Yes, exactly. The increased cost can also let Japanese lawyers avoid doing the work - by pricing the client out - without saying no. Providing services in Engli

Yes, exactly. The increased cost can also let Japanese lawyers avoid doing the work - by pricing the client out - without saying no. Providing services in English is a lot of work for a Japanese lawyer. Can't easily use off-the-shelf memos or leverage past work, etc. Not many are eager to do it. There are non-Japanese lawyers in Tokyo (I'm one) but they're not allowed - or usually competent - to advise on Japanese legal matters. And the supply of Japanese lawyers itself is limited, so unfortunately there aren't many options. Lawyer-to-population ratio in Japan is close to 1:3000 as opposed to 1:300 or so in the US.