October 22, 2025
Japan Fair Trade Commission
Meetings with Experts and “JFTC Day” to Be Held
Today, I would like to explain the upcoming Meetings with Experts and “JFTC Day” events to be held across Japan.
Meetings with Experts have been held in major cities across Japan since 1972. This year, the meetings will be held in eight cities from November 18 to December 3.
At the Meetings with Experts, the Commissioners or the Secretary General of the JFTC will exchange opinions with experts from local business organizations, consumer groups, academics, and the press. These meetings aim to further deepen their understanding of competition policy, while also allowing the JFTC to learn about actual circumstances of each region, as well as to hear opinions and proposals from participants.
In particular, as the enforcement of the Mobile Software Competition Act and the amended Subcontract Act (the Fair Transactions Act) is approaching, the JFTC would like to hear opinions on how these new systems are being received in each region, and also what expectations local stakeholders have for the JFTC’s role in implementing these laws. In addition, as one year has passed since the enforcement of the Act on Improvement of Transactions between Freelancers and Undertakings (the Freelance Act), the JFTC would like to hear views on its enforcement and public awareness activities over the past year, together with opinions on the direction of future initiatives.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, the Commissioners and the Secretary General will also visit factories and other facilities of local businesses to exchange opinions and engage in discussions with business operators.
The JFTC aims to promote effective and appropriate competition policies that fully reflect the actual circumstances of each region, by having the Commissioners and the Secretary General hear first-hand insights from local experts and business operators and directly experience the regional realities through such initiatives.
The JFTC plans to publish a summary of the opinions received at the Meetings with Experts at a later date, and also intends to introduce the key points at a future regular press conference.
Next, I would like to talk about “JFTC Day.”
The JFTC also conducts outreach activities under the name of “JFTC Day” in regions where we do not have offices. These undertakings aim to promote awareness of the Antimonopoly Act and the Subcontract Act, and to provide consultation services for business operators and consumers, making our activities more familiar and accessible to the public.
Each fiscal year, the JFTC holds “JFTC Day” events in eight cities across Japan. For the current fiscal year, one event was already held in Yamagata City, within the jurisdiction of the Tohoku Office, on October 15. The remaining events are scheduled to be held in Kobe City on November 27, in Tomakomai City, Hokkaido on December 1, in Oita City on December 2, in Nagano City and Toyama City on December 3, in Okayama City on December 11, and in Matsuyama City on January 14.
While the details of “JFTC Day” events vary slightly by location, I would like to explain the outline of the event in Nagano City as an example.
At the “JFTC Day” event in Nagano City, the following sessions will be held:
-Briefing Session on the Freelance Act: This session will explain the obligations and prohibited practices imposed on orderers under the Act on Improvement of Transactions between Freelancers and Undertakings, which came into effect last year.
-Training Session on the Fair Transactions Act: This session will cover the obligations and prohibited practices for contractors under the Fair Transactions Act, which will take effect in January next year, and highlight key revisions from the Subcontract Act.
-Briefing Session on the Mobile Software Competition Act: Scheduled for enforcement in December this year, this session will explain prohibited and required practices for designated providers, as well as changes in user setting screens under the Act.
In addition, the JFTC will also hold a training session on the Act on Elimination and Prevention of Involvement in Bid Rigging, etc., targeting officials in charge of procurement at local governments and other public entities.
In some locations, local offices also organize “Consumer Seminars” and “Antimonopoly Act Lectures,” for consumers, providing easy-to-understand explanations of the Antimonopoly Act and the activities of the JFTC.
Each session will include a Q&A segment, providing participants with an opportunity to ask questions directly to the staff if any points remain unclear. We hope these sessions will help deepen understanding of each relevant law. The JFTC welcomes participation not only from business operators engaged in contracting and subcontracted transactions, but also from general consumers who use smartphones. Those interested are encouraged to visit the JFTC’s website for more information and to register for participation.
We would also appreciate it if members of the media could help inform the public, for example through local editions, about the upcoming “JFTC Day” events. The JFTC welcomes media coverage on the day of the event, and we sincerely hope that reporters will visit the venues and share the atmosphere of the events with local communities.
Through the meetings with experts and the “JFTC Day” initiatives, we aim to deepen public understanding of competition policy and its activities, making them more relatable and accessible to everyone.
（Tentative translation）
