ABSTRACT
In the area of competition law, various efforts have been made internationally for the convergence of institutions and harmonization of enforcement. Based on antimonopoly cooperation agreements, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) shares information with other competition authorities in each country as necessary. It also exchanges opinions with competition authorities in the United States, the EU, Canada, South Korea, etc. on a regular basis. Furthermore, the JFTC participates in efforts to promote international cooperation in multilateral frameworks such as the International Competition Network (ICN), Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), and United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). In relation to international aspects of competition law, the recent movement of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) cannot be ignored. Japan’ s experience gained from various legal technical assistance projects for developing countries in Asia shows that the situation and level of development of competition law regimes varies considerably among Asian countries. What kind of legal assistance in the field of competition law such a country needs thus depends on the specific local situation. Countries that have transitioned from a command to a market economy need to establish a legal system, rule of law, human rights, and democracy for a fair market economy. In addition, with globalization, these countries are under pressure to harmonize their domestic legal systems with international standards. Competition law is the prime example in this regard.
