ABSTRACT
On 25 May 2022, the Act to Amend Part of the Code of Civil Procedure and Other Related Acts was promulgated, which introduces information technology (IT) into civil procedure law, following a global trend. In the near future, procedures involving IT, such as online filing of complaints, electronic service of process, online participation in oral argument, and examination of evidence by videoconferencing, are to be fully introduced in domestic civil cases in Japan. However, it is unclear whether they will be used in international cases, in particular for the service of process on a defendant located in another state and for the examination of a witness located in another state. The author supports the opinion favoring the direct use of IT for cross-border service and evidentiary examination because of its outstanding usefulness and of no involvement of physical acts violating the sovereignty of another state.
