About Intellectual Property IP Training IP Outreach IP for… IP and... IP in... Patent & Technology Information Trademark Information Industrial Design Information Geographical Indication Information Plant Variety Information (UPOV) IP Laws, Treaties & Judgements IP Resources IP Reports Patent Protection Trademark Protection Industrial Design Protection Geographical Indication Protection Plant Variety Protection (UPOV) IP Dispute Resolution IP Office Business Solutions Paying for IP Services Negotiation & Decision-Making Development Cooperation Innovation Support Public-Private Partnerships The Organization Working with WIPO Accountability Patents Trademarks Industrial Designs Geographical Indications Copyright Trade Secrets WIPO Academy Workshops & Seminars World IP Day WIPO Magazine Raising Awareness Case Studies & Success Stories IP News WIPO Awards Business Universities Indigenous Peoples Judiciaries Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Cultural Expressions Economics Gender Equality Global Health Climate Change Competition Policy Sustainable Development Goals Enforcement Frontier Technologies Mobile Applications Sports Tourism PATENTSCOPE Patent Analytics International Patent Classification ARDI – Research for Innovation ASPI – Specialized Patent Information Global Brand Database Madrid Monitor Article 6ter Express Database Nice Classification Vienna Classification Global Design Database International Designs Bulletin Hague Express Database Locarno Classification Lisbon Express Database Global Brand Database for GIs PLUTO Plant Variety Database GENIE Database WIPO-Administered Treaties WIPO Lex - IP Laws, Treaties & Judgments WIPO Standards IP Statistics WIPO Pearl (Terminology) WIPO Publications Country IP Profiles WIPO Knowledge Center WIPO Technology Trends Global Innovation Index World Intellectual Property Report PCT – The International Patent System ePCT Budapest – The International Microorganism Deposit System Madrid – The International Trademark System eMadrid Article 6ter (armorial bearings, flags, state emblems) Hague – The International Design System eHague Lisbon – The International System of Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications eLisbon UPOV PRISMA Mediation Arbitration Expert Determination Domain Name Disputes Centralized Access to Search and Examination (CASE) Digital Access Service (DAS) WIPO Pay Current Account at WIPO WIPO Assemblies Standing Committees Calendar of Meetings WIPO Official Documents Development Agenda Technical Assistance IP Training Institutions COVID-19 Support National IP Strategies Policy & Legislative Advice Cooperation Hub Technology and Innovation Support Centers (TISC) Technology Transfer Inventor Assistance Program WIPO GREEN WIPO's Pat-INFORMED Accessible Books Consortium WIPO for Creators WIPO ALERT Member States Observers Director General Activities by Unit External Offices Job Vacancies Procurement Results & Budget Financial Reporting Oversight

World IP Day Event organized by WIPO Japan Office　

April 24rd, 2026 - 14:00 (JST)

IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate

April 26 has been designated as World Intellectual Property Day, commemorating the day on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970. Each year, commemorative events are held around the world to increase general understanding of IP and to explore how IP contributes to a flourishing of music and the arts and to the technological innovation that helps shape our world.

WIPO Japan Office will hold a commemorative event at Iino Hall (Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo) on Friday April 24th to celebrate this year’s theme “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate" (*1), inviting prominent speakers from various fields including a famous high school brass band that won the gold medal at the All Japan Band Competition 2024.

Programs and speaker information will be added soon. Please look forward to it.

(*1) World Intellectual Property Day 2026 celebrates how creativity and innovation, backed by IP, keep the world of sports thriving, dynamic and accessible for everyone, everywhere. This year’s World IP Day honors the contributions of the creators, inventors and entrepreneurs working behind the scenes to push the boundaries of athletic performance, improve audience experience and bring sports events to every home.

Register

Event Overview:

World IP Day commemorative event organized by WIPO Japan Office

#WorldIPDay

Event date:

Friday, April 24th, 2026

Doors Open: 1:00 p.m

Start time: 1:30 p.m. (JST)

Event venue:

Iino Hall

(4F IINO BUILDING, 2-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo)

Organizer:

WIPO Japan Office

Program

*Program may be modified without a notice

13:30–13:35　Opening Remarks

Tomoki Sawai
Tomoki Sawai
Director, WIPO Japan Office

13:40–14:15　 Guest Remarks

Yoshimasa Uno
Yoshimasa Uno
Special Advisor to the Prime Minister, Prime Minister’s office
Yasuyuki Kasai
Yasuyuki Kasai
Commissioner, Japan Patent Office
Junichi Kawai
Junichi Kawai
Commissioner, Japan Sports Agency
Kenichiro Natsume<
Kenichiro Natsume
Assistant Director General, WIPO

14:20–14:40　 Keynote Speech

Makiko Takabe
Makiko Takabe
Nishimura&Asahi / Former President, Takamatsu High Court


― Break time ―

14:55–15:25　 Dialogue

Kohei Miyadai
Kohei Miyadai
Legal Apprentice, Supreme Court of Japan/ Former Professional Baseball Player
Moderator: Tomoki Sawai

15:30–16:00　 Special Address

Yuki Ota
Yuki Ota
Member of the IOC Athletes' Commission/ Executive Director, JOC
Member of the Executive Committee, FIE/ CEO, WIN3 Ltd.

― Break time ―

16:15–16:50　 Special Performance

Narashino Municipal
Wind ensemble of Narashino Municipal Narashino High School

16:50–16:55　Closing remarks

Tomoki Sawai
Tomoki Sawai
Director, WIPO Japan Office

Exhibition: The Power of Intellectual Property in Sports

In the foyer next to Iino Hall, we will present a special exhibition titled “The Power of Intellectual Property in Sports.”

This exhibition will feature product displays by leading Japanese sports-related companies, with the generous cooperation of ASICS Corporation, Sumitomo Rubber Industries, Ltd., Bridgestone Group, Mizuno Corporation, and Wacoal Corp.

Alongside actual sports products, the exhibition will highlight the connection between sports and intellectual property rights—such as patents, designs, and trademarks—embedded in these innovations.

Visitors will gain insight into how the technologies and designs that enhance athletic performance, safety, and comfort have been protected and advanced through intellectual property systems.

About WIPO

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is the United Nations agency that serves the world’s innovators and creators, ensuring that their ideas travel safely to the market and improve lives everywhere.

We do so by providing services that enable creators, innovators and entrepreneurs to protect and promote their intellectual property (IP) across borders and acting as a forum for addressing cutting-edge IP issues. Our IP data and information guide decisionmakers the world over. And our impact-driven projects and technical assistance ensure IP benefits everyone, everywhere.

For more information, please contact the News and Media Division at WIPO:

  • Tel: (+41 22) 338 81 61 / 338 72 24
  • E-mail
https://www3.wipo.int/contact/en/area.jsp?area=meetings https://www.wipo.int/pressroom/en/ https://www.wipo.int/tools/en/disclaim.html https://www.wipo.int/en/web/privacy-policy/ https://www.wipo.int/en/web/accessibility/ https://www.wipo.int/tools/en/sitemap.html https://www3.wipo.int/newsletters/en/ https://www.wipo.int/en/web/podcasts/ https://www.wipo.int/news/en/