Space Policy and Law Symposium on Space Resource Activities “Shaping Space Governance for the Use of Space Resources”

In recent years, space resource activities on the Moon and asteroids have increasingly become realistic economic ventures, driven by rapid technological innovation and expanding private-sector participation. The exploration, extraction, and utilization of space resources offer significant potential for the sustainable growth of the space industry and for securing critical natural resources that support life and economic activity on Earth. At the same time, these developments raise complex issues under international law and space governance. Key questions concern ownership of extracted resources, the extent of national jurisdiction, and the protection of the space environment. Current debates focus on how existing international legal frameworks based on the Outer Space Treaty are to be interpreted and applied to those activities and how national legislation and state practice are in the context of the formation of international norms.
This symposium addresses these challenges from the perspective of space law and policy, namely, space governance, with the goal of clarifying the critical issues surrounding international rule-making for space resource activities. It aims to form a community of experts who share insights, align their understanding of key challenges, and advance informed dialogue. A central feature of the symposium is its cross-sectoral approach. Sessions are organized for legal practitioners, policymakers, industry representatives, and academic researchers, enabling the integration of academic, practical, and business perspectives.

–KAZEKI Jun (Director-General, National Space Policy Secretariat, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan)
KAZEKI Jun has more than thirty-five years of experience in the field of trade and economic policies. He joined the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) of the Japanese Government in 1990. Between 2020 and 2022 he served as Director-General for Trade Control Department where he was responsible for export controls, investment screenings and trade remedies. Between 2007 and 2010, he was Counsellor for Permanent Mission of Japan to the international organizations (WTO) in Geneva. Between 2002 and 2005, he worked for the OECD Trade in Paris as Senior Trade Policy Analyst. He graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of Tokyo in 1990. He earned a master’s degree from Columbia University Law School (LLM ’95) and was admitted to the New York State Bar. He earned another degree at the School of Law of New York University (LLM Trade Regulation (Antitrust and Economic Laws) ’96).

–Steven Freeland (Emeritus Professor, Western Sydney University, Professorial Fellow, Bond University)
He is a government-appointed Member of the Australian Space Agency Advisory Board and has advised Australia, New Zealand, Norway, and other governments on national space legislation and policy. He has represented Australia at the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (UNCOPUOS) and, in June 2021, was appointed Vice-Chair of a five-year UNCOPUOS Working Group on the exploration and use of space resources.
He has also served in the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court and as a Special Advisor to the Danish Foreign Ministry on ICC matters. In addition, he is co-Principal of Azimuth Advisory, Director of the International Institute of Space Law, and an active member of major international law associations and academic editorial boards.

–Kazuto Suzuki (Professor, Science and Technology Policy at the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Tokyo, Japan)
He graduated from the Department of International Relations, Ritsumeikan University, and received his Ph.D. from Sussex European Institute, University of Sussex, England. He has worked for the Fondation pour la recherche stratégique in Paris, France as an assistant researcher, as an Associate Professor at the University of Tsukuba from 2000 to 2008, and served as Professor of International Politics at Hokkaido University until 2020. He also spent one year at the School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University from 2012 to 2013 as a visiting researcher. He served as an expert in the Panel of Experts for Iranian Sanction Committee under the United Nations Security Council from 2013 to July 2015. He has been the President of the Japan Association of International Security and Trade.

–Antonino Salmeri (Director of the Lunar Policy Platform)
He holds four advanced degrees in law and serves as Director of the Lunar Policy Platform (LPP), where he leads the development of influential policy initiatives supporting the peaceful, safe, and sustainable governance of lunar activities. In this role, he coordinates research and stakeholder engagement to shape practical frameworks for responsible exploration and use of lunar resources. He also advises governments, private companies, and scientific institutions on space law, lunar policy, and the international diplomatic dimensions of their activities.
Recently, he acted as Special Advisor on lunar governance to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. In that capacity, he contributed to organizing the first UN Conference on Sustainable Lunar Activities and supported the establishment of the Action Team on Lunar Activities Consultations (ATLAC) within the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, helping to advance multilateral dialogue on the future governance of the Moon.

–Yu Takeuchi (Associate Professor of Space Law, Director of the Space Law Research Center at Keio University)
Before his current position, he served for 18 years at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) as a legal expert. In that capacity, he assisted with multiple programs and research projects in R&D, human spaceflight, and space debris remediation. He also had experience in budget management for earth observation satellites, and in space diplomacy as an Outer Space Expert at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. He was a member of the Japanese delegation to the UNCOPUOS from 2009 to 2013. He authored approximately 30 papers and book chapters on space law, in both English and Japanese, and recently published his first monograph,
“Commercial Space Activities and International Law” (Shinzansha, 2025), in Japanese. He is member of multiple academic institutions including the Japanese Branch of the International Law Association (ILA), Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences, and the International Institute of Space Law (IISL). LLB (Sophia University), MA (Hitotsubashi University), LLM (McGill University), DSL (Doctor of the Science of Law) (Keio University).

–Tanja Masson-Zwaan (Assistant Professor and Deputy Director of the International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University)
She is President Emerita of IISL and Vice President of the IAF. She co-authored Introduction to Space Law (5th ed., 2025) and chairs the editors of Air and Space Law. She advises the Dutch Government, serves as a PCA arbitrator for space disputes, teaches worldwide, and is active in leading space law organizations including IAA and ILA.

–Yuri TAKAYA (Project Researcher at the Institute for Future Initiatives, the University of Tokyo)
After obtaining B.A. from Waseda University, she worked in the private sector researching commercial space activities. In 2001, she obtained an LL.M. from the International Institute of Air and Space Law (IIASL) at Leiden University, focusing on the legal aspects of GNSS. As an intern at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs, she contributed to the organization of GNSS workshops. She participated in the International Space University Summer Program on a JAXA scholarship. In 2010, she earned a Ph.D. from the Institute of Space and Telecommunications Law (IDEST) at Paris-Saclay University (formerly Paris XI) with a dissertation on space security and international law. Her main research areas include space security, ITU law, and space resource activities. After serving as a researcher at Kobe University and other institutions, she joined the University of Tokyo’s Institute for Future Initiatives (IFI) in 2017. She currently teaches space law at the University of Tokyo’s Graduate School of Public Policy and at the National Defense Academy of Japan.

–Hinata OSHIMA (Attorney at Nakamura, Tsunoda & Matsumoto)
He graduated from the Faculty of Law, Kyoto University in 2015 and withdrew from Kyoto University Law School in 2016 after passing the Preliminary Bar Examination and the National Bar Examination. He was admitted to practice law in Japan in 2017. In 2023, he completed the Advanced LL.M. in Air and Space Law at Leiden University. Since 2024, he has been enrolled in the Doctoral Program (International Law) at the Graduate School of Law, Kyoto University.
In 2023, he trained at ispace EUROPE S.A. (Luxembourg). In the same year, he passed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ JPO (Junior Professional Officer) examination and has been serving from 2024 to 2026 as an Associate Expert on Space Law and Policy at the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (Committee, Policy and Legal Affairs Section). In this capacity, he assists intergovernmental consultations on international space law and supports the development of legal and regulatory frameworks. He is a Director of the Japan Space Law Association and has extensive experience advising on space business matters.

–Tatsuhiko MAKINO (Partner at Anderson Mori & Tomotsune)
He completed his studies at Keio University Law School in 2013 and joined the firm in January 2015. From January 2018 to May 2019, he worked at the firm’s Singapore office, and from May to November 2019, he worked at WongPartnership LLP in Singapore.
In 2021, he became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (FCIArb), a position he currently holds. From January 2022 to December 2024, he served as a member of the CIArb Young Members Group (YMG) Global Steering Committee. In February 2023, he was admitted as a Solicitor of England and Wales. In January 2026, he was appointed Partner of the firm. He is specializing in international arbitration and cross-border dispute resolution)

–Shimpei ISHIDO (Partner at Nishimura & Asahi)
He is specialized in investor–state dispute settlement (ISDS), international arbitration, and WTO/EPA/FTA-related disputes. He graduated from the Faculty of Law, the University of Tokyo in 2004 and completed the University of Tokyo Law School in 2006. He earned an LL.M. from University College London in 2016. From 2009 to 2012, he worked at Linklaters (Gaikokuhō Kyōdō Jigyo Law Office). From 2012 to 2015, he served as Deputy Director at the Economic Affairs Division and Social Affairs Division of the International Legal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. From 2015 onward, he practiced at Volterra Fietta LLP (London), and from 2016 to 2017 at Three Crowns LLP (London). Since 2023, he has been a Part-time Lecturer at the Graduate School of Law, Kobe University, and since 2025 has served as Chair of the Space Law Research Committee of the Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association’s Research Institute of Law. He has authored numerous publications and delivered lectures in the fields of international economic law and investment arbitration.

–Ryo OKUBO (Partner, Co-Head of New York Office and Head of Space Practice Group of Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu)
His main areas of practice are M&A, private equity, space law and technology. He has extensive experience in cross-border transactions, particularly between Japan and U.S.
He graduated with an LL.B. from the University of Tokyo in 1999 and with an LL.M. from The University of Chicago Law School in 2006. He worked at Ropes & Gray LLP in Boston and New York from 2006 to 2008. He was a part-time lecturer (civil law) at the legal department of the University of Tokyo from 2014 to 2015. He has been a member of the Contracts Supervisory Committee, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) since 2010.
He has received many awards. In TMT space, he was recognized as one of four Japanese lawyers in ALB Asia Super 50 TMT Lawyers 2025 and leading partner in TMT in Japan by The Legal 500 Asia Pacific 2026. The Legal 500 Testimonials includes comments: ‘Professionality in the space industry.’ and ‘Good experience in the space sector.’

–Takahiro Iijima (Partner at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto)
He graduated from the Faculty of Law, the University of Tokyo in 2012 and received an LL.M. from Harvard Law School in 2020. In the same year, he served as an International Postgraduate Researcher at Harvard Law School. He was admitted to the Dai-ni Tokyo Bar Association in 2014, the New York State Bar in 2021, and the California State Bar in 2025. In the space sector, he served as a Part-time Appointed Official at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) from 2020 to 2021. Since 2021, he has been a member of the “Study Group on Legal Issues Relating to Advanced Space Activities” and an observer of the “Study Group on the Framework of International Legal Norms Governing Space Activities,” both organized by the Space Law Center of Keio University’s Graduate School of Law and JAXA. From 2023 to 2024, he served as a fixed-term government official (Deputy Director-level) at the Credit System Office, General Affairs Division, Planning and Market Bureau of the Financial Services Agency of Japan, gaining practical experience in the field of financial regulation.

–Akifumi Urabe (Partner at Uryu & Itoga)
He graduated from the Faculty of Law, the University of Tokyo (LL.B.) in 2005 and was admitted to the Tokyo Bar Association in 2006. As a student, he participated in the Manfred Lachs Space Law Moot Court Competition (Asia-Pacific Round) in 2002 and the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (both National and International Rounds) in 2004. He received an LL.M. from University College London in 2012. He subsequently interned at The Hague Conference on Private International Law (until March 2013) and trained at Ashfords LLP (London office). From 2013 to August 2015, he served as Deputy Director of the Economic Treaties Division, International Legal Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, where he was engaged in the practice of international economic treaty matters. He joined Uryu & Itoga in 2015 and focuses on international legal affairs and cross-border transactions.

–Mihoko Shintani (Partner at TMI Associates)
She graduated from the Faculty of Law, Keio University in 2001 and was admitted to the Dai-ichi Tokyo Bar Association in 2006. She completed her LL.M. at Columbia Law School in 2013. She has served as a Visiting and Part-time Appointed Official at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA). She has also been a member of numerous key government committees related to space policy, including the Cabinet Office Advisory Group on the Third-Party Liability System under the Space Activities Act, the Space Policy Committee (including the Space Security Subcommittee and the Space Transportation Subcommittee under the Basic Policy Division), as well as study groups on Space Traffic Management (STM) and Space Situational Awareness (SSA), on-orbit services, orbital use policy, and the review of the Space Activities Act. She is also a founding director of Space Port Japan and serves as an auditor of SPACE FOOD SPHERE, contributing to the promotion and development of the space business sector.

–Setsuko AOKI (Professor of the Chiba Institute of Technology)
After graduating from Keio University, she earned a Doctor of Civil Law (D.C.L.) degree from the Institute of Air and Space Law at McGill University. She subsequently served in various academic positions, including Professor at the Keio University Law School. Internationally active in the field of space law, she became the first woman to serve as Chair of the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS). In recognition of her distinguished academic and professional achievements, she was awarded the Medal with Purple Ribbon by the Government of Japan. She is Professor Emeritus at Keio University and has held her present position since 2025.

–Shinichi HIGUCHI (Director (International Affairs), National Space Policy Secretariat, Cabinet Office, the Government of Japan)
He has over 24 years of experience in science, technology and innovation policy at governmental, public and international organizations. Since joining the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) of Japan in 2001, he has engaged in research and development promotion (environmental sciences, biomedical sciences, particle physics, etc.), international science and technology cooperation, nuclear regulation, and nuclear decommissioning. He was professional staff on nuclear decommissioning at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (2022-2025) and science attaché at the Embassy of Japan in India (2012-2015). He obtained Master of Public Administration from the University of York in the UK and Bachelor of Law from the University of Osaka in Japan.

–Kimitake NAKAMURA (Director-General, Disarmament, Non-Proliferation and Science Department, MOFA)
He is a Japanese diplomat and international law scholar, holding a Ph.D. in law. In the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has served as Director of the Treaty Division of the International Legal Affairs Bureau and as Minister at the Embassy of Japan in the United States, and since August 2024, he serves as Director of the Disarmament, Non-Proliferation, and Science Department. He is also a visiting lecturer at Waseda University Graduate School of Law and a researcher at the Space Policy Institute of The George Washington University.
After graduating from Waseda University in 1992, he joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, focusing on U.S.-Japan relations and international law. He led negotiations for the environmental supplementary agreement to the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement and handled congressional liaison on economic security issues. He contributed to internal reforms of the Ministry and engaged in public diplomacy through media appearances, music, and cultural programs such as supporting the JETS cheerleading team’s U.S. tour.
An expert in space law, he has published extensively and delivered lectures internationally. In 2023, he gave an invited lecture at the 150th anniversary conference of the International Law Association in Paris, and in 2024, he received the Riese Award from the Japanese Society of Air and Space Law.

–Takeshi Hakamada (ispace, inc. Founder & CEO)
Inspired by Star Wars as a child, Takeshi Hakamada set out to pursue a life focused on space exploration. He went on to earn a Master’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech, where he was involved in the conceptual design of next-generation aerospace systems. Starting in 2010, while working for a management consulting firm, he worked part-time to lead the Japanese team, HAKUTO, one of the finalists for the Google Lunar XPRIZE competition, and changed the team’s management to ispace, inc. As Founder & CEO of ispace, Takeshi has raised record investment and is leading a global lunar exploration company focused on high-frequency, low-cost transportation to the Moon. An active proponent for the commercial space industry, Takeshi is guiding ispace to continuously challenge itself to enable humans to establish a sustainable ecosystem between the Earth and the Moon by unlocking the utilization of space resources.

–Masahiko SATO (Director-General, and Acting Director of Space Policy Research Center, Japan Space Forum /Visiting Professor, Gakushuin University)
Joined JAXA in April 1986. Served as Manager of the Legal Affairs Division, and Manager of the Personnel Division, Director of the Washington DC Office, and Director of the Evaluation and Audit Department, before retiring in March 2025. During this period, he was a visiting scholar at the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University, and involved in establishing the Keio Space Law Research Center at Keio University and taught courses related to space law. Since April of the same year, he has served in his current position. He also currently serves as Visiting Professor at the Faculty of Science, Gakushuin University, and as a member of the board of directors for the International Institute of Space Law (IISL).

–Francois Poncin (SACETIDE Foundation, COO)
François Poncin has over 20 years of experience in the financial sector across Asia, including Vietnam, Taiwan, and Japan. A long-time advocate for international collaboration and sustainability in space, he believes space activities are essential to solving humanity’s future challenges. After three years of pro-bono involvement with SPACETIDE’s Corporate Planning Office, he joined the foundation full-time in July 2025 to help strengthen global partnerships and support strategic initiatives. His interests include cis-lunar development, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), in-orbit servicing, and sustainable space operations. François holds a Master’s in Economics and Management from HEC Paris and is an alumnus of the International Space University’s Space Studies Program. He enjoys music, family travel, and practicing Aikido.

Secretariat, Institute for Future Initiatives, UTokyo
Technology Governance Policy Research Unit
E-mail: ifi_tg[at]ifi.u-tokyo.ac.jp　(replace [at] with @)