ABSTRACT
On 1 April 2005, Japan established a new court: the Intellectual Property High Court (IPHC). Although established within the Tokyo High Court, its independence is apparent from its unique name and independent status inside the hierarchy of judicial courts. This was the first time that the government, during its 60 years of post-war history under the Constitution of Japan (Constitution), established a court specializing in resolving specific types of legal issues, aside from the Family Court.1
