A Vigilante EU, the Encroachment of European Laws Abroad, and Its Impact on Japan

The EU's regulatory (over-)reach continues to expand across borders, altering preferences and legislations of even non-EU states as documented by works of Bradford (Brussels Effect) and Scott (Territorial Extension). This piece builds upon the foundation that they have laid out to look specifically at how EU regulations such as GDPR, REACH, and many others are impacting Japanese businesses as they conform to European standards. In doing so, this piece asks the question of whether the Europeanization of global standards – while unquestionably beneficial for the EU – is desirable for non-EU states such as Japan.