Araki International IP&Law (“AIL”) celebrated its 5th anniversary in July 2026. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all of our clients and colleagues who have supported us since our founding.

Since our establishment in 2021, guided by our vision of “supporting Japanese companies and individuals to succeed on the global stage.” we have advised companies primarily on cross-border matters involving intellectual property and technology, including standard essential patents (SEPs).

As we mark our 5th anniversary, we are building on the experience we have gained over the past five years and focusing our practice on AI and emerging technologies, with AI governance at its core. Both AI technology and the regulatory landscape surrounding it are evolving at an extraordinary pace, and we believe that concentrating our resources in this area will enable us to deliver greater value to our clients and the market.

Alongside this transition, we have set a new mission: “Building Best Practices for Emerging Technologies” and a new value: “Cross Boundaries, Connect and Share.” With these principles, we are taking the next step toward our next decade.

“Cross Boundaries, Connect and Share” — Launching the AI Governance Platform

As the first step in this new chapter, in August 2026 we officially launched the AI Governance Platform and began welcoming Founding Members.

As developments such as AI agents and physical AI continue to accelerate, the use of AI is becoming increasingly important for Japanese companies. At the same time, the AI governance needed to support that use is rapidly moving from principles to practical implementation.

The Platform is designed as a collaborative space for building best practices in this fast-evolving field by bringing together AIL’s practical knowledge with the challenges, experience and insights of participating companies.

For more information about the Platform, please see [here].

Governance That Enables New Challenges

AI has undoubtedly expanded what each of us can accomplish. Yet greater individual skills and capabilities do not necessarily translate into stronger organizations in which people can act with mutual trust. 

Taking on new challenges and sometimes learning from failure. Acting with integrity, thinking independently and taking responsibility. Respecting different expertise and perspectives and communicating openly. These foundations of a strong organization do not emerge automatically simply because individual capabilities improve. 

We see an important parallel with AI governance. Governance is not solely about managing risks or restricting actions. It is also about establishing clear foundations for responsibility and decision-making, and creating an environment in which people with different roles and expertise can communicate openly and move forward together.
By doing so, governance can help create an environment in which people and organizations can use AI with confidence and take on new challenges. We believe this will be one of the important roles of governance in the years ahead.

Over the next decade, we will continue to value dialogue with companies and experts across different fields, crossing boundaries, connecting with one another, and learning through experimentation as we work together to turn new practices for the AI era into reality.

Comment from Managing Partner Akiko Araki

 “After studying abroad in 2016, I became deeply interested in intellectual property and have spent the past 10 years working in this field. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported and guided me throughout this journey.

Through my work in intellectual property, I have had the privilege of gaining invaluable experience in areas including standard essential patent (SEP) transactions and value creation through collaboration between Japanese and international companies. These experiences have led me to believe that collaboration is an area in which Japanese companies can truly bring their strengths to the fore.
It was with this belief that we launched the AI Governance Platform, a collaborative initiative focused on the practical implementation of AI governance.

Going forward, we will continue striving to create even greater value for our clients. We sincerely appreciate your continued guidance and support.”