法科学鑑定研究所株式会社 (ALFS) was founded in Tokyo in December 2001 by 山崎昭 as a privately owned counterpart to the police 科学捜査研究所, and states over 1,000 sets of court-filed 鑑定資料 with the courts and police among its clients. Its 火災鑑定 practice covers origin-and-cause determination, arson-versus-accident opinion, GC-MS analysis of accelerant residue from fire debris, vehicle fires, reconstruction burn experiments, 鑑定書 preparation and courtroom testimony. Its technical backbone is credited to named state forensic scientists — 瀬田季茂, 鈴木隆雄 and 𠮷田公一 of the 科学警察研究所 and 木下新一 and 三井利幸 of 科学捜査研究所 — and it holds membership of 日本火災学会, 日本法科学技術学会 and 日本犯罪学会.