Announcement: The 1st SAKURA Institute of Legal Studies Forum

SAKURA Law Office has established the SAKURA Institute of Legal Studies, a research organization dedicated to advancing legal practice and scholarship. Moving forward, the Institute will host an ongoing series of forums, seminars, and study groups designed to bring together practitioners, legal scholars, corporate legal staff, and other stakeholders to examine critical issues in contemporary legal practice.

To mark the official launch of the Institute, we are pleased to announce the 1st SAKURA Institute of Legal Studies Forum, to be held in accordance with the details provided below.

At this inaugural forum, Naoki Kanayama—Director of the SAKURA Institute of Legal Studies, practicing attorney, and long-standing legal scholar dedicated to civil law and contract law education—will deliver a presentation entitled “The Theory of Contract Formation Assistants.”

In modern contract practice, it is common for auxiliary participants—such as financial institutions, intermediaries, experts, agents, and representatives handling explanations—to be involved in the contract negotiation and execution process alongside the principal parties. Determining the legal liabilities such third parties may incur, as well as how to legally conceptualize the process of information provision and party consent, is a matter of profound importance in both civil law theory and practical application.

Particularly in complex financial transactions, real estate deals, corporate transactions, and expert-assisted contract negotiations, the nature of pre-contractual explanations, advice, information sharing, and negotiation assistance often becomes a central issue in subsequent disputes. Addressing these real-world practical concerns, this forum will examine the legal status and liability of those involved in the contracting process through the analytical lens of “contract formation assistants.”

For background reading, we recommend Naoki Kanayama’s paper, “The Theory of Contract Formation Assistants—Part 2 (On the Lloyds-Suruga Bank Case),” published in Doshisha Law Review, Vol. 68, No. 7 (2017), pp. 141–179. We encourage attendees to review this publication prior to the event to gain a deeper understanding of the discussion.

Event Details

Date & Time: Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | 5:30 PM – 7:00 PM (JST)
Venue: SAKURA Law Office
4th Floor, Ark Hills South Tower, 1-4-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Speaker: Naoki Kanayama (Attorney-at-Law / Director, SAKURA Institute of Legal Studies)
Topic: The Theory of Contract Formation Assistants
Admission: Free (Prior registration required for seating arrangements)

The SAKURA Institute of Legal Studies remains committed to bridging theory and practice by offering continuous opportunities for intellectual exchange that truly benefit day-to-day legal operations. We hope this inaugural forum will serve as a catalyst for re-examining real-world legal challenges through a theoretical framework, ultimately leading to higher-quality legal practice.

We sincerely look forward to welcoming you to the event.