Artificial Intelligence Policy Tracker
Search
Menu

AI policies in Japan

Search and filter source-backed AI laws, regulations, standards, guidance and consultations. Each record shows its status, key dates, verification state and official source.

Results

3 of 244 instruments match

Japan Act / statute In force Binding

Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology

Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-related Technology (Act No. 53 of 2025)

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.

In force 4 Jun 2025 Verified (reviewed by Bhaskar Bhatt; a factual check against the official source, not a legal review) Official source
Japan Guidance Guidance

AI Guidelines for Business

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 19 Apr 2024 Verified (reviewed by Bhaskar Bhatt; a factual check against the official source, not a legal review) Official source
Japan National strategy Adopted

Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan

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 23 Dec 2025 Verified (reviewed by Bhaskar Bhatt; a factual check against the official source, not a legal review) Official source

Frequently asked questions

What counts as an AI policy instrument here?

Anything a government or standards body has actually issued: acts, regulations, executive orders, rules, national strategies, frameworks, guidance, codes of practice, voluntary standards and open consultations. Each record states which of those it is, whether it binds anyone, and links the official source it was read from.

Are these records legally verified?

A record is marked verified only after a named reviewer has opened its official source and confirmed each field. Anything that has not been through that carries "pending review" on the record itself, and the data-health document reports the current totals. Nothing here is legal advice.

How current is the information?

Every record carries the date its source document was published and the date it was last checked. A record not re-checked within the freshness window set by the verification policy is flagged as stale rather than quietly presented as current.

Can I reuse this data?

Yes. The records are published under CC BY 4.0 with attribution, and are available as CSV, newline-delimited JSON and a read-only REST API that needs no key. Cite the record URL, the date accessed and the official source alongside it.