Regulations for Enforcement of the Act to Promote the Utilization of Electronic Civil Court Information
(Order of the Ministry of Justice No. 1 of January 15, 2026)
Pursuant to the provisions of the Act to Promote the Utilization of Electronic Civil Court Information (Act No. 49 of 2025), and in order to implement the Act, the Regulations for Enforcement of the Act to Promote the Utilization of Electronic Civil Court Information is established as follows.
(Terms)
Article 1 The terms used in this Ministerial Order have the same meanings as the terms used in the Act to Promote the Utilization of Electronic Civil Court Information (referred to below as "the Act").
(Electronic Decisions Specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice Referred to in Article 2, Paragraph (1), Item (i), (c) of the Act)
Article 2 (1) The electronic decisions specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 2, paragraph (1), item (i), (c) of the Act means those related to the following judicial decisions:
(i) a ruling of a final appellate court to deny a final appeal;
(ii) a ruling to dismiss the final appeal;
(iii) a ruling not to accept the case as the final appellate instance;
(iv) a ruling for correction in the following judicial decisions:
(a) the judgment;
(b) a judicial decision prescribed in this Article;
(v) a ruling to change the ruling for correction referred to in the preceding item.
(Persons Specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice Referred to in Article 2, Paragraph (1), Item (iii) of the Act)
Article 3 (1) The persons specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 2, paragraph (1), item (iii) of the Act are as follows:
(i) a person who was involved in a case related to the retained civil court information and who falls under either of the following items:
(a) among the counsels, one who has been entrusted (excluding a counsel who has become a counsel by obtaining the permission referred to in the proviso to Article 54, paragraph (1) of the Code of Civil Procedure (Act No. 109 of 1996));
(b) a person who represents the State pursuant to the provisions of Article 1 of the Act on the Authority of the Minister of Justice over Suits Relating to the Interests of the State (Act No. 194 of 1947) and a person who has received the designation under the provisions of Article 2, Article 5, paragraph (1), Article 6, paragraph (2), Article 6-2, paragraph (4) or (5), Article 6-3, paragraph (4) or (5), or Article 7, paragraph (3) of that Act;
(ii) in addition to what is stated in the preceding item, it is clear from the relevant civil court information that there is a little risk of harming the rights of an individual even if the measures prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (1), item (iii) of the Act are not taken, for the person.
(Civil Court Related Information)
Article 4 (1) The information specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 2, paragraph (1), item (iv) of the Act is as follows:
(i) codes or other information used to identify the civil court information separately from other civil court information;
(ii) information indicating whether it is a judgment or a ruling, or other information indicating the method of judicial decision related to the civil court information;
(iii) information sufficient to identify the judicial decision of prior instance, the judicial decision corrected by a ruling for correction, the judicial decision revoked by a retrial, and other judicial decisions related to the civil court information;
(iv) information sufficient to identify the court and division to which the judge who has made the judicial decision related to the civil court information belongs;
(v) information indicating the category of the case related to the civil court information (meaning a case related to actions involving intellectual property, a case related to actions involving labor contracts, a case related to actions for damages due to a traffic accident, and other categories of cases);
(vi) information indicating that an appeal has been filed.
(Application for Designation)
Article 5 (1) A corporation that seeks to receive a designation under the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (1) of the Act (simply referred to below as a "designation") must submit a written application stating the following matters to the Minister of Justice:
(i) the name and the location of the corporation's principal office;
(ii) the location of the office where the business of management and provision of civil court information are sought to be conducted; and
(iii) the date on which the corporation seeks to commence the business of management and provision of civil court information
(2) A corporation must attach the following documents to the written application referred to in the preceding paragraph:
(i) articles of incorporation and certificate of registered information
(ii) the inventory of assets, balance sheet, and profit and loss statement for the business year preceding the business year in which the date of application belongs (for a corporation established in the business year to which the date of application belongs, the inventory of assets at the time of establishment);
(iii) a document certifying the decision made on the application for designation;
(iv) a document stating the names and brief personal record of the corporation's officers;
(v) a document stating the matters concerning the organization and operation of the corporation;
(vi) a document stating the outline of the business that is being conducted;
(vii) a document stating a plan for the implementation of the business of management and provision of civil court information;
(viii) documents in which the officer pledges that they do not fall under either Article 5, paragraph (1), item (v), sub-item (a) or (b) of the Act; and
(ix) a document stating other matters which would serve as reference information.
(3) The document stated in item (vii) of the preceding paragraph must state the following matters:
(i) the matters stated in the items of Article 8, paragraph (2) of the Act;
(ii) the matters related to the business plan and income and expenditure budget concerning the business of management and provision of civil court information.
(4) In addition to the written application referred to in paragraph (1) and the documents stated in the items of paragraph (2), the Minister of Justice may request the submission of documents that the Minister finds necessary to confirm that the corporation seeking to receive the designation meets the requirements stated in the items of Article 5, paragraph (1) of the Act.
(Notification of Changes to the Name of a Designated Corporation)
Article 6 (1) When a designated corporation intends to give a notification under the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (3) of the Act, it must submit a written notification stating the following matters to the Minister of Justice:
(i) the name or the location of the principal office after the change;
(ii) the date on which the change is planned; and
(iii) the reasons for the change.
(Notification of Appointment or Dismissal of Officers)
Article 7 (1) When a designated corporation intends to give a notification under the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (5) of the Act, it must submit a written notification stating the following matters to the Minister of Justice:
(i) the name of the officer to be appointed or dismissed;
(ii) the date of the appointment or dismissal;
(iii) the reasons for the appointment or dismissal; and
(iv) for a notification of appointment, a brief personal record of the officer subject to the appointment.
(2) In the case of a notification of appointment, a designated corporation must attach a document in which the appointed person pledges that they do not fall under either Article 5, paragraph (1), item (v), sub-item (a) or (b) of the Act to the written notification referred to in the preceding paragraph.
(Means of Providing Pseudonymized Civil Court Information)
Article 8 (1) The means specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 6, paragraph (1), item (ii) of the Act are as follows:
(i) the means of transmitting information via a telecommunications line that connects the computer used by the sender and the computer used by the recipient, and recording the information in a file stored on the computer used by the recipient;
(ii) the means of delivering a file that contains information prepared using an electronic or magnetic recording medium (meaning a recording medium for electronic or magnetic records).
(Operational Rules)
Article 9 (1) When a designated corporation seeks to obtain an approval of the operational rules pursuant to the provisions of the first sentence of Article 8, paragraph (1) of the Act, the corporation must submit a written application stating that fact with the operational rules attached to the Minister of Justice.
(2) When a designated corporation seeks to obtain an approval for changes to the operational rules pursuant to the provisions of the second sentence of Article 8, paragraph (1) of the Act, the corporation must submit a written application stating the following matters to the Minister of Justice:
(i) the matters to be changed;
(ii) the date on which the changes are planned; and
(iii) the reasons for the change.
(3) The matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 8, paragraph (2), item (vi) of the Act are as follows:
(i) the matters concerning the hours during which the business of management and provision of civil court information are to be conducted and the holidays;
(ii) the location of the office where the business of management and provision of civil court information are to be conducted;
(iii) the matters concerning the organization, operation, and other systems related to the implementation of the business of management and provision of civil court information;
(iv) the matters concerning the retention period of retained civil court information, etc.;
(v) the matters concerning the incidental business prescribed in Article 6, paragraph (1), item (iv) of the Act;
(vi) the matters concerning prohibition of use of retained civil court information, etc. for purposes other than the intended purpose;
(vii) the matters concerning measures to be taken in the event of leakage, loss, or damage of retained civil court information, etc. occurring;
(viii) the matters concerning the management of books and documents concerning the business of management and provision of civil court information; and
(ix) other necessary matters concerning the implementation of the business of management and provision of civil court information.
(Complaint Processing)
Article 10 (1) When a designated corporation receives any of following complaints on the handling of pseudonymized civil court information, the designated corporation must investigate the matters necessary for processing the complaints, and when it finds that improvement is necessary, it must take the measures required:
(i) that the content of the pseudonymized civil court information is different from the content of the electronic judgment, etc. related to the pseudonymized civil court information (meaning the electronic or magnetic records stated in Article 2, paragraph (1), item (i), sub-items (a) through (c) of the Act) ;
(ii) that the pseudonymized civil court information is not prepared pursuant to the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (1) of the Act and the operational rules;
(iii) that the rights and interests of an individual have been infringed or are likely to be infringed due to the dissemination of the information included in the pseudonymized civil court information.
(2) In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph or when processing a complaint based on the provisions of the operational rules, if the designated corporation finds it necessary, it may collate the pseudonymized civil court information with the retained civil court information and other information.
(Business Plans)
Article 11 (1) When a designated corporation seeks to obtain an approval for a business plan and an income and expenditure budget pursuant to the provisions of the first sentence of Article 9, paragraph (1) of the Act, the designated corporation must submit a written application stating that fact with the following documents attached to the Minister of Justice:
(i) a business plan;
(ii) an income and expenditure budget statement;
(iii) a projected balance sheet for the previous business year;
(iv) a projected balance sheet for the current business year; and
(v) in addition to what is stated in the preceding two items, documents that serve as a reference for the income and expenditure budget statement.
(2) When a designated corporation seeks to obtain an approval for changes to the business plan or income and expenditure budget pursuant to the provisions of the second sentence of Article 9, paragraph (1) of the Act, the designated corporation must submit a written application stating the following matters to the Minister of Justice. In such a case, if a change in income and expenditure budget entails a change in documents stated in item (iv) or (v) of the preceding paragraph, the document after the change must be attached.
(i) the matters to be changed;
(ii) the date on which the changes are planned; and
(iii) the reasons for the change.
(Refusal to Enter into Information Provision Contracts)
Article 12 (1) The legitimate grounds specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 10, paragraph (1) of the Act are as follows:
(i) that the applicant for the information provision contract does not consent to considering the matters specified in the operational rules which are prescribed in Article 8, paragraph (2), item (ii) of the Act as the content of the information provision contract;
(ii) that in the case the applicant for the information provision contract is a person who has concluded an information provision contract before, and there are fees concerning the business of management and provision of civil court information that has not been paid beyond the due date for payment;
(iii) that the applicant for the information provision contract is unable to pay the fees by the method of payment specified in the operational rules, or there is reasonable doubt as to whether the applicant has the financial resources to pay the fees;
(iv) that the applicant for the information provision contract is a person whose information provision contract has been cancelled due to the legitimate grounds prescribed in Article 10, paragraph (2) of the Act or the following Article of this Order, and for whom one year has not passed since the date of the cancellation.
(Cancellation of Information Provision Contracts)
Article 13 (1) The legitimate grounds specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 10, paragraph (2) of the Act are as follows:
(i) that a person who has concluded the information provision contract has failed to pay the fees for the business of management and provision of civil court information within two months after the due date for payment;
(ii) when the matters specified in the operational rules which are prescribed in Article 8, paragraph (2), item (ii) of the Act have been changed, that the person who has concluded the information provision contract does not consent to considering the changed matters as the content of the information provision contract;
(Suspension or Discontinuation of Business)
Article 14 (1) When a designated corporation seeks to obtain the permission referred to in Article 11, paragraph (1) of the Act, the corporation must submit a written application stating the following matters to the Minister of Justice:
(i) the scope of the business of management and provision of civil court information sought to be suspended or discontinued;
(ii) the date on which the suspension or discontinuation is sought;
(iii) when suspension is sought, the period of the suspension; and
(iv) the reasons for the suspension or discontinuation.
(Standards for Methods of Preparing Pseudonymized Civil Court Information)
Article 15 (1) The standards specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 13, paragraph (1) of the Act are as follows:
(i) to delete all or part of the following information on a specific individual included in the retained civil court information (including replacing the information with other information by a method that does not have the regularity to enable restoration of the information):
(a) name;
(b) date of birth;
(c) address;
(d) in addition to what is stated in sub-items (a) through (c), information that can be used to identify a specific individual;
(ii) to delete all individual identification codes contained in the retained civil court information (including the act of replacing the codes with other information by a method that does not have the regularity to enable restoration of the individual identification codes); and
(iii) to delete all or part of the information contained in the retained civil court information that is likely to cause property damage if wrongfully used (including the act of replacing the information with other information by a method that does not have the regularity to enable restoration of the information).
(Partial Entrustment of Business)
Article 16 (1) When a designated corporation seeks to obtain an approval referred to in Article 14, paragraph (1) of the Act, the corporation must submit a written application stating the following matters to the Minister of Justice:
(i) the name and address of the trustee, and for a corporation, the name of its representative;
(ii) the content and scope of the business sought to be entrusted;
(iii) the period of entrustment; and
(iv) the reasons for requiring entrustment.
(2) A designated corporation must attach the following documents to the written application referred to in the preceding paragraph:
(i) when the trustee is an individual, an extract of the resident record, or an alternative document;
(ii) when the trustee is a corporation, the articles of incorporation or the articles of endowment, and the certificate of registered information;
(iii) a copy of the entrustment contract of the business;
(iv) a document in which the trustee (when the trustee is a corporation, its officer; the same applies below in this item) pledges that they do not fall under either of Article 5, paragraph (1), item (v), sub-item (a) or (b) of the Act; and
(v) a document indicating that the trustee has taken necessary measures for the appropriate security management of the retained civil court information, etc.
(3) In addition to the documents stated in the items of the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Justice may request the designated corporation to submit other documents that the Minister finds to be necessary.
(4) When the written application referred to in paragraph (1) has been submitted, and the Minister of Justice finds that the entrustment of the business is necessary for conducting the business of management and provision of civil court information and that the trustee is able to conduct the business properly and reliably, the Minister is to approve the application.
(5) The provisions of the preceding paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis to cases in which a designated corporation seeks to obtain the approval referred to in the second sentence of Article 14, paragraph (2) of the Act.
(Books)
Article 17 (1) A designated corporation must close the books referred to in Article 15 of the Act on the last day of each business year and must keep those books for five years following their closing.
(2) The matters specified by Order of the Ministry of Justice referred to in Article 15 of the Act are as follows:
(i) the number of pieces of civil court information provided by the Supreme Court;
(ii) the number of pieces of pseudonymized civil court information prepared;
(iii) the name and address of the other party to whom the pseudonymized civil court information was provided based on the information provision contract, and the number of pieces of the pseudonymized civil court information provided to that other party;
(iv) the number of complaints received;
(v) the content of the complaints referred to in the preceding item and the measures taken to process the complaints; and
(vi) income and expenditure concerning the business of management and provision of civil court information.
(Identification Card)
Article 18 The format of the identification card referred to in Article 17, paragraph (2) of the Act is to be based on the format of the Appended Form.
(Handover of the Business of Management and Provision of Civil Court Information)
Article 19 (1) A corporation whose designation has been cancelled under the provisions of Article 18, paragraph (1) of the Act must conduct the following matters:
(i) to hand over the business of management and provision of civil court information to a designated corporation the Minister of Justice newly designates;
(ii) to hand over the retained civil court information, etc. together with the books, documents, and materials on the business of management and provision of civil court information to the designated corporation the Minister of Justice newly designates;
(iii) to delete the retained civil court information, etc. without delay after conducting the matters stated in the preceding two items; and
(iv) other matters that the Minister of Justice finds to be necessary.
Supplementary Provisions
This Ministerial Order comes into effect on January 15, 2026; provided, however, that the provisions of Article 8, Article 10, and Article 12 through Article 19 come into effect on the date on which the provisions prescribed in the proviso to Article 1 of the Supplementary Provisions of the Act come into effect.