Tomoki Ikenaga has been an Attorney-at-Law since 1997 after graduation from Waseda University and worked as a researcher at the Japan Legal Support Center from 2006 until 2015, which is a public corporation providing both civil and criminal legal aid established with funding from the national government in 2006. He was the staff attorney of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations from 2005 until 2006 and a visiting scholar at the University of California, Berkeley from 2004 until 2005. He was a Deputy Secretary of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations Central Board on the Japan Legal Support Center from 2015 until 2018 and is currently a chairperson of the civil legal aid committee in the above Central Board on the Japan Legal Support Center.
LOCAL RESEARCHERS - JAPAN
Gotaro Ichiki has been an attorney-at-law since 1975 after graduation from Hitotsubashi University. He worked at the Japan Legal Support Center as the secretary general from 2006 to 2008, and the director of the Tokyo local office of the Japan Legal Support Center from 2014 to 2018.
Manabu Wagatsuma is Professor of Tokyo Metropolitan law School. He specialized in Civil procedure, Insolvency law, Civil legal aid and Medical law. He finished Doctor course at Hitotsubashi University after graduated from Waseda University. He is Fulbright scholar (research at Petrie Flom Center at Harvard Law School) from 2010to 2011. He is Civil Conciliation Commissioner (minji chouteiin) and Judicial Commissioner (shihoiin) in Tokyo Summary Court.
Tetsuo Oishi is a Director of Japan Association for Access to Justice. He was Secretary of Japan Legal Aid Association from 2000 to 2007, and Head of Audit Office of Japan Legal Support Center from 2007 to 2016.
Takashi Sagawa is currently a Director of Japan Association for Access to Justice. He was the Director of Tokyo local office of Japan Legal Aid Association from 1986 to 2006. He was Deputy Secretary General from 2006 to 2010, Secretary General from 2011 to 2013 and Head of Research Center from 2014 to 2017 at Japan Legal Support Center.
Wakaba Hara has been an attorney-at-law since 1990. Graduate of Keio University (LLB, 1988) and School of law of Columbia University (LL.M 1993). Former Director of the headquarters of the Japan Legal Support Center (Houterasu) (2012-2013). Former Long-term Expert of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in charge of promoting Access to Justice in Republic of Côte d’Ivore (2014-2017). Currently is a member of International Legal Cooperation Center of Japan Federation of Bar Association, serving Chief of the project team for the JICA training course of promoting Access to Justice.
Keita Abe has been working in the legal aid field since 1993 and a researcher of Japan Legal Support Center since 2014. He has held various senior positions at JLSC such as Director of Civil Legal Aid Division, Program Director of Tokyo Office, Executive Secretary of Osaka Office and Director of IT Development. Prior to joining the JLSC in 2006, he had been a researcher and Program Director of Japan Legal Aid Association.