Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. – Acquisition of Naming Rights for Japan National Stadium
Nishimura & Asahi advised Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, Inc. [TSE: 8306 and NYSE: MUFG], a leading global financial services group and one of the largest banking institutions in Japan, on execution of the first top-tier partnership agreement as a National Stadium Partner with Japan National Stadium Entertainment Co., Ltd., the company responsible for the operation of the stadium. As a result of this partnership agreement, starting in January 2026, the National Stadium*1 will be known as “MUFG Stadium.”
The team was led by partners Yuji Shiga, Hironori Inagaki, and counsel Takahiro Sugauchi, with support from associates Masayuki Obata and Takaomi Miyazeki.
*1 The official name of the stadium remains “National Stadium.” When necessary for operations based on Clean Stadium regulations established by sports federations and other bodies, or rules compliant therewith, the “National Stadium” name will be used.
People
He understands and solves his client’s essential needs and challenges by leveraging his extensive domestic and international connections in the sports and entertainment field as well as his experience gained during secondment to the business side of a domestic sports management company.
He has assisted numerous companies in the area of Sports Digital Transformation (data business, sports betting, fantasy sports, NFT, sports tokens) and is experienced in cases involving a wide range of legal issues at the intersection of sports and technology. He is also the
Representative Director of the Council for Sports Ecosystem Promotion, an industry organization that aims to industrialize sports using digital transformation, etc., and is well versed in the latest trends and issues in the industry both domestically and internationally.
He was also selected as a finalist for Young Lawyer of the Year (Law Firm) in the ALB Japan Law Awards 2024, sponsored by Asian Legal Business (ALB) and Thomson Reuters.
Takahiro provides comprehensive legal advice on intellectual property transactions, primarily assisting Japanese and international clients in the entertainment, media, telecommunications, and IT industries. With deep copyright law expertise and practical experience in the entertainment sector, he offers unique perspectives to his clients. Takahiro’s previous roles at a global record label and the U.S. subsidiary of a major Japanese film studio have equipped him with a nuanced understanding of the entertainment business and its legal complexities. His practice covers a broad spectrum of services, such as advising on digital distribution licenses, joint production agreements, option agreements, artist agreements, and chain-of-title investigations. He is also adept at navigating issues that arise at the intersection of intellectual property rights and emerging technologies. Additionally, Takahiro has experience in resolving disputes related to intellectual property and information law.
Yuji’s practice includes a wide range of M&A, investment, and joint venture transaction, etc. involving a Japanese company and a foreign company / investment fund; in that transaction, he represented both parties through successful completion of the transaction. With his seasoned experience of acquisition matters by foreign investment funds, he advises numerous Japanese listed and unlisted companies on activism matters. He has received accolades from his clients that (i) he is very pragmatic and proactive (ii) he always gives a good, commercial view of the bigger picture around a situation with deep understanding of his client and (iii) he has an ability to ‘put himself in his clients’ shoes. He is also active in the Firm’s Asia practice such as India, China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam.