Act for Establishment of the National Disaster Management Agency
(Act No. 61 of July 17, 2026)
Table of Contents
Chapter I General Provisions (Article 1)
Chapter II Establishment, Duties, and Affairs under the Jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Agency (Articles 2 through 4)
Chapter III Organization
Section 1 General Rules (Article 5)
Section 2 Head of the National Disaster Management Agency and Special Positions Established in the National Disaster Management Agency (Articles 6 through 12)
Section 3 Positions Established in the National Disaster Management Agency (Article 13)
Section 4 Central Disaster Management Council (Article 14)
Section 5 Organs such as Facilities (Article 15)
Section 6 Regional Disaster Management Bureau (Article 16)
Section 7 Miscellaneous Provisions (Article 17)
Chapter IV Miscellaneous Provisions (Articles 18 and 19)
Supplementary Provisions [Omitted]
Chapter I General Provisions
(Purpose)
Article 1 The purpose of this Act is to specify the establishment and duties of the National Disaster Management Agency, as well as a well-defined scope of affairs under its jurisdiction that are necessary for achieving those duties, and to specify matters concerning the organization necessary for efficiently executing administrative affairs under its jurisdiction.
Chapter II Establishment, Duties, and Affairs under the Jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Agency
(Establishment)
Article 2 The National Disaster Management Agency is established in the Cabinet.
(Duties)
Article 3 The National Disaster Management Agency has the following duties:
(i) in accordance with the basic principles referred to in Article 2-2 of the Basic Act on Disaster Management (Act No. 223 of 1961) (referred to as the "basic principles" in the following item), to assist the Cabinet's affairs concerning disaster management (meaning disaster risk reduction, disaster response, disaster recovery, and reconstruction from disasters; the same applies below) together with the Cabinet Secretariat; and
(ii) to ensure smooth and prompt execution of administrative affairs concerning disaster management, in accordance with the basic principles.
(Affairs Under the Jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Agency)
Article 4 (1) The National Disaster Management Agency takes charge of the following affairs that are necessary for coordination of the policies of administrative branches to achieve the duties referred to in item (i) of the preceding Article:
(i) affairs concerning the planning, drafting, and overall coordination of basic policies and proposals concerning measures for disaster management;
(ii) in addition to what is stated in the preceding item, affairs concerning planning, drafting, and overall coordination concerning measures for disaster management, including responses to a large-scale disaster that has occurred or is likely to occur;
(iii) affairs concerning the promotion of the implementation of measures for disaster management taken by the relevant administrative bodies; and
(iv) in addition to what is stated in the preceding three items, affairs concerning the planning, drafting, and overall coordination of measures for disaster management.
(2) The National Disaster Management Agency takes charge of the following affairs to accomplish the duties referred to in item (ii) of the preceding Article:
(i) affairs concerning the establishment and operation of an organization for disaster management as prescribed in Chapter II of the Basic Act on Disaster Management, and affairs concerning disaster management plans as prescribed in Article 2, item (vii) of that Act;
(ii) affairs concerning emergency rescue of disaster victims and relief of evacuated residents, etc. (meaning evacuated residents, etc. prescribed in Article 75, paragraph (1) of the Act Concerning Measures for the Protection of the People in Armed Attack Situations, etc. (Act No. 112 of 2004));
(iii) affairs concerning the designation of a disaster of extreme severity referred to in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the Act on Special Financial Assistance to Deal with Disasters of Extreme Severity (Act No. 150 of 1962) and the measures to be applied to the disaster of extreme severity;
(iv) affairs concerning the designation of a specified disaster referred to in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the Act on Special Measures concerning Preservation of Rights and Interests of Victims of Specified Extraordinary Disaster (Act No. 85 of 1996) and measures to be applied to the specified disaster;
(v) affairs concerning the payment of support grants for reconstructing livelihoods of disaster victims referred to in Article 3, paragraph (1) of the Act on Support for Reconstructing Livelihoods of Disaster Victims (Act No. 66 of 1998);
(vi) affairs concerning the designation of areas susceptible to typhoons as referred to in Article 3, paragraph (1) of the Act on Special Measures Concerning Disaster Management in Zones Frequently Struck by Typhoons (Act No. 72 of 1958) and disaster control projects as prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (1) of that Act;
(vii) affairs concerning the formulation of basic guidelines for the comprehensive promotion of countermeasures against active volcanoes as prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (1) of the Act on Special Measures Against Active Volcanoes (Act No. 61 of 1973), and the designation of volcanic disaster alert areas as referred to in Article 3, paragraph (1) of that Act, areas for emergency development of evacuation facilities as referred to in Article 13, paragraph (1) of that Act, and areas for prevention of falling ash as referred to in Article 23, paragraph (1) of that Act;
(viii) affairs related to earthquake countermeasures based on the Act Concerning Countermeasures for Large-scale Earthquakes (Act No. 73 of 1978);
(ix) affairs concerning earthquake countermeasures based on the Act on Special Measures Concerning Promotion of Earthquake Disaster Prevention Measures for the Nankai Trough Earthquake (Act No. 92 of 2002);
(x) affairs concerning earthquake countermeasures based on the Act on Special Measures concerning Advancement of Countermeasures against Earthquake Disaster in Relation to Subduction Zone Earthquake Around Japan Trench and Chishima Trench (Act No. 27 of 2004);
(xi) affairs concerning earthquake countermeasures based on the Act on Special Measures Against Tokyo Inland Earthquakes (Act No. 88 of 2013).
(xii) affairs concerning the approval of the reconstruction promotion plan prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1) of the Act on Special Zones for Reconstruction in Response to the Great East Japan Earthquake (Act No. 122 of 2011), the designation of the designated financial institutions prescribed in Article 44, paragraph (1) of that Act and the provision of interest subsidies on special zones for reconstruction prescribed in that paragraph, the promotion of the land restructuring plan prescribed in Article 46, paragraph (1) of that Act, and the coordination of the affairs of the relevant administrative bodies concerning the reconstruction promotion projects prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (3) of that Act and the land restructuring projects prescribed in Article 46, paragraph (2), item (iv) of that Act;
(xiii) affairs concerning the coordination of affairs of relevant administrative bodies concerning disaster management and the promotion of the implementation of the relevant affairs necessary for the coordination;
(xiv) affairs concerning the promotion of research and development of technology for disaster management, and the promotion of the dissemination and utilization of the results;
(xv) affairs concerning international cooperation related to the affairs under the jurisdiction;
(xvi) conducting training and research concerning the affairs under the jurisdiction at the education and training facilities specified by Cabinet Order;
(xvii) in addition to what is stated in the preceding items, affairs concerning measures for disaster management (excluding those under the jurisdiction of other ministries and agencies);
(xviii) in addition to what is stated in the preceding items, affairs assigned to the National Disaster Management Agency based on laws (including orders based on laws).
(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, among the administrative affairs stated in the items of paragraph (1) and in items (xii) through (xiv) and (xvii) of the preceding paragraph, those related only to nuclear disaster prevention as prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1), item (xviii) of the Act for Establishment of the Cabinet Office (Act No. 89 of 1999) are not administrative affairs under the jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Agency.
Chapter III Organization
Section 1 General Rules
(Structure of the Organization)
Article 5 (1) The organization of the National Disaster Management Agency must be composed systematically of administrative bodies with duties and affairs under the jurisdiction necessary to achieve those duties, the scope of which is clearly specified, and must be flexible to respond to issues of the Cabinet concerning disaster management.
(2) The National Disaster Management Agency must evaluate, plan, and draft its own policies under the supervision of the Cabinet, and coordinate with the Cabinet Office, the Digital Agency, and the national administrative bodies referred to in Article 1 of the National Government Organization Act (Act No. 120 of 1948), communicate with each other, to ensure that they fully function as unified entity.
Section 2 The Head of the National Disaster Management Agency and Special Positions Established
(The Head of the National Disaster Management Agency)
Article 6 (1) The head of the National Disaster Management Agency is the Prime Minister.
(2) The Prime Minister is the competent minister referred to in the Cabinet Act (Act No. 5 of 1947) for matters related to the National Disaster Management Agency, and takes charge of and manages the affairs prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (2).
(Authority of the Prime Minister)
Article 7 (1) The Prime Minister oversees the affairs of the National Disaster Management Agency and supervises the service of its employees.
(2) If the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary to enact, amend, or repeal a law or Cabinet Order concerning the administrative affairs under the charge of the National Disaster Management Agency, the Prime Minister must prepare a proposal for a cabinet meeting regarding that.
(3) The Prime Minister may issue an Order of the National Disaster Management Agency as an order of the National Disaster Management Agency, to enforce laws or Cabinet Orders, or based on a special delegation by laws or Cabinet Orders, regarding the administrative affairs under the charge of the Agency.
(4) An Order of the National Disaster Management Agency may not establish penal provisions, impose obligations, or establish provisions that restrict the rights of the people, unless it is delegated by law.
(5) The Prime Minister may issue a public notice when it is necessary to issue an official public announcement concerning the affairs under the jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Agency.
(6) The Prime Minister may issue an official directive or circular notice to competent bodies and officials under the jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Agency, to issue orders or directions concerning the affairs under the jurisdiction of the Agency.
(7) If the Prime Minister finds it necessary to coordinate policies among administrative bodies to perform the duties referred to in Article 3, item (ii), the Prime Minister may request the heads of the relevant administrative bodies to submit necessary materials and provide explanations after clarifying the necessity, and state Prime Minister's opinions on the policies of the relevant administrative bodies.
(Minister for Disaster Management)
Article 8 (1) The National Disaster Management Agency has a Minister for Disaster Management.
(2) A Minister of State serves as the Minister for Disaster Management.
(3) The Minister for Disaster Management is to assist the Prime Minister, oversee the affairs of the National Disaster Management Agency, and supervise the service of the employees.
(4) If the Minister for Disaster Management finds it necessary for executing the affairs prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1), the Minister may request the heads of the relevant administrative bodies to submit necessary materials and provide explanations.
(5) If the Minister for Disaster Management finds it particularly necessary for executing the affairs prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1), the Minister may make recommendations to the heads of the relevant administrative bodies. In this case, the heads of the relevant administrative bodies must fully respect the recommendations.
(6) If the Minister for Disaster Management has made a recommendation to the heads of the relevant administrative bodies pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Minister may request the heads of the relevant administrative bodies to report on the measures taken based on the recommendation.
(7) If the Minister for Disaster Management finds it particularly necessary concerning the matters recommended pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (5), the Minister may submit their opinions to the Prime Minister, suggesting that measures under Article 6 of the Cabinet Act be taken concerning those matters.
(State Minister)
Article 9 (1) The National Disaster Management Agency has one State Minister.
(2) In addition to the State Minister referred to in the preceding paragraph, the National Disaster Management Agency may have a State Minister who is appointed from among persons who hold the position of a State Minister of the Digital Agency or another ministry.
(3) A State Minister takes charge of policy and planning, and performs state affairs, under the orders of the Minister for Disaster Management.
(4) The scope of the duties referred to in the preceding paragraph to be performed by each State Minister is as specified by the Minister for Disaster Management.
(5) The appointment and dismissal of a State Minister is made by the Cabinet at the recommendation of the Prime Minister, and is certified by the Emperor.
(6) In the case of a general resignation of the Cabinet, a State Minister loses their position at the same time as the Prime Minister and all other Ministers of State lose their positions.
(Parliamentary Vice-Minister)
Article 10 (1) The National Disaster Management Agency has one Parliamentary Vice-Minister.
(2) In addition to the Parliamentary Vice-Minister referred to in the preceding paragraph, the National Disaster Management Agency may have a Parliamentary Vice-Minister who holds the position of a Parliamentary Vice-Minister of the Digital Agency or another ministry.
(3) A Parliamentary Vice-Minister assists the Minister for Disaster Management, participates in specific policies and planning, and performs state affairs.
(4) The scope of the duties referred to in the preceding paragraph to be performed by each Parliamentary Vice-Minister is as specified by the Minister for Disaster Management.
(5) The appointment and dismissal of a Parliamentary Vice-Minister are conducted by the Cabinet based on a proposal from the Prime Minister.
(6) The provisions of paragraph (6) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to the Parliamentary Vice-Minister.
(Special Advisor to the Minister)
Article 11 (1) When particularly necessary, the National Disaster Management Agency may have one Special Advisor to the Minister.
(2) As ordered by the Minister for Disaster Management, a Special Advisor to the Minister assists the Minister for Disaster Management in relation to the planning, drafting, and state affairs conducted by the Minister for Disaster Management concerning specific policies.
(3) The appointment and dismissal of a Special Advisor to the Minister is conducted by the Cabinet based on a proposal from the Prime Minister.
(4) If the Prime Minister intends to make the proposal referred to in the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister is to seek opinions of the Minister for Disaster Management.
(5) The Special Advisor to the Minister may be appointed on a part-time basis.
(6) The provisions of the National Public Service Act (Act No. 120 of 1947) of Article 96, paragraph (1), Article 98, paragraph (1), Article 99, and Article 100, paragraphs (1) and (2) apply mutatis mutandis to the service of the Special Advisor to the Minister.
(7) During the term of office, a full-time Special Advisor to the Minister must not engage in other duties with compensation, run any business for profit, or conduct any other operations for monetary gain, except when permitted by the Prime Minister.
(Vice-Minister for Disaster Management)
Article 12 (1) The National Disaster Management Agency has one Vice-Minister for Disaster Management.
(2) The Vice-Minister for Disaster Management referred to in the preceding paragraph is to assist the Minister for Disaster Management, organize the duties of the Agency, and supervise the administrative affairs of each department and administrative bodies of the National Disaster Management Agency.
Section 3 Positions in the National Disaster Management Agency
Article 13 (1) The National Disaster Management Agency has positions to execute a part of the affairs under the jurisdiction of that Agency to ensure efficient execution of those affairs.
(2) The National Disaster Management Agency may have positions to assist with all or part of the duties assigned to the positions referred to in the preceding paragraph.
(3) The establishment, duties, and fixed number of positions referred to in the preceding two paragraphs are specified by Cabinet Order.
Section 4 Central Disaster Management Council
Article 14 The Central Disaster Management Council is to be established within the National Disaster Management Agency, pursuant to the provisions of the Basic Act on Disaster Management (including orders based on that Act), with the Prime Minister as its head, as an organization to take charge of affairs that are appropriate to be performed through consultation among the relevant ministers, persons with relevant knowledge and experience, and other persons, to contribute to plannings, drafting, and overall coordination necessary for coordination of the policies of administrative branches concerning disaster management.
Section 5 Organs such as Facilities
Article 15 The National Disaster Management Agency may establish educational and training facilities (including similar facilities) within the scope of the affairs under its jurisdiction as prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (2), as prescribed in Cabinet Order.
Section 6 Regional Disaster Management Bureau
Article 16 (1) The Regional Disaster Management Bureau is established within the National Disaster Management Agency as a regional office.
(2) The Regional Disaster Management Bureau is allocated responsibilities for all or part of the affairs stated in Article 4, paragraph (1), items (ii) through (iv) and the items of paragraph (2) (excluding item (xvi)), among the affairs under the jurisdiction of the National Disaster Management Agency.
(3) The name, location, jurisdictional district, affairs under the jurisdiction, and organization of the Regional Disaster Management Bureau are specified by Cabinet Order.
Section 7 Miscellaneous Provisions
(Delegation to Cabinet Order)
Article 17 In addition to what is provided for in the preceding Sections, necessary matters concerning the organization of the National Disaster Management Agency are specified by Cabinet Order.
Chapter IV Miscellaneous Provisions
(Employees)
Article 18 (1) The National Disaster Management Agency has administrative officials for disaster management, technical officials for disaster management, and other necessary officials and staff.
(2) Administrative officials for disaster management take charge of affairs as ordered.
(3) Technical officials for disaster management take charge of technology as ordered.
(Report to the Diet)
Article 19 (1) When the government has newly established, amended, or abolished an organization established by Cabinet Order pursuant to the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (3) or Article 15 (excluding the position referred to in Article 13, paragraph (2) established pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph) or any other equivalent major organization, the government must report the status of the organization to the next Diet session.
(2) The government is to issue an official public announcement of the list of organizational structure of the National Disaster Management Agency in the Official Gazette at least once a year.
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