You want the post taken down
We ask the site operator to remove it. If they do not agree, we consider a court procedure — a provisional disposition ordering removal.
- A review site carries something that is simply not true.
- A former employee is running the company down on a job-review site…
- A baseless post is spreading on social media.
Posts about your company: talk to us about removal and identifying the poster.
Review sites, social media, message boards, job-review sites.
We look at the post and explain what can be done and how it is likely to go.
- Initial consultation30 min JPY 5,500(tax incl.)
- What you tell usStays confidential
- NationwidePhone and online
consultations
Identifying a poster gets harder as time passes.
Once you find the post, please come to us early.
Does any of this sound familiar?
- Google Maps or a review site carries a damaging review that is not true
- Someone who appears to be a former employee is running the company down on a job-review site
- A baseless post has spread on social media and a client has asked you about it
- An anonymous message board carries abuse aimed at the company or its president
- Enquiries or job applications seem to have fallen off because of the post
- You want to know who wrote it but have no idea where to start
Even at the stage of “can anything be done about this post?”, please feel free to get in touch.
Which outcome is closest to what you want?
The procedure we take depends on the goal you are aiming at.
You want to know who wrote it
Even for an anonymous post, a procedure called disclosure of sender information can reveal the poster. Acting before the records are erased matters.
You want the writer held to account
Once the poster is identified, we claim damages. Where the conduct is serious, we also consider a criminal complaint to the police.
If you are unsure which to choose, we look at the post first and then propose a route.
Which posts can the law do something about?
The fact that someone has been rude about you is not always enough.
A specific statement that lowers the company’s reputation
A post that points to a specific matter and damages your standing — “this company cheats its customers”, for example. This is defamation (meiyo kison). A company can claim damages for it (Civil Code arts. 709 and 710). It may also amount to the crime of defamation under art. 230 of the Penal Code (imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to JPY 500,000).
A falsehood that harms the company’s credit or its business
A post that spreads untrue information and damages trust in you — “that shop sells fakes”, for example. It may amount to injury to credit or obstruction of business under art. 233 of the Penal Code (imprisonment of up to 3 years or a fine of up to JPY 500,000).
Severe abuse that points to no specific matter
A post that insults without stating any fact — “worst company ever”, “go under already”. It may amount to insult under art. 231 of the Penal Code. Depending on how far it goes, it can also give rise to a damages claim.
Some posts are harder to act on
An opinion such as “the food was not good”, or a low rating in itself, tends not to be ordered removed. And where a matter of public interest is written about for the public benefit and is proved true, no offence is committed (Penal Code art. 230-2).
Whether anything can be done turns on the wording and on the platform. We look at the post and give you our candid read on it.
What can an attorney do for you?
From preserving the evidence through to preventing it happening again.
Preserve the evidence of the post
Once a post is deleted, the evidence goes with it. We capture the screen in a form that shows the URL, the date and time and the content.
Ask the site operator to remove it
We start by asking the operator to take it down. One basis for this is the Act on Countermeasures against Infringement of Rights and Other Harms Caused by Distribution of Information via Specified Telecommunications, in force since April 2025. It requires large platforms and similar services to put in place a procedure for handling removal requests. We follow each platform’s procedure and set out the legal grounds.
If they refuse, seek removal through the court
Where the operator will not remove the post, we apply to the court for a provisional disposition ordering removal (Civil Provisional Remedies Act art. 23(2)). A provisional disposition is a procedure for obtaining an urgent, temporary order ahead of a full trial.
Identify an anonymous poster
We use the disclosure order procedure for sender information under the same Act. It obtains disclosure of the poster’s details from the site operator and the internet service provider. Connection records (logs) are often erased after a set period, so an order preventing their deletion can be sought at the same time.
Claim damages from the poster
Once the poster is identified, we seek damages by negotiation or in court (Civil Code arts. 709 and 710). To recover lost revenue you have to show the connection with the post. A court may also order measures to restore reputation, such as an apology notice (Civil Code art. 723).
File a criminal complaint
Where the conduct is serious, we file a complaint asking the police or prosecutors to pursue the matter. Defamation and insult cannot be prosecuted without a complaint (Penal Code art. 232). As a rule, the complaint has to be filed within six months of the day you learn who the poster is (Code of Criminal Procedure art. 235).
You have found the post.
What should you do first?
- Save the screen so that the URL, the date and time and the content are all visible
- Please hold off on replying to the post in the company’s name — it can draw more attention to it
- Avoid naming anyone on a guess, such as “it must be our former employee so-and-so”
- Try not to let talk of the post spread too widely inside the company either
Then bring the saved screen to us and let us talk it through.
3 features of Eight Force Law Office
We weigh the effect on your business when choosing the route
Our managing attorney spent about three years in the legal department of the Japanese arm of a foreign automotive company. Going to court over every post is not always the right answer. We think through the route with you, taking in the cost, the time and the effect on the business. About the attorney
Interviewed on where expression ends and defamation begins
Our managing attorney was interviewed by Bengoshi JP News on the line between satire and defamation (November 2025). Read the article (in Japanese)
From removal to criminal complaint, at one office
Alongside corporate work, we handle criminal matters. As well as removal requests and damages claims, we can advise you on filing a criminal complaint. What you tell us stays confidential.
From first contact to resolution
- STEP 1 Get in touch
Call us or use the contact form. We will arrange a time for the consultation.
- STEP 2 Consultation with the attorney
At our office, or online or by phone. Please have the URL of the post and the screen you saved to hand.
- STEP 3 Outlook explained and an estimate
We explain whether removal or identification looks achievable, which procedure fits, and what it costs.
- STEP 4 Engagement
Once you are satisfied with the terms, we enter into the engagement.
- STEP 5 Removal request and identifying the poster
We pursue the request to the operator and the court procedures.
- STEP 6 Damages and preventing a repeat
We pursue the claim against the poster. We can also help you put internal rules in place for handling such posts.
If you want to put internal rules, or a lawyer you can simply ask, in place, see our corporate law & advisory retainer page as well.
What does it cost?
We explain the fees before you instruct us.
Initial consultation30 min JPY 5,500(tax incl.)
Removal request / identifying the posterEstimate provided in advanceIt depends on the number of posts and the procedures involved
Advisory retainerFrom JPY 55,000 / monthWhere you consult us on an ongoing basis (tax incl.)
* Actual expenses are charged separately. Court procedures may require a security deposit and other costs.
* We accept credit cards (VISA / MasterCard) and instalment payments.
See Attorney’s Fees for details.
Frequently asked questions
- Can an anonymous poster really be identified?
- In some cases, yes, through the disclosure order procedure for sender information. That said, connection records (logs) are often erased after a set period, and it gets harder as time passes. Please come to us early.
- Can a post from quite a while ago still be removed?
- Removal can be sought even for an older post. Identifying the poster becomes difficult once the records are no longer there.
- Can a low-star review be removed?
- An opinion, or a low rating in itself, tends not to be ordered removed. Where the content is untrue, or contains severe insult, removal can be sought. We look at the post and give you our read on it.
- Will anyone outside the company find out that we are acting?
- What you tell us stays confidential. How widely to share the matter within your own company is something we can think through with you as well.
- Can we consult you about posts aimed at our president personally, or at staff?
- Yes. We consider how to handle those alongside the posts aimed at the company.
- If we consult you, do we then have to instruct you?
- Not at all. Decide whether to instruct us after you have heard the outlook and the costs.
About the office
| Office | Eight Force Law Office |
|---|---|
| Managing attorney | Kento Araki (Dai-Ichi Tokyo Bar Association) |
| Address | 3F BIZ SMART Yoyogi, 1-25-5 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053 |
| Phone | 03-6809-0683 |
| Hours | Weekdays 9:00-18:00 (closed weekends & holidays) |
| Area covered | Nationwide (phone and online consultations) |
| Access | 3 min from Yoyogi Sta. (JR Yamanote / Sobu Line) / 4 min from Minami-Shinjuku Sta. (Odakyu Line) |
Please do not carry it alone — talk to us first.
We are here by phone and by email.