After serving as a judge (presiding over civil and criminal cases at the Kobe District Court and the Tokyo District Court), Tatsuo Ikeda has focused on researching and teaching procedural law and other subjects, including the Code of Civil Procedure, at law schools and other academic institutions.  He has been a scholarship researcher of the Humboldt Foundation and a Research Fellow at the University of Freiburg in Germany.  He has also conducted research in various countries in Europe and Asia and made comprehensive oral presentations at international conferences and other venues.  He has also served a member of the Committee for Conciliation of Civil Affairs, the Chairman of Councils and Committees of municipal governments, and as an outside director of corporations.    

He has also served as a member of the Civil Conciliation Committee of the Court of Appeals of Japan, the Chairman of the Councils and Committees of local governments, and as a member of the board of outside directors. 

Mr. Ikeda specializes in international legal matters. From civil and commercial to family law and administrative cases, Mr. Ikeda handles a wide range of matters, not only in Japan, but also in Europe, Asia, and other countries.  In addition to court cases, by taking advantage of his diverse network, as an ADR specialist and for companies expanding overseas, he does his best to resolve disputes in the most appropriate manner given the circumstances and the matters at issue.  Moreover, with a keen sense of human rights, Mr. Ikeda is devoted the realization of social justice through effective use of the law.  

Work Highlights

• Parliamentary reference expert for the House of Representatives,　The National Diet of Japan (endorsed by the ruling Party)
• Various litigation matters (civil, administrative, criminal cases)
• Collection matters
• Labor and employment matters
• Finance-related matters
• Intellectual property matters
• Consumer matters
• School matters
• Immigration matters

Education & Professional Career

2017 – Present	Osaka University, Professor Emeritus
Nov 2005 – Present	Kitahama Partners, Of Counsel
Feb 1995	Kyushu University Graduate School of Law (Ph.D.)
1992 – 2017	Osaka University, Professor
1985 – 1987	Research Scholar of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany (Research fellow of University of Freiburg)
1982 – 1992	Osaka University, Associate Professor
Aug 1980	Retired from the Judge; Kobe District Court and Tokyo District Court

Other Activities

• Executive Board Member, Japan Association of Access to Justice
• Member, Legal Systems Development Support Committee
• Chairperson, Osaka Consumer Protection Council
• Member, Osaka Gender Equality Grievance Committee
• Academic Advisor, International Civil and Commercial Law Centre Foundation