Supreme Court, International Economic Affairs Division, Trade Policy Bureau, Ministry of International Trade and Industry, Tokyo District Court, Yokohama District Court
1990
Graduated from the Cornell University Law School (LL.M.)
1995
Judge, Yokohama District Court
1998
Judge, Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
2003
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2003
Counsellor, the Second Department, Cabinet Legislation Bureau
2008
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2009
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court
2012
Deputy Chief Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
2016
Chief Judge, Shizuoka District Court
2017
Presiding Judge, Tokyo High Court
2018
Chief Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court
2021
President, Osaka High Court
2022
Justice of the Supreme Court
01増田所長
Name: MASUDA Minoru
Position: Chief Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo
1987
Appointed judge (Tokyo District Court)
2012 – 2016
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court
2016－2018
Director-General, National Tax Tribunal
2018－2020
Chief Judge, Naha District Court
2020 – 2022
Presiding Judge, Fukuoka High Court
2022 – 2025
Presiding Judge, Tokyo High Court
2025 – 2025　
Presiding Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
2025
to Present Chief Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, worked at Embassy of Japan in Canada, Administrative Affairs Bureau/Judicial Research Office of Supreme Court etc.
02森冨部長
Name: MORITOMI Yoshiaki
Position: Presiding Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, University of Kyusyu.
1988
Appointed judge (Tokyo District Court)
2001 – 2004
Presiding Judge, Asahikawa District Court
2012－2016
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court
2020－2023
Presiding Judge, Fukuoka High Court
2023 – 2024
Chief Judge, Oita District/ Family Court
2024 – 2025
Chief Judge, Okayama District Court
2025
to Present Presiding Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, worked at National Tax Tribunal, Matsudo Branch of Chiba District/Family Court etc.
03長谷川部長
Name: HASEGAWA Koji
Position: Presiding Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, University of Tokyo.
1989 –1990
Attorney-at-law
1990
Appointed judge (Tokyo District Court)
1992 – 1993
Visiting Scholar, New York University School of Law
1998 – 2000
Associate Judge, Tokyo District Court（IP Division）
2013－2017
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court（IP Division）
2022 – 2023
Chief Judge, Kushiro District/Family Court
2025
to Present Presiding Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, worked at the Supreme Court (Judicial Research Office), Osaka High Court, Yokohama District Court and several other Courts.
04佐藤部長
Name: SATO Tatsubumi
Position: Presiding Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, Tokyo University
1992
Appointed judge (Tokyo District Court)
2004－2005
Judge, Tokyo High Court (specialized in Intellectual property cases)
2005 – 2007
Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
2007 – 2011
Counselor, Civil Affairs Bureau of Ministry of Justice (involved in the amendment of Civil Procedure Law adding section of International Jurisdiction)
2011 – 2013
Judge, Osaka District Court
2013 – 2017
Director, Civil Affairs Bureau of Ministry of Justice
2017– 2025
Presiding Judge, Tokyo District Court (specialized in Intellectual property cases during 2017-2021)
2025 – 2026
Chief Judge, Utsunomiya District Court
2026 –
present Presiding Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
05菊池裁判官
Name: KIKUCHI Eri
Position: Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, Tokyo University
1993
Appointed judge (Tokyo District Court)
2009 – 2012
Judge, Tokyo District Court (Intellectual Property Division）
2012 – 2016
Judicial Research Official, Supreme Court (Civil/Intellectual Property)
2016 – 2021
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2021 – 2024
Presiding Judge, Shizuoka District Court (Civil Division)
2024 –
Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, judged cases at Yokohama District Court, Himeji Branch of Kobe District/Family Court,
Dispatched to the Federal Republic of Germany to research the German Judicial System (1995-1996, 2001)
06今井裁判官
Name: IMAI Hiroaki
Position: Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Psychology Department, University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law, Kyoto University
1996
Appointed judge (Yokohama District Court)
2001– 2004
Judge, Tokyo District Court（Intellectual Property Division）
2007– 2010
Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
2013- 2016
Judge, Tokyo District Court（Intellectual Property Division）
2016– 2019
Presiding Judge, Niigata District Court
2020– 2023
Presiding Judge, Tokyo Family Court
2023
to Present Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, judged cases at Naha District/Family Court, Sapporo Family/District Court.
Visiting Scholar, The French National School for the Judiciary, Max Planck Institute.
07伊藤裁判官
Name: ITO Kiyotaka
Position: Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, Hokkaido University
1998
Appointed judge (Tokyo District Court)
2010 – 2013
Judge, Naha District Court
2017 – 2019
Judge, Tokyo District Court（Intellectual Property Division）
2024 – 2025
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2025~
Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, worked at Ministry of Justice.
08頼裁判官
Name: RAI Shin-ichi
Position: Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, Tokyo University
1999
Appointed judge (Osaka District Court)
2004 – 2007
Judge, Tokyo District Court (Intellectual Property Division)
2021 – 2023
Judge, Tokyo High Court
2023
to Present Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, judged cases at Toyohashi Branch of Nagoya District/Family Court, Naha District/Family Court (Head Office and Okinawa Branch), Saku Branch of Nagano District/Family Court, Yokohama Family Court.
09柵木裁判官
Name: MASEKI Sumiko
Position: Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, Keio University .
1999
Appointed judge (Kobe District Court)
2007 – 2011
Judge, Tokyo District Court（Intellectual Property Division）
2014－2017
Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
2023－2026
Presiding Judge, Morioka District Court
2026
to Present Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, judged cases at Hachioji Branch of Tokyo District Court, Hakodate District/Family Court, Odate Branch of Akita District/Family Court, Fukuoka District Court, Yokohama District Court .
10諸岡裁判官
Name: MOROOKA Shinsuke
Position: Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Law, Keio University .
2003
Appointed judge (Yokohama District Court)
2023 – 2026
Judge, Tokyo District Court
2026
to Present Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, worked at Ministry of Justice, Fukuoka District Court, Osaka District Court etc.
11天野裁判官
Name: AMANO Kenji
Position: Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Arts in Literature, Waseda University
2001 – 2002
Nomura Securities, Co.Ltd.
2006
Appointed judge (Chiba District Court)
2015 – 2018
Judge, Tokyo District Court (IP Division)
2023 to Present
Judge, Intellectual Property High Court
In addition to the above, judged cases at Kurashiki Branch of Okayama District/Family Court, Hachinohe Branch of Aomori District/Family Court, Matsudo Branch of Chiba District/Family Court.
Columbia Law School (LL.M., 2010)
12筑波調査官
Name: TSUKUBA Shigeki
Position: Judicial Research Official, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Faculty of Engineering (Department of Engineering Synthesis), Tokyo University
1995
Joined Japan Patent Office (JPO), Assistant Examiner
1999
Examiner, Patent Examination Department, JPO
2008 - 2010
National Center for Industrial Property Information and Training (INPIT)
2010 – 2013
Administrative Judge, Trial and Appeal Department, JPO
2018 – 2022
Director, Patent Examination Dept., JPO
2022 – 2025
Chief Administrative Judge, Trial and Appeal Department, JPO
2025
to Present Judicial Research Official, Intellectual Property High Court
13加藤調査官
Name: KATO Kazutaka
Position: Judicial Research Official, Intellectual Property High Court
Biography
Graduate of Master’s Program, Department of Industrial Chemistry, Graduate School of Science and Technology, Meiji University
1998 – 2025
Patent engineer / Patent and trademark attorney / Partner, working for an IP firm
2005
Registered as a patent and trademark attorney
2010
Qualified as an IP infringement litigator
2018 – 2019
JPAA Executive Director
2018 – 2020
Technical advisor, Intellectual Property High Court
2020 – 2022
JPAA Council Member
2025
to Present Judicial Research Official, Intellectual Property High Court