We successfully held the last regular meeting of 2025. It was a fantastic session, enriched by the participation of four guests. All of the prepared speeches were exactly what we needed to close out the year, inspiring us to push forward despite the busy holiday season. Notably, every speaker utilized their full allocated time. Both the Table Topics and the evaluations were excellent, and I believe all attendees could genuinely feel their own growth over the past year....

The CHIZAI Toastmasters Club held a discussion on December 2nd with Zack Mummery , Partner at Reddie & Grose, focusing on recent inventive step cases from the UPC (Unified Patent Court). Thanks to his concise and excellent presentation, I gained a very clear understanding of the factors to be considered in determining an inventive step, despite my lack of familiarity with the biotech field. The small group setting allowed us to ask numerous questions, which perhaps made the d

CHIZAI Toastmasters Club hosted Daryl Lim as a "facilitator” to lead a discussion on the theme, “Expanding Your Professional Network” on November 29th. He shared various experiences, covering everything from specific networking tips to the overall significance of building a professional network. It is often said that Japanese people are shy when it comes to networking. Perhaps Japan needs facilitators like Daryl, who can encourage casual conversation while still carefully ch

The CHIZAI Toastmasters Club welcomed Ken Sakurayabashi , counsel at Nishimura & Asahi, for a short lecture and subsequent discussion on the theme, “Tailoring Your Communications to Fit Your Audience.” He shared various communication tips, drawing not only from his own courtroom experience but also from observing the communication styles of his fellow prosecutors and attorneys. While some advice was general—such as the importance of deeply understanding one's audience—I perso