35th seminar was held on March 13, 2026

In recent years, number of consumers have experienced troubles in transactions using digital technologies such as software, games, videos, music, social networking services (SNS), and cloud services (hereinafter referred to as "digital transactions"). In light of this situation, the purpose of the establishment of the Center is to explore the ideal legal framework that takes into account the development of digital industry while at the same time protecting the interests of consumers by conducting comparative studies in cooperation with researchers of Japanese law, EU law and American law. 

Noriko KAWAWA    (Director: Professor, Doshisha University, Faculty of Law）
Keita BABA       (Deputy Director: Professor, Kansai University）
Keiko KANEKO     (Secretariat: JIPDEC visiting researcher)　
Keiko NAGAIWA    (International Secretariat: Associate Professor, Ryukoku University）

(in alphabetical order)
Norikazu ASHINO  (Professor, Senshu University）
Itaru FUKAYA     (Professor, Doshisha Law School）
Takayuki FURUTANI(Professor, Osaka Metropolitan University）
Shuya HAYASHI    (Professor, Nagoya University）
Manako KINOSHITA  (Professor, Doshisha University, Faculty of Law）
Tsuneo MATSUMOTO (Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University）
Eijiro MIZUTANI  (Associate Professor, Keio University)
Takeshi OGATA    (Professor, Gakushuin  University）
Arinobu ONAKA    (Professor, Doshisha Law School）
Seiichiro UEDA   (Professor, Doshisha University, Faculty of Law）

36th Research Workshop, (March 29, 2026)

Towards the 2026 Annual Conference of the Japanese Society of Consumer Law

Chair: Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University)
Presenters: Kazuma Yamashiro (Waseda University), Seiji Ikemoto (Solicitor), Fumie Suga Hayashi (Hosei University)

35th Research Workshop, (March 13, 2026)

« New Challenges for Japan and the European Union »
3rd Annual Conference organized by Doshisha University (Kyoto) and the Centre Perelman (ULB, University of Brussels)
=>link

« Programme »
First session: 12.00  – 13.30 pm
Chair and Introduction: Prof. Isabelle Rorive (ULB)
・Prof. Em. Tsuneo Matsumoto (Hitotsubashi University): Profiling of Personal Data in Consumer Transactions and its Problems
・Prof. Kunihiro Nakata (Ryukoku University) : Contemporary Issues in Japanese Consumer Law:  Legal Responsibility of Online Platform Operators in Light of Recent Judicial Decisions
・Prof. Shingo Seryo (Doshisha University): New Ex-Ante Regulation on Digital Ecosystems in Japan ―Second mover advantage or one lap behind?
・Prof. Keita Baba (Kansai University) : Application des règles de protection des consommateurs aux contrats B2B au Japon
・Prof. Elise Poillet (University of Luxembourg): The necessity to reconsider the categorisation of consumer law actors in a globalised market: towards a new type of professional, the ‘mega-trader’
・Prof. Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University): Les défis législatifs posés par le marketing d’influence
・Prof. László Szegedi and Prof. Katalin Gombos University of Public Service/Online): The Active Transparency Reform of EU Law 
・Yuki Imura (Consumer Affairs Agency in Japan) : Role of Consumer Agency in Japan and Recent Research on Consumer Policy 

Second session:  13:40– 2.00 pm
Chair: Prof. Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University)
・Discussion

34th Research Workshop, (Dec. 12, 2025)

Towards the 2026 Annual Conference of the Japanese Society of Consumer Law

Chair: Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University)
Presenters: Kazuma Yamashiro (Waseda University), Seiji Ikemoto (Solicitor), Shuya Hayashi (Nagoya University), Noriko Kawawa, Tsuneo Matsumoto (Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University)

33th Research Workshop, (Sep. 3, 2025)

Towards the 50th Symposium of the Society for Law and Computers

Chair: Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University) 
《Programme》 (Titles omitted)
Overall Theme: ‘Research on Law and Computers: A Half-Century of Progress’

1) Presentations
18:35–19:05 Research Presentation ‘A Half-Century of Legal Research on Computer-Related Transaction Contracts and Computer-Related Incidents’
(30 minutes)  Presenter: Tsuneo Matsumoto (Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University)

2) Comments
19:05–19:15 (10 minutes)  Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University) 

3) Q&A
19:20–20:00

32th Research Workshop, (Aug. 26, 2025)

Towards the 2026 Annual Conference of the Japanese Society of Consumer Law

Chair: Koko Kawawa (Doshisha University)
Presenters: Kazuma Yamashiro (Waseda University), Fumie Suga (Hosei University), Seiji Ikemoto (Solicitor), Shuya Hayashi (Nagoya University), Noriko Kawawa, Tsuneo Matsumoto (Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University)

Research Center for Comparative Consumer Law and Policy in the Digital Society 5th Year Anniversary and 31st Seminar International Symposium On Legal Issues in the Digital Society, (April 19, 2025
In cooperation with the European Consumer Law Study Group

《Programme》
Chair: Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University, Director, Research Center for Comparative Consumer Law and Policy
in the Digital Society)
Presentations in English
Translation provided for comments and questions
１）KEYNOTE SPEECH
Tsuneo Matsumoto (Professor Emeritus, Hitotsubashi University）
REFLECTING ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTER
Kunihiro Nakata （Professor, Ryukoku University）
IS THE ELECTRONIC CONSUMER TRANSACTIONS ACT NECESSARY?
――CAN THE SPECIFIED COMMERCIAL TRANSACTIONS LAW PROTECT CONSUMERS IN DIGITAL
PLATFORM TRANSACTIONS?
Video Message：Michele Finck (Professor, Tübingen University)
２）PRESENTATION
PART 1: PRODUCT LIABILITY LAW IN THE DIGITAL SOCIETY
OVERVIEW OF THE PRODUCT LIABILITY ACT IN JAPAN
Yuki Iwasaki (Deputy Director of Consumer Safety Division, Consumer Affairs Agency)
PRODUCT LIABILITY IN AN ERA OF MODERNIZATION: LEGAL PERSPECTIVES AND CHALLENGES
Hardouin Amsler Denogent (Graduate Student, Double Degree Program, University of Zurich, Doshisha University,
Faculty of Law)
A STUDY OF EC PLATFORM LIABILITY - A CASE STUDY OF LIABILITY FOR A FIRE CAUSED BY
PURCHASED PRODUCTS
Naonori Kato（Director/Secretary General, Next Generation Fundamental Policy Research Institute）
PART 2 UNFAIR CONTRACT TERMS
SOME LEGAL ISSUES ON UNFAIR CONTRACT TERMS, EU, JAPAN AND US?
Anne-Lise Sibony (Professor, UCLouvain) & Noriko Kawawa (Professor, Doshisha University)
PART 3 COMPETITION AND REGULATORY POLICY
OVERVIEW OF THE COMPETITION LAW IN THE DIGITAL SOCIETY
Shingo Seryo (Professor, Doshisha University)
3) COMMENTS, Q&A:
Translator: Antonios Karaiskos (Professor, Ryukoku University)

Research Workshop : Unfair Terms in Comparative Perspective: EU-US-Japan 30th Seminar organized by the Research Center for Comparative Consumer　Legislation in A Digital Society, (Mar. 25, 2025)

Prof. Anne-Lise Sibony (UC Louvain)
The EU Caselaw on unfair terms: the average consumer revisited?

Prof. Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University)
Regulation on unfair terms under the Japanese Consumer Contract Act.

Comments: Prof. Tsuneo Matsumoto (Hitotsubashi University, Professor Emeritus)

29th Research Workshop, (Mar. 17, 2025)

Chair:  Noriko Kawawa (Doshisha University, Director, Research Center for Comparative Consumer Law and Policy in the Digital Society)

≪Presentation≫
The EU Artificial Intelligence Act: A Regulatory Theory Perspective
Michèle Finck (Professor, Tübingen University)

≪Comments, Q&A≫
Comments:　Shingo Seryo（Professor, Doshisha University）

Doshisha Digital Law Center (facebook)
Web site of Centre Perelman, ULB
Web site of Research Centre for Consumer Law (Forschungsstelle für Verbraucherrecht, FfV), Bayreuth University
Web site of Prof. Isabelle Rorive, ULB