When Geographical Indications Meet Intangible Cultural Heritage: The New Japanese Act on Geographical Indications

This chapter is structured as follows. Section 2 will introduce that the debate on GIs and ICH has mainly two opposing views on the role GIs can play for ICH. By unveiling the scope of the new Japanese GI Act, the section will show that part of the debate has become obsolete because, in reality, GIs could sometimes overlap with ICH. Section 3 will describe in detail the conceptualization of the new Japanese GI Act. This will pave the way for further analysis in Section 4 of the perils and promises that the extension of the GI Act has on ICH. In conclusion, Section 5 will hold that although the GI Act extends to ICH, holders of ICH should still be careful when they seek to register products that incorporate their ICH as part of the GI.