Yu Watanabe is General Counsel at Airbnb Japan, where he has spent over 10 years building one of the most respected in-house legal teams in the country. From training at Freshfields to navigating the world of tech startups at DeNA, and ultimately joining Airbnb, Yu's career embodies the power of taking calculated risks and listening to the right mentors. This episode is rich with wisdom about mentorship, community involvement, and finding success by focusing completely on serving your clients. If you are wondering how Yu stands out as such a star in the world of Tokyo Law, this is the episode for you.

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would leave us a message here!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How a childhood visit to a law firm in Osaka inspired Yu to pursue law and become a "superhero" helping people

• The critical decision to join Airbnb Japan in 2015 when almost everyone advised against it

• Why Yu approaches legal work with hospitality at its core

• The transformative moment in Yu’s career and why someone is always watching your effort

• His favourite book and other fun facts

About Yu

Yuichiro Watanabe is a Director of the Japan In‑House Lawyers Association (JILA) while taking a role of Lead Counsel at Airbnb Japan, and since January 2025 serves as a board director of Airbnb Japan K.K. He joined Airbnb in 2015 as the company’s third lawyer in Asia, following roles with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and DeNA. Recognized with eight honors across six consecutive years at the ALB Japan Law Awards in his thirties, including being the youngest recipient of In‑House Lawyer of the Year, Yu has also led a team named Diversity & Inclusion: In‑House Team of the Year at the Chambers Asia‑Pacific and Greater China Region Awards 2024 and has been selected for The Legal 500 GC Powerlist: Japan. He also contributes to policy and standards work through committees at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, the Digital Agency, and ISO/TC262 for risk management.

He has walked a non-traditional career path in Japan, where in-house lawyers were still rare at the time. Through various failures and struggles within organizations, he has gained lessons that shaped his professional journey — and he carries a deep commitment to turning those personal setbacks into guidance for others. Admitted to the Japan Bar in 2009, he holds a J.D. from the School of Law at the University of Tokyo, and is the author of 「リーガルリスクマネジメントの教科書」 (The Textbook of Legal Risk Management, Nihon Kajoshuppan, 2023) and 「組織内弁護士の教科書」 (The Textbook for In-House Lawyers, forthcoming, Nihon Kajoshuppan, October 2025). Including these and his earlier two publications, his four-volume series has achieved an extraordinary circulation of 15,000 copies in Japan.

In his personal life, he enjoys traditional Kabuki theatre and traveling.

Connect with Yu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wtnby/

Links

Hotel New Otani https://www.newotani.co.jp/en/tokyo/

JILA: https://jila.jp/

Blog: https://inhouselaw.org/inhouse/

Peter Thiel, Zero to One : https://amzn.asia/d/43FV5e7

Connect with Catherine

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair

Sayaka Matsui is General Counsel and Representative Executive Officer at Unilever Japan. Sayaka shares how she unlearned something that she thought was helping her to do better. When she did that amazing things happened and she reached new career heights as well as achieving personal goals too. If you are wondering if your career path is “on track” or you are struggling with self criticism, this episode is for you!

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would leave us a message here!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How reading a children's story-book version of Merchant of Venice at age 10 sparked Sayaka's interest in law

• Sayaka’s transition from private practice to corporate planning and eventually to General Counsel

• The transformative impact of spending two years in the United States

• How Sayaka unlearned her habit of nightly self-criticism and embraced vulnerability

About Sayaka

Sayaka Matsui is the Representative Executive Officer and General Counsel of Unilever Japan Holdings G.K., where she leads legal, compliance, and risk management for one of the world’s most recognised global brands.

Before joining Unilever in 2019, she held legal roles at Credit Saison, Waseda Legal Commons Law Office, Daizawa Law Office, and Nagashima Ohno & Tsunematsu. Sayaka also spent a year as a Visiting Scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, broadening her global perspective on law and social impact.

She is deeply committed to the next generation of legal talent, providing programs to law schools and judicial apprentices to promote understanding of in-house legal work, and in 2025, she was appointed as a member of MEXT’s advisory committee on law schools.

Sayaka holds a J.D. (Professional) and LL.B. from Waseda University.

In her spare time, she loves watching international TV dramas and learning foreign languages.

Connect with Sayaka

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayaka-matsui-881a61188/

Connect with Catherine

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair

Midori Yamaguchi is a Senior Associate at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto in Tokyo whose career spans Singapore, the US, and Japan. We hear about her two-year secondment to METI (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry), where she was the only lawyer on the legislation drafting team where she helped create Japan's new pre-insolvency regime - literally dreaming about the law every night. If you're contemplating a step off the well trodden career path of private practice, and think it’s not possible to come back on track, or if you are seeking inspiration, this episode is for you.

If you enjoyed this episode and it inspired you in some way, we’d love to hear about it and know your biggest takeaway. Head over to Apple Podcasts to leave a review and we’d love it if you would leave us a message here!

In this episode you’ll hear:

• How Midori's father shaped her values of fairness and honesty

• The pivotal role of taking opportunities based on enjoyment rather than fear

• Powerful lessons from working across Singapore, the US, and Japan

• Practical strategies for building visibility in Japan's humble culture, including why putting your skills on display, isn't self-promotion

About Midori

Midori Yamaguchi is a Senior Associate at Mori Hamada & Matsumoto in Tokyo, where she specialises in restructuring and insolvency as well as dispute resolution. She is qualified in both Japan and New York.

Her practice has a strong cross-border focus: she has worked in the firm’s Singapore office, spent time at a U.S. law firm, and completed an LL.M. at New York University. Most recently, she concluded a secondment at Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, where she was involved in drafting legislation to introduce a new pre-insolvency regime.

Recognised in Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in Japan for Arbitration and Mediation in 2022, she is regarded as a rising expert in international legal matters.

She actively contributes to the international restructuring and insolvency community through her regular publications and involvement with leading global organisations, including INSOL International as an INSOL Fellow, the International Insolvency Institute (III) as a NextGen member, the International Women’s Insolvency & Restructuring Confederation (IWIRC), the Insolvency Section of the International Bar Association (IBA), and the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI).

She has an LL.B. from Hitotsubashi University and J.D. from Hitotsubashi Law School.

Outside of work, she enjoys traveling abroad, scuba diving, and exploring Tokyo’s traditional public bathhouses.

Connect with Midori

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/midori-yamaguchi-3364a3222/

Firm: https://www.morihamada.com/en/people/midori-yamaguchi

Links

Ginza Music Bar: https://ginzamusicbar.com/

METI, Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry: https://www.meti.go.jp/english/

Connect with Catherine

LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/oconnellcatherine/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lawyeronair