(Purpose) Article 1 The purpose of this Act is to provide for the necessary particulars regarding the commission of the counseling services on people's complaints in order to help facilitate the settlement of the people's complaints regarding public administration, and to thereby contribute to the democratic governance of public administration.

(Administrative Counselors) Article 2 (1) The Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications may commission a person in whom society places its confidence who also has an understanding of and is committed to improving administrative operations, to conduct the following services: (i) in response to a filing of a complaint regarding the services of administrative organs and equivalent entities (meaning the Cabinet Office; the Imperial Household Agency; the organs prescribed in Article 49, paragraph (1) and (2) of the Act for Establishment of the Cabinet Office (Act No. 89 of 1999); the organs prescribed in Article 3, paragraph (2) of the National Government Organization Act (Act No. 120 of 1948); and the corporations prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1), item (xiii), (a) through (c) of the Act for Establishment of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (Act No. 91 of 1999) that Cabinet Order prescribes); the same applies hereinafter), and in accordance with the instruction given by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, to provide the necessary advice to the person filing the complaint and to notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications or the relevant administrative organs or equivalent entities of the complaint,; (ii) to respond to inquiries from the administrative organs and equivalent entities regarding the complaint of which they have been notified pursuant to the provisions of the preceding item and to notify the person filing the complainant of the results of processing by the relevant administrative organ or equivalent entity in question if necessary. (2) The commission under the preceding paragraph is to be made both with a specified jurisdictional city (including the special ward; the same applies in the case of paragraph (2) of the Supplementary Provisions), town, or village, and with a specified limitation of period not exceeding two years. (3) A person commissioned pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) is known as an administrative counselor (hereinafter referred to as a "counselor").

(Making the Counselor Known to Residents) Article 3 (1) Having commissioned the service under the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications is to take appropriate measures to make the counselor's name and address known to the relevant residents. (2) A counselor is to raise public awareness of and give publicity to the services thereof.

(Statement of Opinions) Article 4 A counselor may express to the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications the opinions on improving administrative operations that the counselor has formed in the course of service.

(Discipline) Article 5 (1) A counselor must not divulge any secret that the counselor has come to know in the course of service. The same applies even after the person has ceased to be a counselor. (2) A counselor must not make use of the position to benefit a political party or for a political purpose. (3) A counselor must conduct the services thereof fairly and appropriately.

(Dismissal) Article 6 The Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications may relieve a counselor of the commission under the provisions of Article 2, paragraph (1) if the minister finds that the counselor falls under one of the following items: (i) the counselor is having difficulty serving or is unable to serve due to a mental or physical disorder; (ii) the counselor fails to conduct a service or violates the provisions of the preceding Article; (iii) the counselor engages in misconduct that is unbecoming of a counselor.

(Guidance) Article 7 A counselor is to be guided by the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications in connection with the services thereof.

(Expenses) Article 8 (1) A counselor does not receive remuneration from the state in connection with the services thereof. (2) A counselor may be paid for the expenses that the counselor needs to conduct the services thereof, within the scope of the budget.