On 6 February 2025 the Local Division Munich of the UPC welcomed a delegation from the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), led by Akira Yoshimori, Principal Director of IP and Representative of JPO in Europe. Mr Yoshimori was accompanied by Mr Yoshinobu Sato, Director of IP and Representative of JPO in Europe, Mr Taku Ishihara, Assistant Judge, Tokyo District Court and Family Court and Mr Kazuhiro Atsuda, Deputy Director Legislative Affairs Office, JPO.

The focus of the visit was to introduce the delegation to the principles and functioning of the Unified Patent Court in general and of the Local Division Munich in particular.

The visit began with a presentation by Dr Matthias Zigann, Presiding Judge of the Local Division Munich. He gave an overview of the activities of the UPC and discussed recent trends within the Court and the Local Division Munich.

The discussions that followed reflected the strong interest of the Japanese administration and judiciary in the UPC.