Act on Access to Information Held by Incorporated Administrative Agencies (Appended Table 1, unenforced)
Table of Contents
Chapter I General Provisions (Articles 1 and 2)
Chapter II Disclosure of Corporate Documents (Articles 3 through 17)
Chapter III Request for Review (Articles 18 through 21)
Chapter IV Provision of Information (Article 22)
Chapter V Auxiliary Provisions (Articles 23 through 25)
Supplementary Provisions
Chapter I General Provisions
(Purpose)
Article 1  The purpose of this Act is, in accordance with the principle of the people's sovereignty, to further provide information held by incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations and thereby fulfill the accountability to explain the various activities conducted by incorporated administrative agencies and other corporations to the people through actions such as specifying the right to request the disclosure of corporate documents and the provision of information concerning the various activities of the incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations.
(Definitions)
Article 2  (1) The term "incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations" as used in this Act means the incorporated administrative agencies as defined in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies (Act No. 103 of 1999) and the corporations stated in Appended Table 1.
(2) The term "corporate document" as used in this Act means a document, picture, and electronic or magnetic record (a record made by an electronic method, a magnetic method, or any other method that cannot be perceived by human senses; the same applies below) which has been prepared or acquired by an officer or employees of incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations in the course of duties, held by the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation to be used for an organizational purpose by the officers or employees of the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation; provided, however, that the following things are excluded:
(i) official gazettes, white papers, newspapers, magazines, and books and other things issued for the purpose of sale to many and unspecified persons;
(ii) specified historical public records and archives as defined in Article 2, paragraph (7) of the Public Records and Archives Management Act (Act No. 66 of 2009);
(iii) things that are specially managed as historical or cultural materials or as materials for academic research at museums and other facilities specified by Cabinet Order, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order (excluding those stated in the preceding item); and
(iv) documents, pictures, and electronic or magnetic records held by the incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations stated in the left-hand column of Appended Table 2, which are separated from those related to operations other than the operations stated in the right-hand column of that Table as those exclusively related to the operations stated in the right-hand column of that Table, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.
Chapter II Disclosure of Corporate Documents
(Right to Request Disclosure)
Article 3  Any person may request an incorporated administrative agency or other corporation to disclose corporate documents that the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation holds, as provided for by this Act.
(Procedure for Requesting Disclosure)
Article 4  (1) A request for disclosure under the provisions of the preceding Article (referred to as "request for disclosure" below) must be made by submitting a document stating the following matters (referred to as "written request for disclosure" below) to incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations:
(i) the name and domicile or residence of the person making the request for disclosure, and for a corporation or other organizations, the name of the representative; and
(ii) the name of the corporate documents or other matters sufficient for specifying the corporate documents related to the request for disclosure.
(2) If incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations find that there is a formal deficiency in the written request for disclosure, they may set a reasonable period of time and ask the person who has made the request for disclosure (referred to as "disclosure requester" below) to correct the request. In such a case, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must endeavor to provide the disclosure requester with information that is to serve as reference for making the correction.
(Obligation to Disclose Corporate Documents)
Article 5  When a request for disclosure has been made, unless any of the information stated in each of the following items (referred to as "non-disclosure information" below) is recorded in the corporate documents related to the disclosure request, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must disclose the corporate documents to the disclosure requester:
(i) information concerning an individual (excluding information related to the business of an individual conducting business), which enables to identify a specific individual based on their name, date of birth, or other descriptions (meaning all the matters stated, recorded, or expressed by sound, motion, or other methods in documents pictures, or electronic or magnetic records; the same applies in paragraph (2) of the following Article) (including information that enables to identify a specific individual by comparing the information with other information), or information that cannot identify a specific individual but is likely to harm the rights and interests of an individual when it is made public; provided however, that the following information is excluded:
(a) information that is made public, or scheduled to be made public pursuant to the provisions of laws and regulations or as a customary practice;
(b) information that is found necessary to be disclosed in order to protect a person's life, health, livelihood, or property; and
(c) if the individual is a public employee or similar employees (meaning national public employees as defined in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the National Public Service Act (Act No. 120 of 1947) (excluding officers and employees of the agency engaged in administrative execution as defined in Article 2, paragraph (4) of the Act on General Rules for Incorporated Administrative Agencies), officers and employees of incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, local public employees as defined in Article 2 of the Local Public Service Act (Act No. 261 of 1950), and officers and employees of local incorporated administrative agencies (meaning local incorporated administrative agencies as defined in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the Local Incorporated Administrative Agency Act (Act No. 118 of 2003); the same applies below)), and the information is related to the performance of their duties, the part of the information concerning the work of the public employee or similar employees and the content of the duties performed;
(i)-2 anonymized personal information held by an administrative organ prescribed in Article 60, paragraph (3) of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (Act No. 57 of 2003) (limited to information constituting anonymized personal information files held by an administrative organ prescribed in paragraph (4) of that Article; referred to as "anonymized personal information held by an administrative organ" below in this item), or descriptions or equivalent matters as defined in Article 2, paragraph (1), item (i) of that Act, or an individual identification code as defined in paragraph (2) of that Article, which has been deleted from the personal information held prescribed in Article 60, paragraph (1) of that Act, which was has been used to create anonymized personal information held by an administrative organ;
(ii) information concerning a corporation or other organizations (excluding the national government, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, local governments, and local incorporated administrative agencies; referred to as "corporation or other organizations" below), or information concerning the business of an individual conducting the business, which is stated in the following sub-items; provided, however, that this excludes information found necessary to be disclosed for protecting a person's life, health, livelihood, or property:
(a) information that is likely to harm the rights, competitive position, or other legitimate interests of the corporation or other organizations, or the individual; and
(b) information voluntarily provided in response to requests by incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations on condition that it will not be made public, which is not customarily made public by corporations or other organizations or individuals, and is found reasonable to attach the condition in light of the nature of the information or the circumstances at that time;
(iii) information concerning discussions, considerations, or deliberations, internally conducted by or conducted between national government organs, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, local governments, and local incorporated administrative agencies, which is likely to wrongfully harm the exchange of honest opinions or the neutrality of decision making, wrongfully cause confusion among the people, or wrongfully give benefit to or cause disadvantages to specific individuals, when it is made public;
(iv) information concerning the affairs or business conducted by a national government organ, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, local governments or local incorporated administrative agencies, which has the following risks or is likely to hinder the proper performance of the affairs or business due to their nature, when the information is made public:
(a) the risk of harming national security, risk of harming the trust relationship with other countries or an international organization, or risk of suffering a disadvantage in negotiations with other countries or an international organization;
(b) risk of hindering prevention, suppression, or investigation of crime, and other matters concerning maintenance of public safety and public order;
(c) risk of making it difficult to accurately understand facts related to affairs involving audits, inspections, enforcement, examinations, or imposition or collection of tax, or the risk of facilitating illegal or wrongful acts, or making it difficult to discover those acts;
(d) risk of wrongfully hindering the economic benefit of the national government, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, local governments, or local incorporated administrative agencies or their status as the party concerned, concerning affairs related to contracts, negotiations or contestations;
(e) risk of wrongfully impeding the fair and efficient implementation of affairs related to research and study;
(f) risk of hindering the impartial and smooth securing of personnel concerning the affairs related to personnel management; and
(g) risk of hindering the legitimate interests arising from corporate management concerning the business related to incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, enterprises operated by local governments, or local incorporated administrative agencies.
(Partial Disclosure)
Article 6  (1) If non-disclosure information is recorded in a part of a corporate document related to a request for disclosure, and it is possible to easily separate and eliminate the part in which the non-disclosure information is recorded, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must disclose the part in which that part has been eliminated; provided, however, that this does not apply if it is found that significant information is not recorded in the part that has eliminated that part.
(2) If the information referred to in item (i) of the preceding Article (limited to information that can identify a specific individual) is recorded in a corporate document related to a request for disclosure, and it is found that by eliminating the part stating the name, date of birth, or other descriptions that can identify the specific individual out of the information, there will be no risk of harming the rights and interests of an individual even if the information is made public, the part that has eliminated that part is deemed not to be included in the information referred to in that item, and the provisions of the preceding paragraph apply.
(Discretionary Disclosure Due to Public Interest Grounds)
Article 7  Even when non-disclosure information (excluding the information stated in Article 5, item (i)-2) is recorded in a corporate document related to a request for disclosure, if it is found that that it is particularly necessary in the public interest, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations may disclose the corporate document to the disclosure requester.
(Information on Existence or Non-Existence of Corporate Documents)
Article 8  If by merely replying whether or not a corporate document related to the request for disclosure exists leads to the disclosure of non-disclosure information, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations may refuse the request for disclosure without clarifying whether the corporate document exists or not.
(Measures Against Requests for Disclosure)
Article 9  (1) When incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations disclose all or a part of the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure, they must decide to make the disclosure, and notify the disclosure requester in writing of that fact and the matters specified by Cabinet Order concerning the implementation of disclosure.
(2) When incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations do not disclose all of the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure (including cases in which a request for disclosure is to be refused pursuant to the provisions of the preceding Article and in which the agencies or corporations do not possess corporate documents related to a request for disclosure), they must make a decision not to disclose the documents and notify the disclosure requester in writing of that fact.
(Due Date for Disclosure or Non-Disclosure Decisions)
Article 10  (1) The decisions referred to in the items of the preceding Article (referred to as "disclosure or non-disclosure decisions") must be made within thirty days from the date of the request for disclosure; provided, however, that if a correction is requested pursuant to the provisions of Article 4, paragraph (2), the number of days that were required for the correction is not to be included in that period of time.
(2) Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if there are difficulties in the processing of affairs or other legitimate grounds, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations may extend the period prescribed in that paragraph for up to thirty days. In such a case, incorporated administrative agencies and other corporations must notify the disclosure requester in writing of the extended period and the reasons for the extension, without delay.
(Exception to the Due Date for Disclosure or Non-Disclosure Decisions)
Article 11  If there is a risk of significantly hindering the performance of affairs when making disclosure or non-disclosure decisions on all of the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure made within sixty days from the date of the request for disclosure because of the considerably large volume of those documents, notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding Article, it is sufficient for incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations to make disclosure or non-disclosure decisions for a reasonable portion of the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure within that period of time, and to make disclosure or non-disclosure decisions on the remaining corporate documents within an appropriate period of time. In such a case, an incorporated administrative agency or other corporations must notify the disclosure requester in writing of the following matters within the period prescribed in paragraph (1) of that Article:
(i) the fact that this Article will be applied and its reasons; and
(ii) the due date for making disclosure or non-disclosure decisions on the remaining corporate documents.
(Transfer of Cases)
Article 12  (1) If corporate documents related to a request for disclosure has been prepared by another incorporated administrative agency or corporation, or there are legitimate grounds for another incorporated administrative agency or corporation to make disclosure or non-disclosure decisions, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations may transfer a case to the other incorporated administrative agencies and corporations after deliberating with the other incorporated administrative agency or corporation. In such a case, the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation that has transferred the case must notify the disclosure requester in writing of the fact that the case has been transferred.
(2) When a case has been transferred pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation that has received the transfer must make a disclosure or non-disclosure decision on the request for disclosure. In such a case, acts conducted before the transfer by the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation that has transferred the case are deemed to be acts conducted by the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation that has received the transfer.
(3) In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, when an incorporated administrative agency or other corporations that has received the transfer makes a decision referred to in Article 9, paragraph (1) (referred to below as "disclosure decisions"), the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation must implement the disclosure. In such a case, the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation that has transferred the case must provide necessary cooperation for the implementation of that disclosure.
(Transfer of Cases to the Head of Administrative Organs)
Article 13  (1) In the following cases, an incorporated administrative agency or other corporation may, upon deliberating with the head of an administrative organ (meaning the head of an administrative organ prescribed in Article 3 of the Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs (Act No. 42 of 1999; referred to as the "Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act"); the same applies below in this Article), transfer the case to the head of the administrative organ. In such a case, the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation that has transferred the case must notify the disclosure requester in writing of the fact that the case has been transferred:
(i) when the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation finds that the disclosure of the information recorded in the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure has a risk of harming national security, damaging the trust relationship with another country or international organization, or suffering disadvantages in negotiations with another country or international organization;
(ii) when the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation finds that the disclosure of the information recorded in the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure has a risk of hindering the prevention, suppression, or investigation of crime, and of hindering the maintenance of public safety and public order;
(iii) when the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure have been prepared by an administrative organ (meaning the administrative organ as defined in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act; the same applies in the following paragraph); and
(iv) when there are legitimate grounds for the head of the administrative organ to make disclosure or non-disclosure decisions prescribed in Article 10, paragraph (1) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act.
(2) When a case has been transferred pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the provisions of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act apply to that case by deeming the corporate documents to be the administrative documents as defined in Article 2, paragraph (2) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act held by the administrative organ that has received the transfer, and deeming the disclosure request to be the request for disclosure prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act that is made to the head of the administrative organ that has received the transfer. In such a case, the term "Article 4, paragraph (2)" in Article 10, paragraph (1) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act is deemed to be replaced with "Article 4, paragraph (2) of the Incorporated Administrative Agencies Information Disclosure Act", the phrases "the person who makes a request for disclosure or the person who receives the disclosure of administrative documents", "pay...respectively", and " fees related to the request for disclosure...or fees related to the implementation of disclosure" in Article 16 paragraph (1) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act are deemed to be replaced with "the person who receives the disclosure of administrative documents", "pay", and "fees related to the implementation of disclosure", respectively.
(3) If a case has been transferred pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) and the head of an administrative organ who has received the transfer implements the disclosure, the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation that has transferred the case must provide necessary cooperation for the implementation of that disclosure.
(Granting of Opportunity to Submit a Written Opinion to Third Parties)
Article 14  (1) When information concerning a person other than the national government, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, local governments, local incorporated administrative agencies, and disclosure requesters (referred to as "third party" below in this Article, Article 19, paragraph (2), and Article 20) is recorded in the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure, when making disclosure or non-disclosure decisions, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations may notify the third party related to the information of the indication of the corporate documents related to the request for disclosure and other matters specified by Cabinet Order, and provide them with an opportunity to submit a written opinion.
(2) In the cases that fall under any of the following items, before making a disclosure decision, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must notify the third party in writing of the indication of the corporate documents related to the request for disclosure and other matters specified by Cabinet Order, and provide them with an opportunity to submit a written opinion; provided, however, that this does not apply when the third party's whereabouts is unknown:
(i) when intending to disclose the corporate documents in which information concerning a third party has been recorded, and it is found that the information falls under the information prescribed in Article 5, item (i), sub-item (b) or the proviso of item (ii) of that Article; and
(ii) when intending to disclose the corporate documents in which information concerning a third party has been recorded pursuant to the provisions of Article 7.
(3) If a third party who has been given an opportunity to submit a written opinion pursuant to the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs submits a written opinion expressing an opposition to the disclosure of the corporate documents, when making a disclosure decision, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must ensure a minimum of two weeks between the day of the disclosure decision and the day of the disclosure implementation. In such a case, immediately after making the disclosure decision, incorporated administrative agencies and other corporations must notify the third party that has submitted the written opinion (referred to as "written opposition opinion" in Article 19) of the fact that the disclosure decision has been made, the reasons for the decision, and the date of implementing the disclosure.
(Implementation of Disclosure)
Article 15  (1) The disclosure of corporate documents is implemented through inspection or delivery of copies for documents or pictures, and for electronic or magnetic records, by the method specified by Cabinet Order taking into account the type of record, the progress of information technology, and other factors; provided, however, that when implementing disclosure of corporate documents by the method of inspection, if incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations finds that the inspection is likely to hinder the preservation of corporate documents, or when there are other legitimate grounds, a copy of the documents or pictures may be used for inspection.
(2) Incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must establish provisions on the method of disclosure for electronic or magnetic records based on the provisions of the preceding paragraph by taking into consideration the provisions of Cabinet Order based on the provisions of Article 14, paragraph (1) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act and make them available for public inspection.
(3) The person who is to receive disclosure of corporate documents based on a disclosure decision must make a proposal on the method of implementing the disclosure they desire and other matters specified by Cabinet Order to the incorporated administrative agency or other corporation that has made the disclosure decision, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.
(4) The proposal under the provisions of the preceding paragraph must be made within thirty days from the date on which the notice prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) has been given; provided, however, that this does not apply when there are legitimate grounds for not being able to make the proposal within that period of time.
(5) The person that has received disclosure of corporate documents based on a disclosure decision may make a proposal to incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations they intend to receive further disclosure, limited to within 30 days from the day they received the initial disclosure. In such a case, the provisions of the proviso of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis.
(Coordination with Disclosure Implemented by Other Laws and Regulations)
Article 16  (1) If corporate documents related to a request for disclosure are to be disclosed to any person using the same method as the method prescribed in the main clause of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (if a disclosure period is specified, limited to within that period) pursuant to the provisions of other laws and regulations, notwithstanding the provisions of the main clause of that paragraph, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations are not to disclose those corporate documents using that same method; provided, however, that this does not apply when there are provisions in those other laws and regulations providing that disclosure is not to be implemented in certain cases.
(2) When the disclosure method specified by the provisions of other laws and regulations is public inspection, the public inspection is deemed to be the inspection referred to in the main clause of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, and the provisions of the preceding paragraph apply.
(Fees)
Article 17  (1) The person making a request for disclosure or the person receiving the disclosure of corporate documents must pay a fee for request for disclosure or a fee for the implementation of disclosure request as specified by incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations.
(2) The amount of the fees referred to in the preceding paragraph is to be specified by incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations in consideration of the amount of fees referred to in Article 16, paragraph (1) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act, which is within the scope of actual costs.
(3) When incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations find that there are economic difficulties or other special reasons, they may grant a reduction or an exemption of the fees referred to in paragraph (1), as specified by incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations, in consideration of the provisions of Cabinet Order based on the provisions of Article 16, paragraph (3) of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act.
(4) Incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must make the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs available for public inspection.
Chapter III Requests for Review
(Requests for Review and Exclusion from Application of Provisions Concerning Review Proceedings by Review Officers)
Article 18  (1) A person dissatisfied with a disclosure or non-disclosure decision or an inaction concerning a request for disclosure may file a request for review with incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations.
(2) The provisions of Article 9, Article 17, Article 24, Chapter II, Section 3, and Article 50, paragraph (2) of the Administrative Complaint Review Act (Act No. 68 of 2014) do not apply to a request for review concerning a disclosure or non-disclosure decision or an inaction concerning a request for disclosure.
(3) In applying the provisions of Chapter II of the Administrative Complaint Review Act to a request for review concerning a disclosure or non-disclosure decision or an inaction concerning a request for disclosure, the phrase "a person who has been designated pursuant to the provisions of Article 9, paragraph (1) (referred to as a "review officer" below)" in Article 11, paragraph (2) of that Act is deemed to be replaced with "an administrative agency with which a request for review has been filed pursuant to the provisions of Article 4 (including an administrative agency that has been handed over the documents and articles pursuant to the provisions of Article 14; referred to as "reviewing agency" below)"; the term "review officer" in Article 13, paragraphs (1) and (2) of that Act is deemed to be replaced with "reviewing agency"; the phrase "has been filed or a written opinion stating that a stay of execution prescribed in Article 40 has been submitted by a review officer" in Article 25, paragraph (7) of that Act is deemed to be replaced with "has been filed"; in Article 44 of that Act, the term "Administrative Complaint Review Board, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "Information Disclosure and Personal Information Protection Review Board" and the phrase "has received (if consultation under the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (excluding the case falling under item (ii) or (iii) of that paragraph) is not required, when the review officer's written opinion is submitted, if the case falls under item (ii) or (iii) of that paragraph, following the deliberation prescribed in item (ii) or (iii) of that paragraph)" is deemed to be replaced with "has received"; and the phrase "the review officer's written opinion, or the written report from the Administrative Complaint Review Board, etc. or the Council, etc." in Article 50, paragraph (1), item (iv) of the same Act is deemed to be replaced with "the Information Disclosure and Personal Information Protection Review Board",
(Consultation with the Information Disclosure and Personal Information Protection Review Board)
Article 19  (1) When a request for review is made concerning a disclosure or non-disclosure decision, or inaction concerning a request for disclosure, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations must consult the Information Disclosure and Personal Information Protection Review Board, unless the case falls under any of the following items:
(i) if the request for review is unlawful and is to be dismissed; or
(ii) if the whole request for review is accepted by an administrative determination, and it is decided that all of the corporate documents related to the request for review is to be disclosed (excluding cases in which a written opposition opinion concerning disclosure of the corporate documents has been submitted).
(2) Incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations that have consulted the Board pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph must notify the following persons of the fact that they have consulted the Board:
(i) the requestor for review and intervenors (meaning the intervenor prescribed in Article 13, paragraph (4) of the Administrative Complaint Review Act; the same applies below in this paragraph and item (ii) of the following Article);
(ii) the disclosure requester (excluding the cases in which the person is the requestor for review or an intervenor); and
(iii) a third party that has submitted a written opposition opinion concerning the disclosure of the corporate documents related to the request for review (excluding the cases in which the third party is the requestor for review or an intervenor).
(Procedures When Dismissing Requests for Review from Third Parties)
Article 20  The provisions of Article 14, paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the cases in which administrative determination that falls under any of the following items is to be made:
(i) an administrative determination to dismiss or reject the request for review from a third party against a disclosure decision;
(ii) an administrative determination to modify the disclosure or non-disclosure decision (excluding a decision to disclose all of the corporate documents related to a request for disclosure) concerning a request for review and to disclose the corporate documents related to that request for review (limited to cases in which an intervenor that is a third party has expressed their intention to oppose the disclosure of the corporate documents).
(Special Provisions on Transfer of Litigation)
Article 21  (1) If a litigation seeking the revocation of disclosure or non-disclosure decision or a litigation seeking the revocation of the administrative determination on the request for review related to an inaction concerning disclosure or non-disclosure decision or request for disclosure (referred to as "information disclosure litigation" in the following paragraph and Article 2 of the Supplementary Provisions) has been filed to a specified court with jurisdiction prescribed in Article 12, paragraph (4) of the Administrative Case Litigation Act (Act No. 139 of 1962), notwithstanding the provisions of Article 12, paragraph (5) of that Act, if an action for judicial review of administrative dispositions (meaning an action for judicial review of administrative dispositions prescribed in Article 3, paragraph (1) of that Act; the same applies in the following paragraph) related to the administrative determination on the request for review related to an inaction concerning a disclosure or non-disclosure decision or request for disclosure related to the same or the same type of corporate documents is pending at another court, the specified court with jurisdiction may transfer all or a part of the litigation to that other court or a court prescribed in Article 12, paragraphs (1) through (3) of that Act upon petition or by its own authority if it finds this to be appropriate taking into consideration of the domicile or location of the party, the domicile of witnesses to be examined, commonality of the issues, or evidence or other circumstances.
(2) The provisions of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis when an action for judicial review of administrative dispositions concerning the request for review related to a disclosure or non-disclosure decision or an inaction concerning disclosure decision or a request for disclosure other than an information disclosure litigation has been filed to the specified court with jurisdiction prescribed in Article 12, paragraph (4) of the Administrative Case Litigation Act pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph.
Chapter IV Provision of Information
Article 22  (1) Incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations are to prepare documents, pictures, or electronic or magnetic records that has recorded the following information they hold which is specified by Cabinet Order, and provide them in a timely manner, and, in a way that is easily accessible to the people, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order:
(i) fundamental information concerning the organization, operation, and finance of the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation;
(ii) information concerning evaluations and audits on the organization, operation, and finance of the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation; and
(iii) fundamental information concerning a corporation related to investment or contribution made by the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation or other corporations specified by Cabinet Order.
(2) Beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations are to endeavor to enhance measures concerning the provision of information, in order to deepen the people's understanding of their various activities.
Chapter V Auxiliary Provisions
(Provision of Information to a Person Who Intends to Make a Disclosure Request)
Article 23  (1) To enable a person who intends to make a request for disclosure easily and appropriately make that request, an incorporated administrative agency or other corporation is to provide information that contributes in identifying the corporate documents held by the incorporated administrative agency or the other corporation and take other appropriate measures that give consideration to the convenience of the person intending to make the request for disclosure, in addition to what is provided for in Article 11, paragraph (3) of the Public Records and Archives Management Act.
(2) The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications is to develop a general information center concerning requests for disclosure, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of this Act.
(Public Announcement of the Implementation Status)
Article 24  (1) The Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications may request incorporated administrative agencies or other corporations to give a report on the implementation status of this Act.
(2) Every fiscal year, the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications is to compile a report referred to in the preceding paragraph, and publicly announce an outline of the report.
(Delegation to Cabinet Order)
Article 25  In addition to what is provided for in this Act, Cabinet Order prescribes matters necessary for the implementation of this Act.
Supplementary Provisions  [Extract]
(Effective Date)
Article 1  This Act comes into effect on the day specified by Cabinet Order which is within a period not exceeding one year from the date of promulgation; provided, however, that the provisions of Article 8 of the Supplementary Provisions come into effect on the date of promulgation of this Act or the date of promulgation of the Act Partially Amending the Act on Facilitating Research and Development in Basic Technology (Act No. 60 of 2001), whichever comes later.
(Review)
Article 2  The government is to review the implementation status of this Act and the state of control of information disclosure litigations by taking into account the state of the review referred to in paragraph (2) of the Supplementary Provisions of the Administrative Organs Information Disclosure Act, and take the necessary measures based on the results of the review.
Appended Table 1 (Re.: Article 2)
|Name|Law|
|Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University|Act on the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University (Act No. 76 of 2009)|
|The Okinawa Development Finance Corporation|Okinawa Development Finance Corporation Act (Act No. 31 of 1972)|
|Organization for Technical Intern Training|Act on Proper Technical Intern Training and Protection of Technical Intern Trainees (Act No. 89 of 2016)|
|Japan Bank for International Cooperation|Act on the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (Act No. 39 of 2011)|
|Japan Finance Corporation|Japan Finance Corporation Act (Act No. 57 of 2007)|
|Nippon Export and Investment Insurance|International Trade and Investment Insurance Act (Act No. 67 of 1950)|
|Japan Financial Literacy and Education Corporation|Act on Provision of Financial Services and the Development of the Accessible Environment  (provisional English law title)|
|Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation|Act on the Nuclear Damage Compensation and Decommissioning Facilitation Corporation (Act No. 94 of 2011)|
|National Institute of Health Crisis Management Research  (provisional translation by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare)|National Institute of Health Crisis Management Research Act  (provisional translation by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) (Act No. 46 of 2023)|
|National University Corporation|National University Corporation Act (Act No. 112 of 2003)|
|New Kansai International Airport Company, Ltd|Act on the Integral and Efficient Establishment and Management of Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport (Act No. 54 of 2011)|
|Inter-University Research Institute|National University Corporation Act|
|The GX Promotion Organization|GX Promotion Act(Act No. 32 of 2023)|
|Bank of Japan|Bank of Japan Act (Act No. 89 of 1997)|
|Japan Legal Support Center|Comprehensive Legal Support Act (Act No. 74 of 2004)|
|The Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan|Act on the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan (Act No. 48 of 1997)|
|Japan Racing Association|Japan Racing Association Act (Act No. 205 of 1954)|
|Japan Pension Service|Japan Pension Organization Act (Act No. 109 of 2007)|
|Agricultural and Fishery Co-operative Savings Insurance Corporation|Agricultural and Fishery Cooperatives Savings Insurance Act (Act No. 53 of 1973)|
|Fukushima Institute for Research, Education and Innovation|Act on Special Measures for the Reconstruction and Revitalization of Fukushima (Act No. 25 of 2012)|
|The Open University of Japan Foundation|Act on the Open University of Japan (Act No. 156 of 2002)|
|Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan|Deposit Insurance Act (Act No. 34 of 1971)|
Appended Table 2 (Re.: Article 2)
|New Kansai International Airport Company, Ltd.|(i) Operations for the business referred to in Article 9, paragraph (1) of the Act on the Integral and Efficient Establishment and Management of Kansai International Airport and Osaka International Airport ( referred to as the "Establishment and Management Act" below in this row), which concern Kansai International Airport and fall under any of the following operations:|
||(a) operations for the business of establishing Kansai International Airport and the facilities prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1), item (ii) of the Establishment and Management Act (excluding  operations for the construction of those facilities) and of managing them|
||(b) operations for the business of managing the facilities specified by Cabinet Order that are referred to in Article 9, paragraph (1), item (iii) of the Establishment and Management Act and the facilities prescribed in item (vi) of that paragraph|
||(c) operations for the business incidental to the business prescribed in sub-item (a) or (b)|
||(ii) Operations for the business referred to in Article 9, paragraph (1) of the Establishment and Management Act which concern Osaka International Airport|
||(iii) Operations for the business prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (2) of the Establishment and Management Act|
|The Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan|(i) Operations  stated in Article 23, paragraph (1) items (vi) through (ix) of the Act on the Promotion and Mutual Aid Corporation for Private Schools of Japan referred to as the "Corporation Act" below)|
||(ii) Operations prescribed in Article 23, paragraph (2) of the Corporation Act|
||(iii) Operations stated in Article 23, paragraph (3), items (i) and (ii) of the Corporation Act|