ENGLISH WEBPAGE

Introduction to EFA Laboratories

EFA Laboratories, Ltd. (EFA) specializes in environmental consulting services and asbestos analysis. Our office and laboratory are centrally located in Kanda-Jimbocho, Tokyo.
EFA was established in April 2006 under a joint venture agreement between California-based Forensic Analytical Laboratories, Inc. and a Tokyo-based environmental consulting company. Forensic Analytical is a leading U.S. consulting firm providing health risk assessments for the construction, legal, municipal and financial sectors.
In 2010, EFA became an independent analytical laboratory. Since then, EFA has continued to expand its technical capabilities, combining international analytical standards with practical knowledge of Japan’s regulatory and business environment. This combined experience has made EFA a leader in asbestos analysis, environmental risk assessment and environmental management in Japan.

In 2024, EFA decided to integrate the business operations and personnel of EAI Co., Ltd. into EFA Laboratories. This integration was undertaken to expand opportunities for technical experience, strengthen professional development, and provide clients with a more unified and comprehensive range of environmental consulting and analytical services. Through this integration, EFA has further enhanced its ability to support both domestic and international clients across a wider range of environmental due diligence, asbestos, soil contamination and regulatory compliance matters.
EFA provides high-quality asbestos analysis and analytical consultation services in Japan. Since its inception, EFA has completed well over 200,000 analyses across a wide variety of sample matrices. EFA has built a reputation as a fast, reliable and technically rigorous laboratory.

Environmental Liability Assessments in Japan

Environmental liability assessments in Japan can be a challenging task for foreign companies. Clear answers are not always easy to obtain, and clients often face uncertainty when trying to understand how technical findings relate to regulatory obligations, business risks and practical next steps. Some clients have told us that working through environmental issues in Japan can feel like “stepping through the Looking Glass.”

At EFA, we cut through that complexity.
Across Japan, we have the technical expertise, experience and on-the-ground knowledge required to provide the clarity our clients need. We accurately assess environmental risks, identify their regulatory implications and explain the results in practical terms that clients, stakeholders and decision-makers can understand.

In Japan, Consensus is Key

A logical argument supported by sound data is as effective in Japan as it is in most other parts of the world. In Japan, however, it is also essential to build consensus before action is initiated. This process can take time and may be unfamiliar to foreign companies.
One of EFA’s core strengths is our ability to combine rigorous scientific logic with the Japanese decision-making process. We help clients reach outcomes that are technically sound, practically achievable and acceptable to the relevant stakeholders on both sides.

Fully Plug-Compatible Support

Standards governing the management of asbestos, PCBs, soil contamination and other environmental risks vary by region and, in some cases, by country. EFA is familiar with the major standards and regulatory frameworks in Japan, the United States and the European Union. We are able to bridge the differences between these systems and help clients understand how international corporate requirements can be applied effectively in Japan.
EFA also has extensive experience tailoring environmental assessment and management processes to meet specific internal corporate standards. This saves our international clients considerable time and effort while providing the confidence and security needed to make informed decisions.

A Unified Platform for Environmental Consulting and Analysis

By integrating consulting expertise, analytical capability and practical regulatory knowledge within a single organization, EFA provides clients with seamless support from initial assessment through technical analysis, regulatory interpretation and project implementation.
Our goal is simple: to provide clear, reliable and defensible answers to complex environmental questions in Japan.

Academic Degrees:
M.Sc. in Soil and Aquatic Environmental Studies; Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (1986)
Ph.D. in Forestry and Environmental Studies; Yale University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies (1997)

Dr. Kamemoto has more than 25 years of experience in environmental management and regulatory consulting. His project experience includes: urban redevelopment; municipal redistricting; recreational development; investigations/decontamination consulting for commercial, retail and residential buildings; semiconductor plants, machine factories and pharmaceutical factories
Dr. Kamemoto established the Japan Branch of International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA) in 1997 and he participated in re-establishing IAIA as Japan Society for Impact Assessment in 2000. In the same year, he coordinated the activities of the Japan Environmental Measurement and Chemical Analysis Association and the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL) with the goal of introducing U.S. EPA environmental analytical methods to Japanese ministries and laboratories.
Dr. Kamemoto is a member of The Japanese Society of Limnology and The Geo-Environmental Protection Center. He is an instructor in the Environmental Program in the Master’s Course of Environmental Assessment at Wales University (U.K.).

– President & Chief Executive Officer

Hironori Kamemoto (ph.D)

Academic Degrees:
B.A. in Physiology; UC Berkeley (1980)
M.P.H. in Environmental Health Sciences; UC Berkeley (1982)

Qualifications/Licenses:
Certified Industrial Hygienist #5549, American Board of Industrial Hygiene, 1992
Mr. David Kahane oversees consulting group operations and provides litigation support services. Mr. Kahane has a Bachelor of Arts in Physiology and a Master of Public Health in Biomedical and Environmental Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley.
He is a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH).

Mr. Kahane provides technical expertise in litigation support for asbestos, lead and fungal exposure cases. He performs and supports industrial hygiene and indoor air quality investigations for a variety of commercial, industrial, insurance, military and school clients. He has performed and is well versed in various analytical methods including optical microscopy for asbestos, particulate and trace evidence, XRF and AAS/ICP.
Mr. Kahane is also a guest instructor at UC Berkeley asbestos and lead certification classes, serves on technical committees for AIHA and ASTM, and has served as a board member for the California Chapter of the Environmental Information Association (CCEIA).

– Executive Director & Chairman of Forensic Analytical Specialties, Inc.

David Kahane

Academic Degrees:
Ph.D. degree in Plant Cell Biology/Ultrastructure
M.S. degrees in Plant Cell Biology/Ultrastructure
SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York.

Dr. Delgado is responsible for the overall technical management of EFA Laboratories Co., Ltd.. He brings with him a breadth and depth of knowledge and experience, and is well known and highly regarded in industry circles. He spent 15 years as Director of Operations for Forensic Analytical Laboratories, Inc, Hayward, California, and 14 years as Director of Operations for Hygeia Laboratories, Inc. of Sierra Madre, California as well as working for the California Department of Health Services starting in 1986. Aside from his operational and technical management experience, Dr. Delgado has also provided analytical consultation and litigation support for material characterization and cases involving asbestos exposure liability.
Dr. Delgado is an active member of the ASTM Committee D22-07 on Sampling and Analysis of Asbestos and is an ANSI delegate to the ISO Technical Committee TC146 SC3 on Ambient Atmospheres. Dr. Delgado served two terms as Chair of the AIHA Asbestos Analysis Committee and one term as Chair of the AIHA Analytical Accreditation Board.

– Executive Director & Chief Technical Officer