Issue 137, July 2023

Preface

• Direction of consumer policy to be addressed
• Contemporary Consumer Law: Towards a Systematisation of Consumer Law

Special Feature 1, Activities against casinos in Osaka

• On the Osaka IR leasehold agreement injunction lawsuit
• Osaka Residents’ Lawsuit for Injunction against Osaka Casino, No. 2, Case of low rent due to illegal real estate appraisal
• Stop the casino by perseverance and hard work
• Yumeshima IR cheap rent illegal trial by citizens, Akan, Appeal for casino women
• It is possible to stop the Yumeshima casino through the power of the movement with the participation of Osaka citizens
• Economic effects of IR (Integrated Resort) operation are rather negative
• “No” to the Yumeshima development of the IR Casino, which is proceeding under the guise of an ‘Expo’
• Objection to the Restoration Administration: Fulfil the role of the ‘public’ rather than attracting casinos (IR)

Series 1, Consumer legislation, Consumer Affairs Agency, Consumer Commission, National Consumer Affairs Centre, Legislative proposals

• Consumer Commission Initiatives
• Report of the Consumer Commission (March to May 2023)
• Verification, Evaluation and Monitoring of the Basic Plan for Consumers at the Seventh Consumer Affairs Commission
• Major Issues of the National Consumer Affairs Centre in 2023
• Current status of the campaign to revise the Special Commercial Code
• Cross-cutting administrative rules on consumer transactions, “Provisions for the protection of consumers in vulnerable situations”
• «Resources» Act for Partial Amendment of the Consumer Contract Act and the Act on the Independent Administrative Institution National Consumer Affairs Centre, Chairman’s Statement on the enactment of the Act on Prevention of Unreasonable Solicitation of Donations by Legal Entities
• Report on the activities of the Consumer Affairs Committee of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations in FY 2022 and future initiatives
• Activity Report of the Kanto Federation of Bar Associations Consumer Affairs Task Force Committee in FY2022

Series 2, ‘Salaries workers loan’ (Loan shark), commercial loans

• Behind the Scenes of the Osaka District Court Decision of 27 July 2023 Ordering the Payment of Overpayments
• Offsetting revolving payment debts as passive claims: a trial argument
• Towards a Stronger Democratic Movement in Japan (36): Exposing the Crimes of the Powerful

Series 3, Anti-Poverty/Rehabilitation

• Visits to medical institutions outside the prefecture due to chronic fatigue syndrome after obtaining a decision to revoke the decision to refuse the application for medical assistance, the case was negotiated and the full amount was paid.
• Case of winning full payment – Niigata Prefecture Governor’s decision on 19 October 2022
• The Administration’s “disguised explanation of the reasons for policy implementation”: Rejecting disguised prices (No. 17)
• Why question the Second “Rincho”, the origin of the exhaustion of Japanese society

Series 4, The Great East Japan Earthquake / Radiation and Future of Japan

• Hiroshima High Court Decision, Nankai Trough Earthquake 181 gals problem

Series 5, Special Commercial Law, Deposit Insurance Law and Credit (Discount Sales)

• The reality of the damage caused by fraudulent subscription purchase business that continues to this day and Osaka City’s response – the method of inducement by
• SNS advertising and the response through post-payment settlement service companies
• [Malicious] Subscription purchase site operators vs. advisers, a false battle
• Overseas multi-transactions, the US system
• Towards the Realisation of the Prohibition of Solicitation of Persons Who Refuse in Advance for Door-to-Door Sales, etc.
• Necessity of introduction and consideration of exemptions

Series 6, Consumer contract law and malicious commercial practices

• Progress leading up to the lawsuit demanding an injunction against cancellation fee clauses at wedding halls
• Lawsuit demanding the removal of advertisement labels on waste collection companies; report on the activities of Consumer Support Kanagawa
• Termination of service support contracts in car sales
• Claims against unauthorised childcare facilities
• Activities of the NPO Consumer Support Net Kumamoto and local consumer administration
• Damage recovery activities of the Consumer Support Organisation Kansai (KC’s), Consumer Support Organisation Kansai (KC’s)
• Second term as a member of the Kyoto Prefectural Consumer Affairs Council
• Non-political alliance, bogus advertisements and the problem of long-term division of debts
• 《Resources》 Consumer Affairs Agency, Warning against high charges for toilet repair work

Series 7, Civil code and other laws

• Claims of the perpetrator and claims of the victim in bankruptcy proceedings, in the case of Japan Life’s bankruptcy proceedings
• On the Japan Life Nagoya District Court judgment
• Academic theories on the ‘disposal’ of property permitted to be disposed of
• Hyogo Eugenic Protection Law damage national compensation lawsuit, Osaka High Court reversal victory judgment
• On the problem of the revised Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act
• Registration system for rent guarantee companies

Series 8, Product Liability

• Accident in which a child accidentally swallowed a strong magnet from a magnet set toy, accident investigation, new regulations and remaining issues

Series 9, Defective housing

• Criteria for Cancellation of Sales Contracts Based on Defective Housing Liability, Cancellation of Sales Contracts for Used Houses Due to Rain Leaks
• Basics of Defective Housing Disputes (63), Proving Defective Housing (4)

Series 10, Food Safety

• Problems with the “Act on Improvement of Relevant Laws to Strengthen the Functions of Public Health and Other Related Administrations”
• Ensuring that the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, the Consumer Affairs Agency and others are not disregarding food safety
• Fluoride use errors: From fluoride rinses to PFSA (1)

Series 11, Religion

• Unification Church: Relief for Family Damage
• History of the relationship between the Unification Church and the Liberal Democratic Party

Series 12, Pet and animal law

• Kyoto Yawata dog and cat massacre case
• 2023.7.7 Report on THE Pet Law School’s in-house meeting, ‘Dysfunctional law, to realise coexistence with animals’

Series 13, International consumer issues

• Update: Current status of telemarketing regulations around the world, Do-Not-Call system and the opt-in method in general

Counselor’s eyes/activities

• Dark patterns in consumer affairs consultations
• From recent consultation cases
• Towards Digital Transformation of Consumer Affairs Consultations – The unique approaches of the wide-area federations

Shodanren Information

• Efforts to correct LP gas transaction practices in rental housing complexes

Q and A

• Branded debit cards, Compensation for unauthorised use of branded prepaid cards

Precedents and Settlement Bulletin

• No. 2588-2602

Introduction of Important Precedents

National Consumer Affairs Center Information

• Trouble cases in consumer affairs consultation (52)
• On the issue of online game charges for children

Voices of the Government, Political Parties and Diet Members

• Protecting People’s Lives from the Shock Doctrine (Revision of the Food Sanitation Law as a Countermeasure against the New Type of Corona)

Bibliography

• Practical Guide: Related Laws and Solutions to Consumer Issues

And more

• Database of judicial precedents
• Newspaper information