STRUCTURE OF KYUSHU COURTS
FUKUOKA HIGH COURT
NAHA BRANCHMIYAZAKI BRANCH
Kagosima District Court
Kagosima Family Court
Miyazaki District Court
Miyazaki Family Court

Fukuoka District Court
Fukuoka Family Court
Saga District Court
Saga Family Court
Nagasaki District Court
Nagasaki Family Court
Oita District Court
Oita Family Court
Kumamoto District Court
Kumamoto Family Court

Naha District Court
Naha Family Court

LEGAL CONSULTATION CENTER OF BAR ASSOCIATIONS
Fukuoka Prefecture Bar Association

Oita Prefecture Bar Association

Okinawa Bar Association

Tenjin Center
5-14-12 Watanabedori Chuo-Ku
Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone 092-741-3208

Oita Center
1-3-14 Nakashimanishi
Oita City, Oita Prefecture
Phone 097-536-1458

Naha Center
2-2-26-6 Matsuo
Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture
Phone 098-865-3737

Kitakyushu Center
1-4-2 Kanada Kokurakita-Ku
Kitakyushu City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone 093-561-0360

Kitsuki・Kunisaki・Hayami Center
2288 Minamikitsuki
Kitsuki City, Oita Prefecture
Phone 097-536-1458

Okinawashi Center
3-1-6 Matsumoto
Okinawa City, Okinawa Prefecture
Phone 098-934-5722

Kurume Center
11-5 Sasayama Machi
Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone 0942-30-0144
Iizuka Center
6-16 Shintateiwa
Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture
Phone 0948-28-7555

Saga Prefecture Bar Association
Saga Center
7-19 Nakanokoji
Saga City, Saga Prefecture
Phone 0952-24-3411
Karatsu Center
1515-3 Nakamachi
Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture
Phone 0955-73-2985

Nagasaki Prefecture Bar Association
Nagasaki Center
1-25 Sakae Machi
Nagasaki City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Phone 095-824-3903
Sasebo Center
4-12 Simase Machi
Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture
Phone 0956-22-9404

Kumamoto Prefecture Bar Association
Kumamoto Center
1-23 Suidou Cho Chuo-ku
Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Phone 096-325-0009
Kennan・Yatsushiro Center
1-12 Kitanomaru Machi
Yatsushiro City, Kumamoto Prefecture
Phone 096-325-0009

Kagoshima Prefecture Bar Association
Kagoshima Center
2-3 Yasui Cho
Kagoshima City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Phone 099-226-3765
Kirishima Center
3-45-1 Chuo
Kirishima City, Kagoshima Prefecture
Phone 099-226-3765

Miyazaki Prefecture Bar Association
Miyazaki Center
1-8-28 Asahi
Miyazaki City, Miyazaki Prefecture
Phone 0985-22-2466

INTRODUCTION TO
THE KYUSHU FEDERATIONOFBAR ASSOCIATIONS
Address: Fukuoka prefecture, Fukuoka city,
Chuo-ku, Jounai 1-1( Fukuoka Bar Association building)P h o n e : 092-741-6416 (+81-92-741-6416)
F a x : 092-715-3207 (+81-92-715-3207)
Printing by:Colony printing

INTRODUCTION TO THE KYUSHU FEDERATIONOFBAR ASSOCIATIONS

Location of 8 Prefectural
Bar Associations

Address: Fukuoka prefecture, Fukuoka city, Chuo-ku, Jounai 1-1 ( Fukuoka Bar Association building)

FUKUOKA PREFECTURE

Phone: 092-741-6416 (+81-92-741-6416)

1-1, jonai Chuo-Ku Fukuoka City
TEL 092-741-6416
FAX 092-715-3207

Members: 2084 members (as of January 1st 2012)

SAGA PREFECTURE
7-19, Nakanokoji, Saga City
TEL 0952-24-3411
FAX 0952-25-7608

OITA PREFECTURE
1-3-14, Nakajima nishi Oita City
TEL 097-536-1458
FAX 097-538-0462

he Kyushu Federation of Bar Associations(KYUBENREN) is formed from lawyers
representing Kyushu’s eight prefectural bar
associations. The total number of lawyers thatform the association, has significantly increased
in recent years thanks to legal changes.

T

In the beginning, KYUBENREN was established with the
purpose of fostering friendly relationships between themembers, but today KYUBENREN’s activities are very
diverse and specialised.
KYUBENREN has many committees, the most notableare: the Training Committee, Public Relations Committee,
Consumer Affairs Committee, Committee on
Anti-Racketeering, Committee on Civil Procedure,
Committee on Criminal Law Legislation, International
Committee, Human Rights Protection Committee,
Committee on Pollution Control and Preservation on
Environment, Committee on the Rights of the Elderly and theDisabled, Committee on Children’s rights, etc.

NAGASAKI
PREFECTURE
1-25, Nagasaki MS Building 4F
Sakae-Machi Nagasaki City
TEL 095-824-3903
FAX 095-824-3967

MIYAZAKI PREFECTURE
KUMAMOTO
PREFECTURE

Fax : 092-715-3207 (+81-92-715-3207)

1-8-28,Asahi,Miyazaki City
TEL 0985-22-2466
FAX 0985-22-2449

1-13-11, Kyo-Machi Chuo-ku Kumamoto City
TEL 096-325-0913
FAX 096-325-0914

become custom that the chairman of the KYUBENREN iselected at the General Meeting, from the lawyers of theprefecture where the meeting is held.
Since March 2007, all of the prefectural bar associations
have started to implement a video conferencing system, inorder to communicate and to allow all members of the boardof directors to participate in conference meetings.
The international committee of KYUBENREN was
established in 1993 when no prefectural bar association had
an international committee or any form of twinning
relationship with foreign bar associations except the
Fukuoka Bar Association. Today, all of the prefectural bar
associations in Kyushu have their own international
committees and twinning arrangements with foreign bar
associations. On this point, KYUBENREN is the mostadvanced federation of bar association in Japan.
Each of the prefectural bar associations and twinned
foreign bar associations was asked to write its own
introduction, which can be found in this pamphlet.

KYUBENREN, the prefectural bar associations and theJapan Federation of Bar Associations, have joint
sponsorship, and have held meetings on such issues as:
persons with multiple debts, environmental pollution,
problems caused by the scarcity of lawyers in certain areas,
cases of people that have been false accused, and supporting
the victims of crimes, along with many other types ofproblem.
KYUBENREN, along with the Japan Federation of Bar
Associations and all the prefectural bar associations iscurrently engaged in establishing law offices in areas thatare depopulated and in small islands that are far way.

KAGOSHIMA PREFECTURE
2-3 Yasui cho Kagoshima City
TEL 099-226-3765
FAX 099-223-7315

2

OKINAWA PREFECTURE
2-2-26-6, Matsuo, Naha City
TEL 098-865-3737
FAX 098-865-3636

KYUBENREN has a Board of Directors and the chairman
is in charge of the management and control of the activitiesof the bar association. There is a General Meeting every
year, where all of the prefectural bar associations meet. The
location changes every year in order that each prefecture
shares the responsibility of hosting. Since 1993, it has

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 3

FUKUOKA
PREFECTURE BAR ASSOCIATION

international exchange. Also the BBA began exchanges
with the Qingdao Bar Association of China in November
2006.

Address: Jonai 1-1, Chuo-ku Fukuoka city, Fukuoka 810-0043

5. Introduction to the Dalian Lawyers Association

Phone: 092-741-6416 (＋81-92-741-6416)（大 市律䤅䣩会：大䢄1002室）Fax: 092-715-3207 (＋81-92-715-3207)

Home Page : http://www.fben.jp/
Number of Members Attorneys: 988; Registered Foreign Lawyers: 1 (as of January 1st 2012)

1. Introduction to Fukuoka Prefecture
Fukuoka Prefecture is composed of 28 cities,
30 towns and 2 villages, with a population ofaround 5,070,000.
Fukuoka, located in the northern part of
Kyushu, has served as a gateway to continental
China and the Korean peninsula since ancient times. As

F

2. Introduction to the Fukuoka Prefecture Bar
Association (FBA)The FBA operates 19 legal counseling centers sothat local residents can easily seek legal advice inplaces close to their homes and/or places of work.
The FBA Legal Counseling Centers also offer free ofcharge consultancy, especially for cases of severe
debt.

demonstrated by the Korokan (former guesthouse forforeign embassies), there has long been dynamic
international exchange between Fukuoka and foreigncultures.
Since the Meiji period, rich coal production in the
Chikuhou and Omuta regions made Fukuoka Prefecture
one of the biggest industrial zones in Japan (in particular,
Yahata-Seitetsusho
wasestablishedincurrent
Kitakyushu-city as the first modern steel plant in Japan)
and contributed to the industrial development of Japan in
the 20th century. Today, there are many automobile andsoftware companies operating in Fukuoka Prefecture.
The prefectural capital is the city Fukuoka (population
1,467,000), the industrial, administrative and politicalcenter of Fukuoka Prefecture and also the entirety of
Kyushu.
Thanks to its location, (i.e. major cities in east Asia such

The Dalian Lawyers Association is an autonomous
organization, established in accordance with law in March
1987. Under the Lawyers Law and the Lawyers Association
Charter, we manage the lawyers in Dalian city, and aresupervised by the Judicial Bureau of Dalian city. At the
moment, the Dalian Lawyers Association consists of 160
law firms and 1820 individual lawyers at the moment.

as Seoul, Shanghai, and Taipei are only a few hours’ flightaway) Fukuoka Prefecture is expected to be a regional hub
for business and culture.

The Fukuoka Prefecture Bar Association (FBA) is part of
the Kyushu Federation of Bar Associations (KFBA)
and FBA members comprise approximately half of the
KFBA. The FBA is divided into four branches,
Fukuoka, Kitakyushu, Chikugo and Chikuho.

The FBA is proud to pioneer the Duty Attorney(Toban Bengoshi) System launched in 1990, whichguarantees the right of suspects, and the Duty
Attendant System (Toban Tsukisoinin), launched in
2001, which guarantees the rights of and gives
support to juvenile suspects.

3. Relationship with Foreign Bar Associations.
The FBA established friendship agreements with the
Busan Bar Association of Korea in 1990. We have beenstrengthening relationships by exchanging visits andholding annual meetings/seminars. Busan is the second
largest city in Korea and one of Fukuoka’s twin-cities.
In 2010, the FBA and the Dalian Lawyers Association ofChina concluded an official friendship agreement after
years of relationship-building. Dalian has been twinned
with Kitakyushu for more than 30 years.
Such friendships with other Asian bar associations help
us exchange information, enhance our knowledge of
foreign law, make connections with foreign attorneys, andproduce internationally-minded lawyers.

市中山䢄友好路211号商䑋特

4. Introduction to the Busan Bar Association（부산지방변호사회：부산광역시 연제구 거제1동
1490-1 부산법조타운빌딩 10층）

The Busan Bar Association (BBA) was founded on July
26th, 1948. The BBA moved to its present location in
September 2001 when the Law Courts and Prosecutor’s
office moved to a newly built complex in Geoje-dong,
Yeonje-gu, Busan.
The BBA consists of attorneys and law firms practicing
within the jurisdictions of both the Busan District Court
and its Eastern Branch. As of October 2010, the total
number of card-carrying members is 425, including thepartners and associates of 19 law firms. The BBA has been
pursuing a variety of public benefit activities. As public
representatives with the stated mission of ‘Upholding Basic
Human Rights and Realizing Social Justice’, we havecreated the Environment Committee, Legal Consultation
Service for Small and Medium-sized Companies, Honorary
Teachers’ Program Management Committee, Legal
Consultation Service for Non-Korean Spouses of Koreans,
Legal Consultation Service for Recovery from Personal
Bankruptcy, Duty Attorney Service and Free Legal
Consultation, and Legal Consultation Service for Small
Claims.
The city of Busan is not only the second largest city in
Korea and a port city, but also an international city which
has a great variety of international exchange. For 20 years,
the BBA has pursued mutual exchanges with the Fukuoka
Bar Association to enhance mutual understanding between
Korea and Japan, and to develop legal culture throughAt the 2nd Lawyers Congress, held in October 1992,
elected leaders were appointed to concurrently serve as
judicial administration leaders. On March 31st 2002, atthe 3rd Lawyers Congress, appointment policy waschanged so that all thirteen senior directors were electedfrom law practitioners, not from administrative bodies,
which was a significant change and a turning point for us ,making a first step towards globalization.
The Charter of the Dalian Lawyers Association was
adopted at the 4th Lawyers Congress on March 26th 2005.
The Charter formed a basis for our organization, dealing
with matters such as administration and a self-regulation
policy.
The missions of the Dalian Lawyers Association are wide
ranging, including setting basic rules and supervisinglawyers, protecting our member’s interests, educating/training in discipline and ethical principles, managing
members’ registration data, handling claims against
members, handling disputes among members, disciplining
and rewarding members, and dealing with publicity,intercommunication, and welfare issues.

Dazaifu Tenmangu
Busan Bar Association
Dalian City

4

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 5

SAGA
PREFECTURE BAR ASSOCIATION
Address: Saga city, Nakanokoji 7-19
Phone: 0952-24-3411(+81-952-24-3411) Fax: 0952-25-7608(+81-952-25-7608)
Home Page: http://www17.ocn.ne.jp/~sagabgsk/
Number of members: 87 (as of January 1st 2012)

1.Charms of SagaS

aga Prefecture, located in the northwest
Kyushu, consists of ten cities and ten towns,
and has population of 850,000.

Saga’s most striking features is its abundanceof natural treasures: surrounded by sea, mountains, rivers,
rice terraces, caves and hot springs, Saga attracts a large
number of visitors throughout seasons.
The Genkai and Ariake Sea, Sefuri Mountains and Chikugo
River contribute to the beautiful character of Saga. The
fine hot springs in Ureshino are well known as beneficial to
the skin.
This natural abundance benefits the tourism,
agricultural and fishing industries.
Saga is known worldwide for its ceramics and porcelain,
known as Arita, Imari, and Karatsu, made primarily in thewestern part in Saga.
Influenced by Korean potters in 17th century, the Arita

school founded top quality kilns like Kakiemon andKoimari, and their ceramics were exported to European
royalty, and influenced ceramic culture in Europe,
including the likes of Meissen.
The largest ceramics fair in western Japan is held
annually in Arita, which has more than 600 shops, andreceives 1,000,000 visitors every year.
Saga is also known as the location of the large scale hotballoon event, the“Saga International Balloon Festa”. It is
an international competition and exhibition, and the sightof more than 100 balloons floating up to the sky ismagnificent.

2.Introduction to the Saga Prefecture Bar
Association
The Saga Prefecture Bar Association (SBA) has bases infour locations in Saga and provides legal consultation to
citizens.

The SBA takes an active role in protecting human rights.
It has established committees to deal with various areas oflaw such as consumer issues, criminal defense, victim
support, children’s right, rights of the aged and disabled,
environmental protection, poverty and human rights. The
Consumer Issues Committee and the Criminal Defense
Committee are especially active and have a large numberof members.
These committees lead active debates and activities,
contributing to the protection of rights of consumers andcriminal defendants.

3.Partnership with the Urusan Bar Associationin Korea（울산지방변호사회：울산광역시 남구 옥동 585-6）

is surrounded by the sea. Also, Urusan is notable for its
large population of about 1.15 million and the higher than
average income of its citizens (around USD45,000).
The construction of automobile and shipbuilding factories
in Urusan by the Hyundai Corporation rapidly developed
Urusan economically, but has also caused pollution which
has adversely affected local people.
However, an ecological recovery plan was put inplace, and water contamination has been eliminated.
Furthermore, the city is heavily pedestrianised, which has
improved living conditions. Urusan’s ecological recovery is
now widely known and is hailed as an example to otherareas.
The Urusan Bar Association hopes that our relationshipcontinues forever.

The SBA started a friendly relationship with the Urusan
Bar Association in 2003, and formally entered into a
partnership agreement in 2006.
Since the first visit by the Saga Prefecture Bar Association
to the Urusan Bar Association in 2003, both associations
had been holding annual exchange visits. Members of both
associations engage in study sessions looking at eachother’s legal system, hold parties, and enjoy bonding trips
to hot springs. Although the number of formal visitsdecreased from annual to biennial, informal visits are still
active, enhancing the relationship.

4. Introduction to Urusan
Although it is usually known as an industrial city, Urusan
is a region richly endowed with nature just like Saga which
Imari and Arita-yaki Pottery
Saga 2006:signing ceremony of the agreement between Ulsan Bar Association and Saga Prefecture Bar Association

6

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 7

OITA
PREFECTURE BAR ASSOCIATION

which is highly praised and now standardized in all bar
associations in Japan. In addition, there are nine legal
counseling centers in the prefecture that regularly offer
assistance in legal problems.

developed its own legal system. However, the developmentof a traffic system and economy led to an increase in
number of lawyers in Jeju, everyone playing an importantrole in the legal system in Jeju.

Although the number of lawyers that form OBA is rather
small, the members are strongly united and very innovative.
They take a flexible and proactive attitude in dealing
with challenges.

The first lawyer started his practice in Jeju in around1923 as a member of the Kwangju Bar Association. On
28th February 1961, 5 lawyers split from the Kwangju Bar
Association and established the Jeju Bar Association. Now,
35 members belong to the Jeju Bar Association, including
its incumbent chairperson Mr Mun.

Address: Oita prefecture, Oita city, Nakajima nishi 1-3-14
Phone: 097-536-1458 (+81-97-536-1458) Fax : 097-538-0462 (+81-97-538-0462)
Home Page: http://www14.plala.or.jp/oitakenben/
Number of members: 131 (as of January 1st 2012)

1. Introduction to Oita Prefecture
ita Prefecture is located in the northeast of
Kyushu, and borders Fukuoka, Kumamoto
and Miyazaki Prefectures. It has a populationof about 1,200,000.
In Oita, agriculture, forestry and coastal
fishing are very profitable. Oita is known as the birthplaceof the ‘One-Village One-Product Movement’, which has
now spread throughout Asia. Recently, electronic parts,
steel, electronics and other high-tech industries are being
developed. Oita prefecture has hot springs everywhere,
and is known as one of the best places for hot springs inJapan. In particular, the resorts of Beppu and Yufuin are
popular. Many nationals and foreigners come to visit every
year. In addition Oita prefecture is the second, after Tokyo,
in terms of foreign students to population. About 3500
foreign students live in the prefecture. Therefore, citizensof Oita have daily opportunities to communicate withforeign people.

O

2. Introduction to the Oita Prefecture Bar
Association
The Oita Prefecture Bar Association (OBA) consists of
131 members. It moved its office to a newly constructedbuilding in July 2001. OBA has a Human Rights
Protection Committee, the Consumer Affairs Committee,
the International Committee, and 26 others. Every memberof OBA belong to at least one of the committees. They also
help citizens with various problems that they may face, andthe lawyers devote themselves to that task.
In Oita Prefecture, there is a District Court, a Family
Court and a Summary Court in Oita City. Also the cities of
Nakatsu, Hita, Kitsuki, Saiki and Taketa have their own
branch of the District Court, Family Court, and Summary
Court. Furthermore the cities of Bungo, Takada, Beppu,
Usuki have their own Summary Court.

Another characteristic of OBA is the number of law
offices with legal personality. Out of 131 members, 13 law
offices have legal personality. There are several reasonsfor this, one of which is related to the poor distribution oflawyers across the prefecture by establishing branches oflaw offices outside Oita city.
The International Committee promotes exchange withforeign lawyers and helps foreign people protect theirrights. It entered into a partnership relationship with the
Jeju Bar Association in February 2009, and intends to seize
this opportunity for international communication.

The activities of the Jeju Bar Association vary widely,
from the periodical holding of study sessions dealing
judicial precedents to service as public defenders incriminal cases, to crime prevention activities in educational
institutions. Also, two former members of Congress
belonged to Jeju Bar Association.
The Jeju Bar Association intends to do their utmost tocontribute to the protection of human rights and thedevelopment of the local community.

3. Introduction to the Jejudo and the Jeju Bar
Association（제주지방변호사회：제주도 제주시 이도2
동 950-1 제주지방법원 318호）Jejudo, an island with a small area and population,

OBA was a pioneer in Japan in creating the Touban
Bengoshi (rotation system for legal aid for criminal suspects)

Beppu hot spring
Mt.Halla

8

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 9

NAGASAKI
PREFECTURE BAR ASSOCIATION
Address: Nagasaki MS Building, 1-25, Sakae-machi, 4th F, Nagasaki-shi Nagasaki,
Phone: 095-824-3903 (+81-95-824-3903) Fax: 095-824-3967 (+81-95-824-3967)
Home Page: http://www.nben.or.jp/
Number of members: 145(as of January 1st 2012)

1. Introduction to the Nagasaki Prefecture Bar
Association
agasaki Prefecture, which is in northwestern
Kyushu, has a population of about 1.41
million people, with around 430,000 living in
the prefectural capital, Nagasaki. One
outstanding feature of the prefecture is that itis blessed by the ocean. The prefecture is not large and has
a lot of islands, a considerable number of which are
inhabited. The coastline is the second longest in Japan,
Hokkaido having the longest. The city of Nagasaki has
many hills. That is why it is called the “Town of Slopes”.
In addition, Nagasaki was the only town which was open toother countries when Japan maintained a closed-door
policy in the Edo period. During that period, both Chineseand Dutch cultures had come to Nagasaki, andintermingled with Japanese culture to form the so-called“Wa-Ka-Ran-culture” (a culture in which those threecultures blend and harmonize), which can still be found in
Nagasaki.

N

The number of lawyers who belong to the Nagasaki
Prefecture Bar Association (hereinafter referred as NBA)
is 138 as of September 2011, with 85 practicing in
Nagasaki itself. The rest practice in Sasebo-shi or other
cities. The number of members has doubled in the last
decade. Though each island such as Goto, Tsushima, Iki
and Hirado, for which NBA is responsible, has its own
courts, there previously had been no lawyers practicing on
the islands on a permanent basis. Because of this, local
people did not have access to sufficient legal services up
until about ten years ago. However, public law offices andoffices of the Japan Legal Support Center have now been
established and more than two lawyers have beenpracticing on each of the islands. Therefore, a higher
quality of legal service is now provided.
Though the number of members in NBA is not high,committee activity is pursued enthusiastically, especially in
the Consumer Affairs Committee, the Committee on
Criminal Justice and the Committee on Children’s Rights.
Young lawyers are elected chairpersons of the committees
relatively soon after they
have joined a committee
and the activities are
performed under theleadership of these young
members. Currently, lawyers
who have less thanten-years
experienceaccount for about 50
percent of all members.
A lot of members areundertake various pro
bono activities alongside
their own work. Since
2003 the Committee on
International Relations
has been developing afriendship with the
Tainan Bar Association,
through mutual visits
and conferences to study
and discuss legal matters.

At Omura Immigration Center in the city of Omura
where a lot of illegal immigrants are detained, thecommittee is providing legal advice to detainees,
dispatching one or more members when legal counsel isrequested by a detained immigrant.
NBA is making efforts to expand the legal services it
provides to all areas of the prefecture and to improveaccess to legal representation within the prefecture. We
endeavor to make sure that our members are able to have afulfilling life both professionally and privately.

2. Introduction to the Tainan Bar Associationæăæ͔۸݇ࣗ˚๢í͔۸ͥਰજཕʓ‫ޘ‬㥾æ͔۸Ϛ̅٘ਗǑ,Ą
There is a friendship agreement between NBA and the
Tainan Bar Association, which was concluded on March

25th 2003. Since then, both associations have been actively
engaged in promoting mutual friendship, and the study anddiscussion of legal matters.
The following is an
introduction to Tainan and the Tainan Bar Association.
Tainan City is in southwestern Taiwan covering an areaof about 2,191 square kilometers and has a population of
about 1.87 million. Tainan City, south of the Tropic ofCancer, has a mild climate and intensive agriculture.
Dutchmen built a settlement called Fort Zeelandia in 1642.
Later Teiseiko, a Tainan hero, drove Dutch colonists awayand established the first Han regime in 1661. Because ofthis, Tainan is an ancient city which is proud of its history
and is rich in historic remains.
The Tainan Bar Association was organized during theperiod of Japanese colonial rule. When the Second World
War came to an end, the Republic of China took overTaiwan operating a civilian legal and judicial system eversince. Within the office of the Bar Association, prewar
relics, including a table, are still in use, demonstrating thelong history of the Bar Association.
A lawyer is not allowed to practice law in Taiwan until
he or she becomes a member of the local Bar Association.
Therefore, many lawyers in Taiwan register with more than
one local Bar Association according to their needs. There
are 996 members ( 774 men and 222 women) in the Tainan
Bar Association as of July 2011. 209 of them (153 men and56 women) have their office in Tainan and are mainly incharge of providing legal services in Tainan.
There was a time when lawyers were in short supply andcitizens who faced legal problems often could not accessproper representation. The Tainan Bar Association, awareof a lawyer’s social responsibility, established the Tainan
Bar Association Legal Center for the general public in
1974. The office is in a court house and the Bar
Association’s members provide legal services on a rotatingbasis. It has been very popular. The Tainan
Bar Association conducts surveys of its
members to evaluate the performance ofjudges and prosecutors annually, sending
the results to the courts and to the Public
Prosecutor’s Office, as well as to the publicthrough the media. This allows people tosee the courts and the Public Prosecutor’s
Office through the eyes of lawyers who do
not have the power to make improvements
alone.
The Tainan Bar Association holds various
legal seminars to provide its members thelatest legal information and has founded acommittee on arts and culture to enhance its
members’ cultural knowledge. In addition,
variousgroup
activities
likemountain-climbing, softball, basketball andgolf are enjoyed by members. In order for members to takeproper leisure time and develop friendships, twice a year
both domestic and international trips are arranged by the
association for its members.

Spectacles Bridge（megane bashi）
Tainan 2008:Formal visit to Tainan Bar Association

10

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 11

KUMAMOTO
PREFECTURE BAR ASSOCIATION
Address: Kumamoto city, Chuo-ku,Kyomachi 1-13-11
Phone: 096-325-0913 (+81-96-325-0913)

Fax : 096-325-0914 (+81-96-325-0914)

Home Page: http://www.kumaben.or.jp/
Number of members: 220 (as of January 1st 2012)

1. Introduction to Kumamoto Prefecture
umamoto Prefecture is located roughly in thecenter of Kyushu with a population of about
1.86 million.
Agriculture is the maincommercial activity, but it also has
semiconductors and automobile industries. In
Aso Kuju National Park, in the eastern part of Kumamoto
Prefecture, one can enjoy the great scenery of the Mt. Asogroup of volcanoes, which form the world’s biggest
caldera. The western part of Kumamoto Prefecture sweeps
down to the ocean and 120 beautiful small islands, creatingK

amazing views in “Unzen-Amakusa National Park” where
you can enjoy a pleasant drive and a variety of seafood.
In Kumamoto, mountains and sea come together topleasant effect. Thanks to Mt. Aso’s filtration, it is rich inunderground water, and 100% of Kumamoto City’s watersupply comes from this. Above all, the symbol ofKumamoto City is the world famous Kumamoto Castle,
which is one of the best castles in Japan. From almost any
vantage point in the centre of Kumamoto City you canenjoy the contrast between its castle and the greens thatsurround it.

2. Introduction to the Kumamoto
Prefecture Bar Association
The Kumamoto Prefecture Bar
Association (KBA) is the bar association
which is responsible for attorneys in
Kumamoto prefecture, and is composed of
220 members.
90% of its members have their offices inKumamoto City, but within the prefecture
there are 6 other court branches, andsome members have established theiroffices in those places. In recent years,
thanks to legal reform, there has been an
increase in the number of lawyers, and thenumber of young lawyers joining the bar
association is rapidly increasing.
KBA has 29 committees including the
Criminal Defense Committee, the Human
Rights Protection Committee, and theConsumer Affairs Committee. Eachmember belongs to one of thesecommittees and actively participates in its
activities.
The bar association also has a Legal
Aid Center, and seven locations have been
set up as help-points, to regularly help
residents who need to consult lawyers. In
addition it provides foreigners with freelegal consultations.

3. Partnership with the Kyungnam Bar
AssociationŅˀઠஆხ෮ตጭຫፂ"ઠஆᅖဴགྷໜຮૐຫኒ౏83ตጭຫፂንˁ
Kumamoto Prefecture Bar Association has an
International Committee, and in March 2004 it formed afriendly exchange agreement with the South Korean
Kyungnam Bar Association, and since then, mutual visitsand exchanges continue.
Both associations hold study sessions on both countries’
legal systems and recent changes such as the introductionof a jury system in criminal trials or law school systems.
This partnership with the Kyungnam Bar Association
greatly contributes not only to its educational purpose, but
fulfills a recreational purpose. More and more members
visit Changwon each occasion, enjoying the interchangewith a different culture.

4. Message
Association

from

the

Kyungnam

Kumamoto as “not sensitive, not polite, hard to makefriends with, disobedient, not diligent,” we found that thisis not true. We realize from our interchange with the
Kumamoto Bar Association that people in Kumamoto are“sensitive, polite and emotionally rich. ”
This relationship enables us to enjoy interchange, andgives us the opportunity to forget our daily routines and toenhance relationships between within out own Bar
Association and our families.
These days, the globalization of law and of the legal
community is significantly advancing. This partnership isthe best opportunity for us to broaden our horizons. We
strongly hope that we can maintain our good partnership.

Bar

Kyungnam Bar Association, located in Changwon, as of
October 2010 is comprised of 159 members including 5
female members and has 4 branches.
Kyungnam Bar Association and Kumamoto Prefecture
Bar Association started their friendly relationship in 2003
through the introduction made by the Kyushu Federation of
Bar Associations, and entered into formal partnershipagreement in March 2004.
Although Otoya Miyazaki, a famous Japanese
psychologist, described the characteristics of people inKumamoto Castle
Chang won 2004:Signing ceremony of the agreement between the Kyungnam(Changwon at the time)Bar Association and
the Kumamoto Prefecture Bar Association

12

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 13

MIYAZAKIPREFECTURE BAR ASSOCIATION
Address: Miyazaki prefecture, Miyazaki city, Asahi 1-8-28
Phone: 0985-22-2466 (+81-985-22-2466)

Fax : 0985-22-2449 (+81-985-22-2449)

Home page: http://www.miyaben.jp
Number of members: 109 members (as of January 1st 2012)

Introduction to Miyazaki Prefectureiyazaki Prefecture is located in thesoutheast of Kyushu and has apopulation of about 1.12 million. It
enjoys the most hours of daylight of any
prefecture in Japan and has a mild
climate. Snow is rare! Thanks to its climate, Miyazaki wasa very popular destination for honeymooners during the
1960s.
Today it is famous as a campsite for professional
baseball and football teams. A lot of people, not only fromJapan but from around Asia, visit Miyazaki to play golf or
to surf. Recently, the prefectural government has been
making efforts to heighten the quality of farm products
produced in the region. Beef, ‘Zidori’ (regional chicken)
and mango are targeted by this project.

M

Miyazaki is also well known for its myths and legends.
According to the ‘Koziki’, ‘Niniginomikoto’ (a grandson of‘Amaterasuoomikami’) came down to Miyazaki from thesky. This is called ‘Tensonkourin shinwa’. The myth saysthat ‘Kamuyamatoiwarehiko’ (a great grandson of‘Niniginomikoto’) came to the throne as the first Emperorof Japan.

Introduction to the Miyazaki Prefecture Bar
Association
The Miyazaki Prefecture Bar Association (MBA) wasestablished in 1949. It has 99 members as of June 2011, 87
men and 12 women. Lately, there has been a dramaticincrease in numbers. It is a small group compared withother associations in Japan, but its members participate
energetically in committeework.

MBA concluded an international agreement with the
Chungbuk Bar Association in the Republic of Korea in June
2009. The two bar associations have reaffirmed theirfriendship three times as of August 2010. During thesemeetings, the lay judge system in Japan and thevisualization of investigations in Korea were explored. Ourinterchanges are very active.

Introduction to the interaction between MBA
and the Chungbuk Bar Association（충북지방변호사회：충청북도 청주시 흥덕구 산남동
505번지 청주지방법원 구내 법정동 525호）

ceremony was splendidly performed. There were a lot ofguests including the mayor of Chongju city. The ceremonyhall was also magnificent. Participants from MBA weregreatly impressed.
On October 10 2008, the Chungbuk Bar Association
again invited MBA to its fifty-second anniversary. This
time one member from MBA participated.
On June 12 2009, an international interchange
agreement was concluded between MBA and the Chungbuk
Bar Association in Miyazaki. At that time twelve membersof the latter attended. Afterwards, a seminar was held.

1. History of the Interaction
MBA had been seeking a partner in Korea to promote
friendship. Mr Otsuka, a member of the Fukuoka
Prefecture Bar Association, introduced MBA to the
Chungbuk Bar Association in Chongju, Chungheongbukdo,
Korea. In August 2004, two MBA members visited theChungbuk Bar Association. They were warmly welcomed.
For that we are much obliged to Mr Otsuka and Ms Kim
who works for his office.
On 10th March 2006, four members of the Chungbuk Bar
Association in turn visited MBA and we continued ourfriendship. About twenty members of MBA took part in thereception.
On October 10 2006, the Chungbuk Bar Association
invited MBA members to a ceremony commemorating its
fiftieth anniversary. Three members of MBA attended. The

On October 2009, the Chungbuk Bar Association invited
MBA to its fifty-third anniversary. Six members from MBA
participated.

2. Introduction to the Chungbuk Bar
Association and the region of Chungbuk
The Chungbuk Bar Association was established on
September 24 1957. The number of its member stands at
84 as of August 2010. It consists of 80 men and 4 women.
Chongju City, where the Chungbuk Bar Association is
located, is about a three hour bus ride from Seoul, and has
a population of about 630,000. It is the central city ofNorth Chungcheong.
Chongju City has one of the world’s most famous soda
hot springs. The region is also known for its Korai carrots.

"Oni-no-sentaku-ita"or the Giants Wash-Board surrounding Aoshima Island
Chungbuk 2011:Formal visit to attend the 55th anniversal ceremony of the Chungbuk Bar Association

14

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 15

KAGOSHIMAPREFECTURE BAR ASSOCIATION
Address: Kagoshima prefecture, Kagoshima city, Yasui cho 2-3
Phone: 099-226-3765 (+81-99-226-3765)

Fax :099-223-7315 (+81-99-223-7315)

Home Page: http://www.kben.jp/
Number of Members: 162 (as of January 1st 2012)

1. Introduction to Kagoshima Prefectureagoshima Prefecture is located in thesouthernmost part of Kyushu, formed by theSatsuma and Osumi Peninsula, with many
outlying islands, running from north to south
for around 600 kilometers. The mainland hasan active volcano at its center - “Sakurajima” - aroundwhich there are many hot springs with many different
properties. It also has a world heritage site, YakushimaIsland.

K

The prefecture is famous for its food, Shochu (a kind ofJapanese spirit made from sweet potatoes), black cows,
black pigs, katsuobushi (small pieces of sliced driedbonito), seasonal fruits, and tea, etc. The Satsuma
porcelain tea has a 400-year history. The “White
Satsuma” in particular has very beautiful patterns painted
onto a white background and it is known throughout thecountry and abroad.

2. Introduction to the Kagoshima Prefecture
Bar Association
Most members of the Kagoshima Prefecture Bar

Association(hereinafter the KBA) have their offices in
Kagoshima City, the capital of Kagoshima Prefecture.
Apart from Kagoshima City, the other cities are Kanoya,
Satsumasendai, Aira, Minamikyusyu, Ibusuki, and Amami,
and in each city there are a few lawyers..
Kagoshima Prefecture, like Nagasaki Prefecture, hasmany remote islands. In recent history, there have been
several incidents on these islands, meaning lawyers fromthe mainland had to fly out to take care of particular cases.
Some notorious cases of false accusation took place on theOsumi peninsula, Court acquitting all twelve defendants ina case about electoral irregularities. One of the causes ofthe problem is the uneven distribution of lawyers
throughout the prefecture. KBA is trying to find a solution
to it.
Today, there are five law offices in Amami, five in
Kanoya and four in Satsumasendai . Attorneys in Amami
often visit isolated islands to provide legal services. Also,
attorneys in Kagoshima offer legal service in areas without
attorneys. Such an approach has started to resolve thepoor distribution of attorneys in Kagoshima.

3. Introduction to the interchange withTaichung Bar Association
The friendly relationship between KBA and the Taichung
Bar Association started in August 2004 when members of
KBA visited Taichung and received a warm welcome. Thisvisit was arranged through Mr Fusanori Otsuka, thechairperson of the international committee of the Kyushu
Federation of Bar Association. Although before the visit,
members of Kagoshima Prefecture Bar Association were
excited and rather nervous, the warm welcome given bymembers of the Taichung Bar Association instantly calmed
their anxieties.
On 11th of March 2006, a formal agreement for friendly
relations was signed by the two associations in the presenceof two witnesses, Mr Otsuka and Mr Lin Mao Song, thechairperson of the international committee of the Taiwan
bar Association. Since then, both associations have madebiannual visits to each other, enhancing the relationship.
In September 2005, this friendly relationship led to avisit by members of Taiwan Kaohsiung Juvenile Court toKagoshima, holding a conference about the organization offamily courts and the legal system in both countries. Also,
KBA members were invited to the 60th Anniversary event of
Taiwan Bar Association which they were thrilled to accept.

4. Introduction to the Taichung Bar Associationæă‫ڋ‬࿌٘ʇႩˁ݇ࣗ˚๢íæႩˁͥв΋ཕɿ‫ޘ‬༚æႩˁ͍٘ʩ㛏Ǒ,Ą
The Taichung Bar Association is the association
organized by attorneys in Taichung Prefecture andTaichung City, with a population of about 2.62 million.
Taichung High Court is located in Taichung City, having
jurisdiction for the city, Taichung Prefecture, Zhang Hua
Prefecture, Nan Tou Prefecture, and the Miao Li Local
Court.
Taichung City is located roughly in the center of Taiwan,
having an area of 163 square kilometers, with a populationof about 106 millions, with the basin structure. It is thecultural, economic and logistic heart of central Taiwan.
Taichung is famous for its warm climate, which makes it thebest place to live in Taiwan. The average temperature in
Taichung is approximately 23°C. Also, Taichung is known
for the warmth of its people and their kind nature.
As previously mentioned, Taichung Bar Association has afriendly relationship with the Kagoshima Prefecture Bar
Association and visits Kagoshima biennially.

The friendly relationship between the two associations
has broadened its scope, motivating the members to keep
and enhance the relationship.
Kagoshima 2006:Formal visit from Tai Chung Bar Association
View of an active volcano,Sakurajima

16

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 17

OKINAWAHIGHLIGHT OF
THE TAIPEI BAR ASSOCIATIONBAR ASSOCIATION

ă͔̻݇ࣗ˚๢í͔̻ͥᗙಢၱཕɿ‫ޘ‬Ǘ༚ǙᆨĄ
Address: 2-2-26-6 Matsuo Naha City Okinawa, 900-0014
Phone: 098-865-3737 (＋81-98-865-3737) Fax: 098-865-3636 (＋81-98-865-3636)
Home Page: http://www.okiben.org/
Number of Members: Regular Members 230, Special Members 9, Legal Professional Corporate Members 6,
Foreign Special Member 1. (as of January 1st 2012)

1. Introduction to Okinawa Prefecture
kinawa Prefecture, which consists of thesouthernmost islands of the JapaneseArchipelago, is located 1,750 km away from
Tokyo and 630 km away from Chinese Taipei.
It comprises 160 islands spread out 1,000 km
from east to west, and 400 km from the north to the south.
Okinawa is the only prefecture in Japan with a subtropicalclimate and this allows us to enjoy its calm and warm
weather even in the winter. Its beautiful ocean and exotic
culture are known worldwide and have been attracting
people not only from mainland Japan, but also from many
foreign countries, especially in East Asia.
Okinawa was called Ryukyu in ancient times, which wasOa kingdom established in the 15th century and abolished in
1879. In the Middle Ages, Ryukyu flourished by tradingwith China and South East Asia for about 200 years. At the
beginning of the 17th century, the Satsuma clan invaded theislands and forced the Ryukyu Kingdom to be a dependent
nation to Japan while it maintained a special relationshipwith continental China that was at the time governed by the
Shikinaen Garden,the second residence of the Ryukyu Kings

18

Qing Dynasty.
In the late 19th century, Japan decided to abolish the
Ryukyu Kingdom and annexed it, renaming it Okinawa
Prefecture of Japan.
Following severe fighting on its soil during WWII,
Okinawa was governed by the U.S. Military for 34 years.
Even though it returned to Japan in 1971, there are many
U.S. bases in Okinawa.

2. Introduction to the Okinawa Bar Association
The history of the Okinawa Bar Association dates backto the establishment of the Ryukyu Bar Association in 1952,
which was a non-autonomous private organization. It
reorganized itself into the Okinawa Bar Association, anautonomous public corporation
after Okinawa returned toJapan in 1971 and at the sametime it became a member of theJapanese Federation of Bar
Associations and the Kyushu
Federation of Bar Associations.
Due to the effects of legal
reforms carried out since 1999,
the number of members keeps
increasing, being as high as
231 as of Nov 11, 2010.
The Association organizes
more than 20 committees, eachof which is working on a wide
variety of issues in various
fields such as human rights,
environment, lawyers’ ethics,
victim support and so on.
It has a sistership relation
with the Taipei Bar Associationand once every two years they hold seminars and friendly
meetings. In 2010 the theme was the criminal trial system
in both country.

The Taipei Bar Association (hereinafter “TBA”) wasestablished in 1945, and was formally registered on
August 25 1947.
From 1990, a presidential system was introduced toreplace the former system of a rotating board of executive
directors. This new set up has encouraged concerted
action in fields that are closely related to issues vital to
Taiwan, like constitutional reform, judiciary reform,
human rights protection, environmental matters, consumer
protection, discrimination, interaction with lawyers
internationally, etc. Reform-minded presidents,directors
and auditors, along with equally enthusiastic members,
have shown similar dedication to these areas while the
TBA has evolved to be the most influential law society in
Taiwan.
In 2010, the TBA had more than 4,500 members, who
account for more than 70% of the total number ofregistered lawyers in Taiwan. Under the General Assemblyof the members, under the leadership of the president,
board of supervisors, directors and auditors and with theservices of the secretariat office headed by the executive

secretary officer, more than fifty acting committees
including the Constitution and Administrative Law
Committee, Judicial Reform Committee, Human Right
Protection
Committee,
Disciplinary
Committee,
Environmental Law Committee, Juvenile and Children’sIssue Committee, International Affairs Committee,
Women’s Issues Commitee, etc. are operating in their
specific areas to meet the TBA’s targets in responding to
the needs of members and society.
Thanks to its financial position, the TBA was able tomove into its own office space in 1996, since becoming
more active in improving service to members and ininteracting with society at large.

Taipei City

Kyusyu Federation of Bar Associations 19