The executive director / visiting professor Akira IGATA commented on Japanese version of Magnitsky Act on Asahi Shimbun.

“Akira Igata, a visiting professor of economic security at Tama Graduate School of Business in Tokyo, called for a new initiative to work with China.

‘An increasing number of experts are now skeptical about the existing assumption that China’s democracy will expand as the country’s economy grows,’ he said. ‘We need a new effort to prod China into taking a different approach’ toward human rights issues.”

Lawmakers eye law to punish violators of human rights

On 12th November, an article “Japan eyes US-style law to sanction Uighur human rights abuses” on NIKKEI Asia quoted Akira IGATA, Executive Director and Visiting Professor of CRS.

“Japan must create its own version of the Magnitsky Act that allows comprehensive sanctions in response to human rights issues, and update all other relevant legislation like the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act,” Akira Igata, a national security expert and professor at the Tama Graduate School of Business, told lawmakers working on the legislation in October.”

Please see the full article at:
https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-relations/Japan-eyes-US-style-law-to-sanction-Uighur-human-rights-abuses

The “Policy Research Group to Formulate Rules for Harm Reduction Lifestyles” (abbreviated as “Policy Research Group for HRL”), established by our institute (Director: Toshifumi Kokubun), held its 2nd study group meeting online for the first time on February 18th at the House of Representatives Congressional Office Building.

Harm Reduction Lifestyle (below, referred to as HRL) is a lifestyle in which the risks of causing lifestyle-related diseases are reduced without difficulties by taking harm reduction products (below, referred to as HR products). HR products can reduce health risks or have the potential to prevent the risks.

In this group, some companies that provide HR products, other companies related to international rules for data health and health management, and ministry officials will participate. We will hold hearings seven times on their approaches and issues.

In this first round of hearings, three companies made presentations. In their presentations, they explained that the products they are selling are not fully understood that the products are useful in reducing health risks. They think the situations are occurred because of  the strong legal restrictions on the expression of efficacy, counterfeit products being sold in the course of promoting the health business overseas, and the necessity to create a new image of the term “Harm Reduction”.

The group will continue to hold detailed hearings (in the form of presentations) from each company and reflect these discussions in the policy proposal to be compiled around the next spring.

List of companies participating in the 2nd workshop (in alphabetical order)

• Jiang Su ASICS Co., Ltd.
• Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
• Wellbeing Standards Management Organization.
• Eisai Co., Ltd.
• Ezaki Glico Company, Limited
• Endian LLC.
• Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.
• Quantum Operation, Inc.
• KONICA MINOLTA, INC.
• Social Health Strategy Research Institute.
• Japan Disease Prediction Institute Inc.
• Nippon Life Insurance Company
• JAPAN TOBACCO INC.
• NEC Corporation
•  NatureLab. Co., Ltd.
• The Kokumotsu Company.
• Appliances Company , Panasonic Corporation
• British American Tobacco Japan, Ltd.