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Masaki Kito, Esq.

Masaki Kito, Esq., is a founding partner of LINK LAW OFFICE Kito and Partners in Tokyo, established in 2001. He has been an advocate for the victims of various cultic groups for over 20 years in Tokyo. He is the vice chairperson of Consumer Affairs Committee of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) and the chairperson of Consumer Affairs Committee of Daini Tokyo Bar Association (DTBA). He is a member of the National Network of Lawyers against Spiritual Sales, Legal Team Representing Victims of Aum Shinrikyo, and the Japan Society for Cult Prevention and Recovery (JSCPR).

He is one of the leading public commentators on cults in Japan, making frequent appearances in the various media, including TV and radio programs on NHK (Japan’s national public station) and commercial stations, major newspapers, and magazines.

He is also renowned as a specialist of the broader range of consumer affairs and also a specialist of issues concerning the Internet. As an expert, he is frequently invited to meetings and study sessions hosted by diet members of both majority and minority parties (Liberal Democratic Party and The Democratic Party of Japan).

Currently, he serves as the lead lawyer and the vice lead lawyer in major consumer cases: 

• Lead Lawyer, Legal Team for Consumer Damages on the Internet

• Lead Lawyer, Legal Team for the Victims of Kinmirai-tsushin Ltd. (a case of over $360 million consumer investment scam)

• Vice Lead Lawyer, Legal Team for the Victims of L&G (a case of over $910 million consumer investment scam in the form of quasi MLM scheme)

• Lead Lawyer, Legal Team for the Victims of the Shinsekai Group (a case of around $90 million spiritual sales by a cultic group that runs faith healing salons in major cities in Japan)

• Vice Lead Lawyer, Legal Team for Victims of Hounohana Sampogyo (total damage of $770 million spiritual sales by a religious cultic group)

With all of his expertise and from the citizens’ perspective, he has been actively working on very broad issues of consumer damages in general including and not limited to cults, religion, the Internet, human rights of victims, defamation, and child abuse.

Major Publications:

• Internet Hanzai Daizen (Overview of Crimes on the Internet) (2004, INFOBAHN)

• Shippai Shinai Net Shopping (E-Shopping w/o Becoming a Victim) (2002, Iwanami Shoten, Publishers)

• Akutoku-Shouho Sagi to Damashi no Wana (Tricks and Traps of Wicked and Fraudulent Businesses) (2000, Nihon Bungei Sha)

• 21 Seiki no Shukyou Houjin Hou (Religious Juridical Person Law of the 21st Century) (1995, The Asahi Shimbun)

• Dennou Hanzai Taisaku Toranomaki (Key to Protect Yourself from Cyber Crimes) (1997, KK Best Sellers)

• Cult Shukyou---Seiteki Gyakutai to Jidou Gyakutai ha Naze Okirunoka (Cult Religions? Why sexual abuse and child abuse occur in cults.) (co-written with Takashi Yamaguchi Esq., 2006, Ascom)

• Keiji Saiban wo Mirume ni Tashikasawo (Calls for Fair and Firm Eyes on Criminal Trials) (co-authored, 2005, Seibundo)

• Shouhisha Trouble Q & A (Q & A on Consumer Troubles) (co-authored, 1999, Yuhikaku)

• Shukyou Trouble Q & A (Q & A on Troubles Related to Religions) (co-authored, 1999, Minjiho Kenkyu Kai)

Membership of Academic Societies: 

• Japanese-American Society for Legal Studies

• Society for Religion and Justice Studies

• The Japanese Association for the Study of Religion and Society

• The Japanese Psychological Association

• The Japanese Society of Social Psychology

• The Information Network Law Association,

• Japan Skeptics

Other Activities:

• Advisor, The Japan Pen Net (PEN NET JAPAN)

• Advisor, A Dream A Day in Tokyo<http://www.guesthouse.or.jp/English>

Web news articles with comments by Masaki Kito Esq:

• WEBDESIGNING MAY, 2008: Feature 2: Law and Right about a Website: http://book.mycom.co.jp/wd/en/backnumber/200403.html

• JAPAN TIMES: Rise in defamation suits threaten media, journalists: http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20050601f1.html

• Cult to pay woman huge compensation over forced donations for ancestors. Mainichi Daily News, Japan/April 11, 2008:

• http://www.rickross.com/reference/unif/unif325.html

• TIME: Judgment Day.

• http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,596261,00.html

• Crime Library.com: Alive and Well.

• http://www.crimelibrary.com/terrorists_spies/terrorists/prophet/25.html

• Aasahi Shinbun: 17 years sought for couple buster in love

• http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201002090359.html

• Kinmirai Tsuushin IP Telephony Company declared bust

• http://www.asteriskvoipnews.com/voip_news/kinmirai_tsuushin_ip_telephony_company_declared_bust.html

• Security FAQs, News & Links: Police Officer In Spiritual Scam (December 6, 2007):

• http://www.security-faqs.com/police-officer-in-spiritual-scam.html

• Religion News Blog.com (ASAHI.COM): Unification Church agrees to pay woman 230 million yen

• http://www.religionnewsblog.com/21124/unification-church-7

• Religion News Blog.com (AP)(Sep. 11, 2002) : Japan Wrestles With Cult Remnants

• http://www.religionnewsblog.com/793/japan-wrestles-with-cult-remnants

• The Japan Times Online(April 25, 2003):ASAHARA'S SILENCE 'REGRETTABLE'

• http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20030425b5.html

• tru TV.com: FALSE PROPHET: THE AUM CULT OF TERROR

• http://www.trutv.com/library/crime/terrorists_spies/terrorists/prophet/25.html

• eBay Secret (October 28, 2008): Yahoo! Japan IDs stolen to sell fake goods

• http://www.ebaysecret.co.cc/yahoo-japan-ids-stolen-to-sell-fake-goods/

CONTACT:

MASAKI KITO

LINK LAW OFFICE Kito and Partners

Daini Koji-machi Bldg. 2F

4-2 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 1020083 JAPAN

Phone: 81-3-3515-6681/fax: 81-3-3515-6682

Info about LINK LAW OFFICE:  http://www.h4.dion.ne.jp/~kito/

Kito’s Personal Web Site:  http://homepage1.nifty.com/kito/

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