Hisamitsu Arai
Twice commissioner of the Japanese Patent Office
IP Hall of Fame inductee in 2007
One of the most influential commissioners in the history of the Japanese Patent Office. Arai served a rare two terms. Through his work on the WIPO Policy Advisory Commission, Arai is one of the few commissioners to remain a leader in the IP community, both in his home country and internationally, since leaving the post. Arai was also Secretary General of the Intellectual Property Strategy Headquarters, a cabinet secretary position, and is credited with elevating IP issues to the prime ministerial level and helping to implement the government’s strategy of making Japan an IP-based nation.