｜ Kyowa Patent and Law Office

ISHIKAWA  Daisaku

Background

After graduating from Tohoku University’s Faculty of Science in 2010, Daisaku Ishikawa completed the master’s program at the University of Tokyo Graduate School, then joined a patent firm in Osaka Prefecture, where he worked for almost three years.
He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2016 and joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office the following year.
At Kyowa, he belongs to the Mechanical department and is involved in domestic and international application procedures and rights acquisition services regarding mechanical inventions.

ENAMI  Kaoru

Background

After graduating from Ochanomizu University’s Faculty of Science (Department of Physics), Kaoru Enami worked at another patent law firm for about six years, mainly in rights acquisition services related to telecommunications equipment and construction machinery. She passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2011.
Since joining Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2016, she has been assisting clients with IP-related operations, with a focus on rights acquisition services in Japan and overseas. Her various clients include component manufacturers and finished product manufacturers.

HANAWA  Kazuya

Background

After graduating from the Engineering Faculty (Mechanical and Intelligent Systems) of Tokyo Institute of Technology (renamed Institute of Science Tokyo), Kazuya Hanawa joined a container manufacturer, where he worked as an engineer for about three years in the development and design of containers filling equipment. He later worked in the company’s intellectual property division for about three years. He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2014.
Since joining Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2015, he has been assisting clients with IP-related operations, with a focus on rights acquisition services in Japan and overseas. His various clients include materials manufacturers, preforming manufacturers, component manufacturers, and finished product manufacturers.

YOSHITAKE  KenjiCounsel

Background

Kenji Yoshitake worked for the Ministry of Transportation for six years after graduating from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 1972.
While handling intellectual property rights as an attorney at law and patent attorney, he was appointed president and chairman of the firm in 2001. He was registered as a candidate for the WIPO List of Neutrals and a candidate arbitrator with the Japan Intellectual Property Arbitration Center. He also served as the deputy chair of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) Committee on Intellectual Property Rights and as an instructor for training programs prior to being granted the right to represent clients in actions alleging specific infringement by the Japan Patent Attorneys Association. Through these activities, he has contributed to the development of theory and education concerning intellectual property infringement litigation and non-litigation dispute resolution procedures.
He served as a senior director and executive director of AIPPI Japan, working to achieve international harmonization of intellectual property systems. As chair of the Nakamatsu Memorial Scholarship Committee, he led a scholarship program to facilitate study of Japanese intellectual property by international students, and contributed to the development of intellectual property human resources in Asia.
In addition, he served as a member of APAA for ten years and as a member of the APAA Japan Group for nine years, energetically implementing anti-counterfeit measures in Asia.

KASHIWA  Nobuyuki

Background

After graduating from the University of Tokyo (licensed as pharmacist) in 2002, Nobuyuki Kashiwa obtained his master’s degree in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Tokyo Graduate School in 2004. He was registered as an attorney at law in 2008, and as a patent attorney in 2010. He handles various types of litigations and disputes.
He is a member of the Reviewers’ Committee of AIPPI Japan Group Journals while engaging in various AIPPI activities.

Articles

• Therapeutic Antibody Invention Claimed by Functional Limitations: Intellectual Property High Court Ruled the Claim Did Not Fulfill the Support Requirement Judgment of the Intellectual Property High Court, Fourth Division on January 26, 2023 (2021 (Gyo-Ke) 10093, 10094; “Antibody Preparation Case”) - AIPPI Japan Journal International Edition (Vol. 49 No.2 2024)
• Intellectual Property High Court Judgement regarding the Description Requirement and Correction Requirement for a Use Limitation in Pharmaceutical Inventions (2020 (Gyo-Ke) 10135; "Pregabalin Case" - AIPPI Japan Journal International Edition (Vol. 48 No.2 2023)
• The Equol-Containing Extract: A case in which the Intellectual Property High Court Recognized the Presumption of Article 104 of the Patent Act and Ruled in Favor of the Patentee - JIPA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (Vol. 73 No. 3 2023)
• Calculation Methods Regarding Damages Based on Article 102, Paragraphs 2 and 3 of the Patent Act (Grand Panel Decision of Intellectual Property High Court Dated June 7, 2019 - AIPPI Japan Journal (Vol. 65 No. 3 2020)
• Intellectual Property in Electronics and Software - A Global Guide to Rights and Their Applications Second Edition - Globe Law and Business (2019)
• The Supreme Court Decision Regarding the Requirements for Infringement under the Doctrine of Equivalents - AIPPI Japan Journal International Edition (Vol. 43 No.1 2018)
• The Intellectual Property High Court Grand Panel Decision on the Requirements for Infringement under the Doctrine of Equivalents - AIPPI Japan Journal International Edition (Vol. 42 No.1 2017)
• Consideration Regarding Experimental Data in Datamining Patentability of Numerically Limited Inventions - JIPA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT (Vol. 65 No. 8 2015)
• Unpredictable Remarkable Effects in Determining Inventive Step (Supreme Court Decision Dated August 27, 2019) - SHINNIPPON-HOKI “Practical Methods for Preventing Troubles Relating to Intellectual Property”
• Clarity and the Diaper Decision - Managing Intellectual Property SURVEY 2011

TAKADA  Yasuhiko

Background

After graduating from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Engineering (Department of Electronic Engineering) in 2000, Yasuhiko Takada passed the bar examination in 2003 and joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office after completing his judicial apprenticeship in 2005.
　　 Registering as an attorney at law and patent attorney in 2005, he has worked in legal consultations, expert opinions, contract negotiations, warning cases, litigation cases related to intellectual property law, trial cases against the Japan Patent Office, and patent applications.

WATANABE  Kaori

Background

After graduating from Tsuda University’s College of Liberal Arts (Department of International and Cultural Studies), Kaori Watanabe worked for another patent and law firm for about seven years, mainly in trademark applications and rights acquisition services for various clients, such as transportation industry clients, major apparel manufacturers in Japan and overseas, and machinery manufacturers. She passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2009.
Since joining Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2014, she has branched out into the handling of infringements and disputes related to trademark rights in Japan and overseas as well as trademark rights acquisition for various clients, with a focus on international consumer goods manufacturers, major Japanese cosmetics manufacturers, and financial clients in Japan.
Belonging to several external organizations such as the Japan Trademark Association and the JAFBIC Trademark Committee, she is constantly working on expanding her IP knowledge.

IMAOKA  Tomoki

Background

Tomoki Imaoka graduated from Waseda University’s Department of Law in 1993, after which he worked for a precision equipment manufacturer for four and a half years. He enrolled in the University of Nottingham’s master’s program in international environmental law in 1997, where he studied global warming and environmental pollution international laws.
After graduating from the master’s program in 2000, he worked for a patent and law firm and was engaged in clerical work in patent and trademarks. He passed the patent attorney’s examination in 2004.
As a patent attorney, he has been engaged in trademark applications and trademark rights acquisition services for machinery and pharmaceutical products manufacturers. He joined Kyowa Patent and Law Office in 2006. At Kyowa, leveraging his language skills, he provides a variety of services, including trademark rights acquisition and handling of infringements and disputes related to trademark rights in Japan and overseas for various clients, with a focus on foreign corporations such as global automobile manufacturers.
He is also actively involved in trade activities such as participating in the JAFBIC Trademark Committee and in practical workshops at the Japan Trademark Association.

MOTOMIYA  Teruhisa

Background

After graduating from Nihon University, the Department of Law, Teruhisa Motomiya passed the Japan Patent Attorney examination in 1988. He handled trademark, design and unfair competition cases at a patent firm for twenty-four years.
He chaired the Trademarks Committee of Japan Patent Attorneys Association (JPAA) from April 2004 to March 2007. He was a member of the Trademark System Committee of the Industrial Structure Council (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry) from July 2004 to October 2006. In 2015, he joined Kyowa where he became the Head of the Trademark Department. At Kyowa, he is mainly involved in acquiring and maintaining of trademark rights in Japan and abroad, as well as consulting with regard to trademarks in Japan and abroad and conducting seminars.

Notable Cases

• Toy Blocks for Assembling case (JPN Reg. No. 4478665) Tokyo High Court in 2000 (Gyo-ke) No. 101 / 2001 February 28: Favorable decision in revocation case
• Guylian Seashells Chocolate Bar case (International Registration No. 803104) Intellectual Property High Court judgement handed on 2008 June 30 (Gyo-ke) No. 10293: Trial decision was rescinded in favor of the client

YOSHIDA  Shoji

Background

After receiving in 1998 his Master’s degree in Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Shoji Yoshida worked for almost nine years as an engineer in the Research and Development department and in the Management department of a leading telecommunication systems company. He was then engaged in the development of optical communication apparatus, firmware and ASIC devices for a major domestic carrier. He was a member of Japan’s delegation at the International Telecommunication Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector for four years.
After passing the Japan Patent Attorney examination in 2006, he joined Kyowa where he is involved in acquiring and maintaining of intellectual property rights in Japan and abroad.
He acted as a member of the Patent Committee of the Japan Patent Attorney Association (JPAA) in 2016 and 2017, and as a member of the Patent System Operation Consultation Board of JPAA in 2022. He belongs to the Central IP Research Institute of JPAA, and the SMEs and Startups Support Board of the Kanto JPAA in 2024. He was also appointed as technical advisor of the Intellectual Property High Court, Tokyo District Court and Osaka District Court in 2024.