English | Tokyo Bar Association

Osamu Ishihara

President, Tokyo Bar Association

Hello everyone, I am Osamu Ishihara. I was appointed president of the Tokyo Bar Association on April 1.

The Tokyo Bar Association is an organization with a long history. We will be coming up to our 150th anniversary in 2030. As of the start of this year we have more than 9700 members, making us one of the largest independent bar associations in Japan.

The Tokyo Bar Association is also characterized by our members' engagement in a wide variety of legal activities. These include human rights protection activities that hold universal value, research into cutting-edge legal issues, work for local governments and corporations, and foreign law attorneys who act as bridges between Japan and other countries.

Legal Counseling Center for Foreigners

Shinjuku Legal Counseling Center (Daytime) and Kamata Legal Counseling Center (Evening) offer legal consultations for foreign residents and people with international legal problems. Free interpretation services may be available if needed. These centers are jointly run by the Tokyo Bar Association, the Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association, and the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association.

Areas of consultation

We provide consultations on a wide range of legal issues for foreign residents living in Japan, including visa and immigration matters, refugee matters, domestic violence, divorce, inheritance, labor issues, business-related disputes, and criminal matters.