The Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) has awarded Christopher Kuner its "Best Consumer Supporter" award. At a ceremony June 26, Kuner was awarded a medal for "services to Japanese consumers," according to the CAA's Takeshi Okano. 

Japanese Ambassador to the European Union, His Excellency Keiichi Katakami, hosted the event. Kuner, an attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati, said he had been meeting with various ministries in Tokyo last year to answer questions on EU data protection law, current and future. Japan is in the midst of reforming its privacy law and is looking at the EU for guidance, Kuner said. 

A statement by the CAA, issued in Japanese but translated for The Privacy Advisor by Okano, says the CAA highly appreciates the fact that Kuner has provided "useful information on European personal data protection for Japanese consumers through his activities as an attorney and an expert." Kuner's expert advice "made substantial contributions to the advancement of the knowledge of Japanese consumers on European personal data protection." 

At a ceremony June 26, Chris Kuner was awarded a medal from the Japanese government for "services to Japanese consumers

Okano said, "A lot of our colleagues of the Japanese government, including the CAA, have gotten much information on European personal data protection law through discussions with (Kuner) in Brussels or Tokyo. Also, through his activities as an expert in personal data protection, we have had lively exchanges of views with many Japanese academic researchers on European personal data protection. The CAA understands that these activities have directly or indirectly led to the advancement of the knowledge of Japanese consumers on European personal data protection." 

Kuner said many of the government's questions revolved around things like data transfers and the status of the data protection authorities. 

"It shows the influence of EU law," Kuner said, adding, "It is a great honour to receive this award. I am pleased that my contributions regarding EU data protection law have been valuable to the Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency and the Japanese consumer."