{"slug":"japan","name":"Japan","short_name":"Japan","iso_code":"JP","jurisdiction_type":"country","region":"Asia","subregion":"Eastern Asia","overview":"The AI Guidelines for Business consolidate Japan's previous AI R&D, utilisation and governance guidelines into a single non-binding document addressed to AI developers, providers and business users. Japan's first AI-specific statute establishes basic principles and a governmental framework for promoting AI research, development and use. The AI Basic Plan is the national strategy required under Article 18 of the 2025 AI Act.","regulatory_status_summary":"Instruments on record: AI Guidelines for Business (2024, guidance); Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology (2025, act, in force); Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan (2025, strategy, adopted). Each is linked to its official source; human verification pending.","binding_vs_guidance":"Binding: Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology. Strategy or guidance: AI Guidelines for Business, Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan.","current_priorities":null,"regulators":[],"official_sources":[{"title":"AI Guidelines for Business","publisher":"Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry","url":"https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/mono_info_service/ai_shakai_jisso/index.html","document_date":"2024-04-19","document_type":"guidance","tier":1},{"title":"Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology (Act No. 53 of 2025)","publisher":"Japanese Law Translation Database (Ministry of Justice)","url":"https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/5066/en","document_date":"2025-06-04","document_type":"legislation","tier":1},{"title":"Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan","publisher":"Cabinet Office, Government of Japan","url":"https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/ai/ai_plan/ai_plan.html","document_date":"2025-12-23","document_type":"strategy","tier":1}],"related_jurisdictions":[],"url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/ai-regulation-japan","source":{"official_source_url":"https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/mono_info_service/ai_shakai_jisso/index.html","source_title":"AI Guidelines for Business","source_publisher":"Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry","source_document_date":"2024-04-19","source_reference":null,"source_tier":1,"last_checked_at":"2026-09-26","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"medium","content_version":1,"change_summary":"Generated from the source-backed legacy dataset; overview composed from the listed instruments. Reviewer to add regulators and refine.","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt"},"policies":[{"slug":"japan-act-on-promotion-of-research-and-development-and-utilization-of-artificial-intelligence-related-technolo","id":"AIPT-POL-0113","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0113","title":"Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology (Act No. 53 of 2025)","short_title":"Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology","jurisdiction":"japan","instrument_type":"act","status":"in_force","is_binding":true,"ai_specific":true,"issuing_body":"National Diet of Japan; administered by the Cabinet Office","summary_plain":"Japan's first AI-specific statute establishes basic principles and a governmental framework for promoting AI research, development and use. It creates an AI Strategy Headquarters under the Cabinet, requires the government to adopt an AI Basic Plan, and provides for guidelines, information gathering and investigation of cases where AI infringes rights, together with guidance to businesses and the public. Businesses are asked to cooperate with government measures; the Act contains no fines or prohibitions.","adopted_on":"2025-06-04","in_force_on":"2025-06-04","applies_from":null,"official_source_url":"https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/5066/en","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt","content_version":1,"review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"high","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:46:24+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/japan-act-on-promotion-of-research-and-development-and-utilization-of-artificial-intelligence-related-technolo"},{"slug":"japan-ai-guidelines-for-business","id":"AIPT-POL-0114","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0114","title":"AI Guidelines for Business","short_title":"AI Guidelines for Business","jurisdiction":"japan","instrument_type":"guidance","status":"guidance","is_binding":false,"ai_specific":true,"issuing_body":"Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications","summary_plain":"The AI Guidelines for Business consolidate Japan's previous AI R&D, utilisation and governance guidelines into a single non-binding document addressed to AI developers, providers and business users. They set common guiding principles (such as human-centricity, safety, fairness, privacy, security, transparency and accountability) and describe agile governance practices, with an appendix of practical methods and checklists. The guidelines are updated periodically; version 1.0 was issued in April 2024 and version 1.2 in March 2026.","adopted_on":"2024-04-19","in_force_on":null,"applies_from":null,"official_source_url":"https://www.meti.go.jp/shingikai/mono_info_service/ai_shakai_jisso/index.html","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt","content_version":1,"review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"medium","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:46:24+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/japan-ai-guidelines-for-business"},{"slug":"japan-artificial-intelligence-basic-plan","id":"AIPT-POL-0115","permanent_url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/id/AIPT-POL-0115","title":"Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan","short_title":"Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan","jurisdiction":"japan","instrument_type":"strategy","status":"adopted","is_binding":false,"ai_specific":true,"issuing_body":"Cabinet of Japan (Cabinet Office, AI Strategy Headquarters)","summary_plain":"The AI Basic Plan is the national strategy required under Article 18 of the 2025 AI Act. It sets basic policies and concrete measures across four areas: accelerating AI deployment, strengthening development capabilities, leading AI governance and building an AI-powered society, with the stated ambition of Japan becoming the most AI-friendly country. The first plan was adopted by Cabinet decision in December 2025 and a revised second plan was adopted in July 2026.","adopted_on":"2025-12-23","in_force_on":null,"applies_from":null,"official_source_url":"https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/ai/ai_plan/ai_plan.html","last_verified_at":"2026-09-26","reviewed_by":"Bhaskar Bhatt","content_version":1,"review_status":"verified","confidence_level":"high","updated_at":"2026-10-15T06:46:24+00:00","url":"https://aipolicytracker.org/policies/japan-artificial-intelligence-basic-plan"}]}