To fulfill our policy of efficiently processing domestic and international patent applications and associated matters, we have carefully selected the very best graduates from Japan's leading universities.

Our staff now comprises six patent attorneys, six paralegals, two in-house translators and one draughtswoman/illustrator. In additional to technical expertise and bilingual skills, each staff member possesses an extensive knowledge of the patent law system and the different national and regional patent conventions and requirements of over 30 countries.

We encourage our staff to study and continually increase their knowledge of law, technology and language, to ensure they have the state-of-the-art skills necessary for producing high quality documents and effectively managing the intellectual property portfolios for the benefit of each client.

PRESIDENT

Kijuro Kawakita

Admitted to practice: Japanese Patent Office 1990 (Reg. No. 9979).
Certified patent infringement litigation attorney 2004.

Areas of expertise:Chemical engineering, material science, optics and mechanics.
Patent Consultant for optimizing the scope and use of intellectual property.

Education: B. Eng. MSc in Physical Chemistry from Tokyo Institute of Technology.

Work experience: Prototype engine development engineer with Honda Motor Co. Ltd. R&D. Domestic patent application experience with NII and Furuya International Patent Firms; International patent application experience with Kurauchi International Patent Firm and Taiyo, Nakajima & Kato as an Associate Attorney. Overseas experience with Oliff & Berridge, inWashington D.C., USA.

Member: Japanese Patent Attorney Association (JPAA) and the Association Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Intellectuelle (AIPPI; International Association for the Protection of Intellectual Property)

Extraneous Information: Japan Patent Office-designated Visiting Lecturer, to educate high schools students, small industry and public interest groups about the patent system and encourage individual inventors to patent their original ideas. (See Activities )

PATENT ATTORNEY

Dr. Fujita

Admitted to practice: Japanese Patent Office 2007 (Reg. No. 15458).

Area of expertise: Physics, radioisotopes and accelerator, international patent law.

Education: PhD in nuclear physics from Tohoku University; MSc and BSc in physics from Tohoku University.

Work experience: Tohoku University Cyclotron and Radioisotope Center, nuclear and accelerator physics research, cyclotron development and control systems.

Joined Kawakita & Associates in April 2005.

Mr.  Matsukawa

Admitted to practice: Japanese Patent Office 2012 (Reg. No. 18205).

Area of expertise: Software and international patent applications.

Education: MSc in computational intelligence and systems science from Tokyo Institute of Technology; BSc in Mathematics from Science University of Tokyo

Work experience: NTT Software Corporation Extraneous Information: Qualification: ORACLE MASTER Gold and Silver. Joined Kawakita & Associates in May 2006.

Mr. Kawamura

Admitted to practice: Japanese Patent Office 2011 (Reg. No. 17928).
Area of expertise: Mechanical engineering and Japanese patent law.
Education: Bachelor of Engineering from Nagoya Institute of Technology.
Work experience: Editor at a science and technology publishing company.

Joined Kawakiwa & Associates in April 2011

PARALEGALS

Ms. Kitahara

Area of expertise: Specialist in PCT, US law, Asian and European patent treaties and law.

Education: BA Japanese Literature from Showa Women’s University; English Language at Exeter Academy, UK.

Work experience: Kabushiki Kaisha Nippon Kokan Light Steel, Sales Management Division; English Language Education Council, Instructions Department Manager

Extraneous Information: Bilingual: English and Japanese.

Joined Kawakita & Associates in December 1999.

Ms. Fukushima

Area of expertise: International patent applications

Education: BA in commerce from Hitotsubashi University.

Work experience: Nippon Life Insurance Company; UFJ Bank, Research

Extraneous Information: Bilingual: English and Japanese.

Joined Kawakita & Associates in July 2006.

Ms. Tsukakoshi
 
Area of expertise: Japanese patent applications
Education:  BA in English Literature from Meiji University
Work experience: Patent Firms
Joined Kawakita & Associates in October 2011.

Ms. Hiraide

Area of expertise: International patent applications

Education: BA in French Literature from Shirayuri Women’s University

Work experience: Japanese and international patent applications clerk in patent law firm
Extraneous Information: Bilingual: English and Japanese.

Joined Kawakita & Associates in February 2012

TRANSLATORS

Ms. Ishimura

Area of expertise: Multilingual, specializing in English and Russian.

Education: BA in Russian language from Sophia University

Work experience: Juki Corporation (Sewing equipment manufacturer) Export Coordinator in the Sewing Plant Section and European marketing Section. Sanada & Associates international law clerk.

Extraneous Information: Multilingual technical translator with experience as an international law clerk, specializing in North American patent law.

Joined Kawakita & Associates in July 2001.

PATENT DRAUGHTSWOMAN

Ms. Yoshizaki

Area of expertise: Patent draughtswoman and illustrator

Education: BA in French Literature from Shirayuri Women’s University

Work experience: International law clerk with Koshiba & Partners, and Matsuo Patent Firm.

Extraneous Information: Over 20 years experience in the patent field.

Joined Kawakita & Associates in May 1996.

Legal Councel

Mr.Shiwa

Japanese Lawyer