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Expert analysis and commentary on Japan's public affairs, government relations, and public policy environment: the Diet, the ministries, and the industries they shape.

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Interactive · Field guide

How Japan Governs

An evergreen visual walk through the Japanese state: the two houses of the Diet, the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, the ministries, and the road a bill travels from a ministry desk to promulgated law.

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Data Center Regulation in Japan: Power, Policy, Backlash

Data Center Regulation in Japan: Power, Policy, Backlash

Japan has grown into one of the Asia Pacific's most popular data center destinations, but the AI-driven build-out now collides with a fragmented grid, economic-security concerns, and a rising community backlash. A map of where the government wants data centers, the Watt-Bit strategy moving them to renewable power, and the local resistance now reaching the courts.

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Japan's Record ¥143 Trillion Budget Requests, Ministry by Ministry (FY2027)

Japan's Record ¥143 Trillion Budget Requests, Ministry by Ministry (FY2027)

For FY2027, Japan's ministries have requested a record ¥143.07 trillion, the first time budget requests have topped ¥130 trillion. An interactive, ministry-by-ministry breakdown of the 概算要求: who is asking for what, where the increases are, and the new 'Strong & Prosperous Japan' investment framework.

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Honebuto 2026: Japan's FY2027 Budget as Year One of a New 14-Year Fiscal Era

Honebuto 2026: Japan's FY2027 Budget as Year One of a New 14-Year Fiscal Era

The draft Basic Policy 2026 (骨太方針) rebuilds Japanese fiscal management around a 14-year plan to FY2040: multi-year investment replaces single-year ceilings, and the central target shifts to a stable decline in the debt-to-GDP ratio.

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Japan Growth Strategy 2026: The 17 Sectors and ¥370 Trillion Bet

Japan Growth Strategy 2026: The 17 Sectors and ¥370 Trillion Bet

The draft Japan Growth Strategy sets out over ¥370 trillion in anticipated public-private investment across 17 strategic sectors and 62 key technologies by FY2040. An interactive, sector-by-sector explainer.

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Japan's ¥122.3 Trillion Budget, In Detail (FY2026)

Japan's ¥122.3 Trillion Budget, In Detail (FY2026)

Japan's national budget is a record ¥122.3 trillion for FY2026, up ¥7.1 trillion. The full revenue and expenditure breakdown, why social security and debt service consume 57 percent of it, and what bond dependency of 24.2 percent means.

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What is the LDP’s regional party structure?

What is the LDP’s regional party structure?

In an event that brought about a sense of déjà vu, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi found herself under fire for handing out gift catalogs to Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) lawmakers elected in the February 8 general…

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Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and What the Latest Disruption Means for Japan

Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and What the Latest Disruption Means for Japan

Disruption to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz puts Japan's energy security under direct pressure. What the conflict means for supply, prices, and Tokyo's policy response.

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What is Japan’s Nuclear Power Policy? A History.

What is Japan’s Nuclear Power Policy? A History.

Japan's nuclear policy after Fukushima: restart approvals, the Seventh Basic Energy Plan, next-generation reactors, and what the direction of travel means for energy-intensive business.

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Bringing a Medical Device or Drug to Market in Japan (2026 Guide)

Bringing a Medical Device or Drug to Market in Japan (2026 Guide)

Classification decides your route, and the route decides your schedule. Third-party certification runs 90 days; MHLW approval runs 10 months. The licences, the foreign manufacturer step, and the published processing times for every stage.

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How Does Lobbying Work in Japan?

How Does Lobbying Work in Japan?

Stakeholders in Japan often engage ministries and policymakers early, through meetings, written submissions, and sustained

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How Do Japan’s Lower House Elections Work? A Guide.

How Do Japan’s Lower House Elections Work? A Guide.

How Japan elects its House of Representatives: 465 seats split between single-member districts and proportional blocks, dissolution rules, and the mechanics that decide who forms a government.

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What is the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Why Has It Dominated Japanese Politics?

What is the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and Why Has It Dominated Japanese Politics?

The Liberal Democratic Party has governed Japan for almost 70 years under what is known as the 1955 system. How LDP dominance was built, how it survives, and what it means for policy outcomes.

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Health Food and Supplement Registration in Japan (2026 Guide)

Health Food and Supplement Registration in Japan (2026 Guide)

There is no single supplement registration in Japan. What applies is the MHLW import notification, the Consumer Affairs Agency's Foods with Function Claims notification, or Tokuho approval, depending on classification and claims. A 2026 step-by-step guide to registering and importing health foods and dietary supplements, including Japanese labeling and Organic JAS.

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2025’s Top 10 Moments and Events in Japanese Politics

2025’s Top 10 Moments and Events in Japanese Politics

There is a commonly held belief that Japanese politics is “boring.” While it may be true that the country has been relatively politically stable, led by the same Liberal Democratic Party for almost 70 consecutive years…

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What is Japan’s Proportional Representation System?

What is Japan’s Proportional Representation System?

Proportional representation allocates seats in proportion to each party's share of the vote. How Japan's parallel system combines it with single-seat districts, how the two chambers differ, and the advantages and drawbacks that drive the reform debate.

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Japan Financial Compliance: Navigating the FSA, FIEA, and the 2025 Crypto Reclassification

Japan Financial Compliance: Navigating the FSA, FIEA, and the 2025 Crypto Reclassification

Financial compliance in Japan: the FSA's oversight architecture, FIEA, the Banking Act, the Payment Services Act, the December 2025 reclassification of crypto-assets to FIEA, and the FY2027 SSBJ sustainability-disclosure rollout.

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The National Diet of Japan: How Japan's Legislature Works

The National Diet of Japan: How Japan's Legislature Works

The National Diet of Japan is the country's legislature and parliament: a 465-seat House of Representatives and a 248-seat House of Councillors. How it works, what a Diet member does, how a bill becomes law, and how its sessions set the calendar for every company operating in Japan.

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Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai): A Primer

Japan Innovation Party (Nippon Ishin no Kai): A Primer

Nippon Ishin no Kai, known in English as the Japan Innovation Party, entered coalition with the LDP in 2025. Its Osaka origins, where it stands on nuclear power and decentralisation, and what the partnership changes.

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Team Takaichi: A Breakdown of the New Cabinet

Team Takaichi: A Breakdown of the New Cabinet

After much drama and political maneuvering, Sanae Takaichi finally shattered the glass ceiling to become Japan’s first female prime minister. Facing numerous challenges at home and abroad, her cabinet appointments are…

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Japan's AI Strategy: Betting on Artificial Intelligence

Japan's AI Strategy: Betting on Artificial Intelligence

Japan is betting on AI as national industrial strategy. The AI Act, government compute investment, and what the policy direction means for companies building or deploying AI in Japan.

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Ishiba Steps Down: Who Will Rise to Meet Japan’s Challenges?

Ishiba Steps Down: Who Will Rise to Meet Japan’s Challenges?

Shigeru Ishiba's resignation reopened the LDP leadership contest. The candidates, the factional arithmetic, and what the succession means for Japan's policy agenda.

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Energy Sector Advisory Services in Japan: A Public Affairs Guide

Energy Sector Advisory Services in Japan: A Public Affairs Guide

Public affairs advisory for Japan's energy sector: METI, ANRE, NRA, and MOE oversight; subsector dynamics across renewables, oil and gas, power, and infrastructure; and how to choose a partner.

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Navigating Japan's New Policy Landscape: Key Insights from the June 13, 2025 Cabinet Decisions

Navigating Japan's New Policy Landscape: Key Insights from the June 13, 2025 Cabinet Decisions

On June 13, 2025, the Japanese government made a series of coordinated announcements that sets the path for policymakers for the coming years. Six major policy packages were approved on the 13th; paving the way for a…

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How to Submit a Public Comment (パブリックコメント) in Japan

How to Submit a Public Comment (パブリックコメント) in Japan

The public comment procedure is the one point where a Japanese rule is formally open to outside argument before it is finalized. Anyone can submit, including a foreign company, and the agency must respond on the record. How the window works, what makes a comment land, and why most foreign companies miss it.

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Policy Monitoring in Japan: Why Full Visibility Is Harder Than It Looks

Policy Monitoring in Japan: Why Full Visibility Is Harder Than It Looks

What policy monitoring services in Japan actually have to cover: a dozen ministries, several hundred advisory councils, two legislative chambers, and more than 1,700 municipalities, all publishing on different clocks. The real shape of the problem, and what to ask whoever does it for you.

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Japan Confronts Trump Tariffs - Strategic Policy Analysis and Business Implications

Japan Confronts Trump Tariffs - Strategic Policy Analysis and Business Implications

The following blog post is based on our May 2025 report, Japan Confronts Trump Tariffs: Strategic Policy Analysis and Business

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Government Relations Consultants in Japan: What They Do and How to Choose One

Government Relations Consultants in Japan: What They Do and How to Choose One

Government relations consultants in Japan translate business objectives into effective engagement with ministries, the Diet, and advisory councils. Here's what they do, why Japan differs from Washington or Brussels, and how to evaluate one.

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Sending Staff to Japan: The Business Manager Visa and Intra-Company Transfer

Sending Staff to Japan: The Business Manager Visa and Intra-Company Transfer

Putting people on the ground in Japan runs through the residence-status system: a Business Manager status for whoever runs the entity, Intra-Company Transfer for moving existing staff, and the Engineer / Specialist status for professional hires. A map of which status fits whom, what the Business Manager route now requires, and how the Certificate of Eligibility process works.

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Public Affairs in Japan: A Guide for Foreign Companies

Public Affairs in Japan: A Guide for Foreign Companies

How foreign companies navigate public affairs in Japan: a practical guide to government relations, regulatory strategy, stakeholder engagement, and when to hire a firm.

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Financial Services Licensing in Japan: FIEA, Payments, and Crypto

Financial Services Licensing in Japan: FIEA, Payments, and Crypto

Which licence a foreign financial business needs in Japan turns on what it actually does. The Financial Instruments and Exchange Act sorts securities and asset-management activity into registration categories; payments and crypto sit under the Payment Services Act. A map of the categories, the QII exemption, and where registration really bites.

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Government Ministry Engagement in Japan: A Guide for Foreign Companies

Government Ministry Engagement in Japan: A Guide for Foreign Companies

How to engage Japanese government ministries effectively: building the stakeholder map, aligning internal teams, timing around budget and Diet cycles, and the mistakes foreign companies most often make.

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The Japan Market-Entry Regulatory Checklist: Who Regulates You, and Who Writes the Rules

The Japan Market-Entry Regulatory Checklist: Who Regulates You, and Who Writes the Rules

Before entering Japan, most companies identify the ministry that licenses them and stop there. This checklist covers the full map: your sector regulator, the cross-cutting laws that bind everyone, foreign investment screening, and the advisory councils where the rules are written a year before they reach you.

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Setting Up a Ippan Shadan Hojin: Japan's Vehicle for Industry Associations

Setting Up a Ippan Shadan Hojin: Japan's Vehicle for Industry Associations

The general incorporated association (一般社団法人) is the standard legal vehicle behind Japanese industry bodies, consortia and standards groups. It is fast and cheap to establish, needs no ministerial approval, and is often the structural step behind building a collective voice in Japanese policy. How it works, and why the secretariat is the part that matters.

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The Japan Policy Calendar: When to Engage, and Why February Is Usually Too Late

The Japan Policy Calendar: When to Engage, and Why February Is Usually Too Late

Japanese policymaking runs on an annual rhythm with five tracks moving in parallel: the budget, the Diet session, advisory councils, tax reform, and the summer personnel rotation. Miss the window on any of them and you wait a year. Here is the calendar, month by month.

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How Japanese Policymaking Actually Works: An Insider's Guide

How Japanese Policymaking Actually Works: An Insider's Guide

Inside Japanese policymaking: how career bureaucrats draft most legislation, how nemawashi and shingikai shape outcomes before formal Diet approval, and where foreign companies can actually engage.

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Foreign Investment Screening in Japan: FEFTA Prior Notification Explained

Foreign Investment Screening in Japan: FEFTA Prior Notification Explained

Japan screens inward investment under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act. In designated sectors a foreign investor must file a prior notification and wait out a review before completing, and the threshold is as low as 1 percent. What triggers it, how the two-week clock really works, and where deals get caught.

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Selling to the Japanese Government: The Bidding Qualification, ISMAP, and the Trading-House Shortcut

Selling to the Japanese Government: The Bidding Qualification, ISMAP, and the Trading-House Shortcut

Two gates stand between a foreign company and a Japanese government contract: the unified bidding qualification that lets you bid at all, and, for cloud and IT, ISMAP. Many firms route around both through a trading house, at a real cost in control and margin. How the gates work and what the shortcut costs.

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Staffing Licences in Japan: Worker-Dispatch (労働者派遣) and Recruitment (職業紹介)

Staffing Licences in Japan: Worker-Dispatch (労働者派遣) and Recruitment (職業紹介)

Placing people in Japan means a licence, and which one depends on the model: worker-dispatch, where you employ the worker and send them to a client, and fee-charging recruitment, where you introduce a candidate the client hires directly, are two different licences under two different acts. A map of both, the rules that bound them, the temp-to-perm hybrid that needs both, and why the dispatch regime keeps changing.

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U.S.-Japan Relations and the Return of Trump

U.S.-Japan Relations and the Return of Trump

The world is watching closely as Donald Trump returns to the U.S. presidency on January 20, and leaders everywhere are rethinking the old question: Should Trump be taken literally, seriously, or

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Policy Under Pressure - Energy Policy: Powering the Future of Japan

Policy Under Pressure - Energy Policy: Powering the Future of Japan

The current LDP/Komeito government is trying to walk over a narrowing tightrope of political and policy machinations. With Prime Minister Ishiba stating that there needs to be “ broad consensus building” during his…

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Policy Under Pressure: Digital Transformation (DX)

Policy Under Pressure: Digital Transformation (DX)

Welcome to Policy Under Pressure, a new blog series diving into the evolving dynamics of Japan’s political landscape and their impact on key policy areas. With the unprecedented emergence of a minority government,…

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How to Register a Pesticide in Japan: FAMIC, Dossiers, Timelines

How to Register a Pesticide in Japan: FAMIC, Dossiers, Timelines

A practical guide to Japan pesticide registration for foreign manufacturers: who registers and who reviews, what the FAMIC dossier must contain, the 18-month standard period, the OECD format and the four summaries that must be in Japanese, the generic route, the domestic administrator a foreign registrant must appoint, statutory fees, and how re-evaluation deadlines shape every filing.

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The 13.9 Trillion Yen Question: What Was at Stake in Japan's Extraordinary Diet Session

The 13.9 Trillion Yen Question: What Was at Stake in Japan's Extraordinary Diet Session

Inside Japan's 13.9 trillion yen supplementary budget: what the extraordinary Diet session meant for public affairs, government relations, and corporate strategy in Japan.

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Drug Pricing in Japan: How the NHI Price (薬価) Is Set, and Then Cut

Drug Pricing in Japan: How the NHI Price (薬価) Is Set, and Then Cut

Approval gets a drug into Japan; the NHI price decides whether the market is worth having. Japan sets one reimbursement price per drug, calculates it by comparator or cost, adjusts it against foreign prices, and then revises it downward every year for the life of the product. A map of how the number is set, why it only falls, and where the rules are actually decided.

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Japan's Autonomous Cargo Highways: The Auto Flow Road and the Future of Carbon-Neutral Logistics

Japan's Autonomous Cargo Highways: The Auto Flow Road and the Future of Carbon-Neutral Logistics

How Japan's Auto Flow Road plan addresses the trucker shortage, carbon goals, and the 2024 logistics crisis, and what it means for public affairs and corporate strategy in Japan.

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Japan's Seventh Basic Energy Plan: Nuclear, Hydrogen, and the Commercial Stakes for 2035

Japan's Seventh Basic Energy Plan: Nuclear, Hydrogen, and the Commercial Stakes for 2035

Inside Japan's Seventh Basic Energy Plan: nuclear restarts, hydrogen, offshore wind, GX financing, and what it means for public affairs and corporate strategy in Japan.

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How Does Japan Choose Its Prime Minister? A Guide to the Diet, the LDP, and Coalition Politics

How Does Japan Choose Its Prime Minister? A Guide to the Diet, the LDP, and Coalition Politics

Japan's prime minister is not elected by the public. The Diet designates the PM, which in practice means the leadership race of whichever party controls the Lower House decides who governs. How the vote works, why Japan has no president, and how often it happens.

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Importing Food into Japan: The Notification, the One-Day Clock, and the Holds

Importing Food into Japan: The Notification, the One-Day Clock, and the Holds

Every consignment of food entering Japan needs an import notification under the Food Sanitation Act, about 2.35 million a year. The published clearance period is one day, but monitoring and ordered inspections are where shipments actually sit. What importers need to plan for.

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Japan's Labor Law Reform: Dismissal Rules, Labor Mobility, and the Fight Over Productivity

Japan's Labor Law Reform: Dismissal Rules, Labor Mobility, and the Fight Over Productivity

Japan's labor law reform debate, dismissal rules, regular vs. non-regular employment, labor mobility, and what it means for public affairs and corporate strategy in Japan.

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Setting Up a Company in Japan: KK vs GK vs Branch vs Representative Office

Setting Up a Company in Japan: KK vs GK vs Branch vs Representative Office

The first decision on entering Japan is which vehicle to use, and it is not just a filing. A subsidiary (KK or GK), a branch of the foreign company, or a representative office each carries different liability, tax, credibility, and what you are even allowed to do. A map of the four options, what registration involves, and where the choice actually bites.

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Registering a New Chemical Substance in Japan: The Three Tonnage Tracks

Registering a New Chemical Substance in Japan: The Three Tonnage Tracks

Japan's Chemical Substances Control Act sorts new-substance notification into three tracks by tonnage, screened jointly by three ministries. The low-volume route alone runs about 132,000 filings a year. What the tracks are, what each costs in time, and how to plan a Japan chemical launch.

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Importing into Japan: Customs, Tariffs, and Clearance Explained

Importing into Japan: Customs, Tariffs, and Clearance Explained

Bringing goods into Japan means a customs declaration, import permission, and three kinds of charge, but the step that catches importers is the other-law rule: customs will not release goods until every sector permit is shown. A map of declaration and duty, how tariff rates and preferential origin work, and why clearance so often turns on a permit from another ministry entirely.

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APPI Compliance for Foreign Companies: Japan's Data-Protection Law

APPI Compliance for Foreign Companies: Japan's Data-Protection Law

Japan's Act on the Protection of Personal Information reaches foreign companies that handle the data of people in Japan, whether or not they have an office here. What triggers it, the breach-reporting duty, the cross-border-transfer rules, and how it compares to the GDPR.

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Japan Defense Procurement: How ATLA Buys, and How Foreign Suppliers Get In

Japan Defense Procurement: How ATLA Buys, and How Foreign Suppliers Get In

Japan is in the middle of its largest defense buildup in decades, and the way it buys equipment is a pathway with specific gates. How the acquisition cycle runs from requirement to acceptance, the five routes a foreign supplier can take in, the qualification and clearance gates, and why market access so often runs through a Japanese prime.

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Registering a Telecommunications Business in Japan: When Your SaaS Is Legally a Carrier

Registering a Telecommunications Business in Japan: When Your SaaS Is Legally a Carrier

Japan's Telecommunications Business Act reaches further than foreign software companies expect. Messaging, cloud voice, some SaaS and platforms can all count as telecom businesses. The registration-versus-notification split, the 2023 amendment that added new duties, and how to tell whether the Act applies to you.

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Japan's 2024 AI White Paper: Stage II, Governance, and the Road to an AI-Friendly Economy

Japan's 2024 AI White Paper: Stage II, Governance, and the Road to an AI-Friendly Economy

Inside Japan's 2024 AI White Paper: Stage II strategy, AI Guidelines for Business, AISI, and what it means for public affairs and corporate AI strategy in Japan.

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The Giteki Mark: Radio Type Approval for Devices Sold in Japan

The Giteki Mark: Radio Type Approval for Devices Sold in Japan

Almost any wireless device sold in Japan needs the giteki mark of technical-conformity certification under the Radio Act. What it is, the two approval routes, whether you can test abroad under a mutual-recognition agreement, and where the process actually holds a product launch up.

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Japan's Industry Associations: How They Shape Public Policy and Why It Matters for Market Entry

Japan's Industry Associations: How They Shape Public Policy and Why It Matters for Market Entry

How Japan's industry associations shape public policy: Keidanren, sector bodies, and case studies like Uber and Airbnb that define market entry and government relations in Japan.

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Japan's Regulatory Sandbox: How the Framework Works and Why It Matters for Innovators

Japan's Regulatory Sandbox: How the Framework Works and Why It Matters for Innovators

A guide to Japan's regulatory sandbox: legal basis, application process, FinTech and mobility case studies, and what it means for public affairs and market entry in Japan.

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PMDA Japan: What the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency Does

PMDA Japan: What the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency Does

The PMDA (Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Agency) is Japan's regulator for drugs and medical devices: clinical review, post-market safety, and relief for adverse effects. How it works, how it differs from the FDA, and why MHLW, not PMDA, signs the approval.

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Japan's Economic Security Clearance System: What Companies Need to Know

Japan's Economic Security Clearance System: What Companies Need to Know

Japan's new economic security clearance law closes a long-standing G7 gap. Here is what the regime covers, how it works, and what it means for companies.

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Lobbying in Japan: The Regulatory Environment Explained

Lobbying in Japan: The Regulatory Environment Explained

Japan has no lobbying registry, yet political finance, election, and disclosure laws shape how public affairs is done. Here is how the regime actually works.

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Public Affairs Best Practices in Japan: A Playbook for 2026

Public Affairs Best Practices in Japan: A Playbook for 2026

A senior-consultant playbook for public affairs in Japan: nemawashi, stakeholder mapping, policy advocacy, digital, and the long game of trust-building.

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Japan's Nudge Unit: Behavioral Insights in Public Policy, Explained

Japan's Nudge Unit: Behavioral Insights in Public Policy, Explained

Japan's Nudge Unit applies behavioral science to climate, traffic, and public health. Here is how it works and what it means for companies operating in Japan.

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ATLA Japan: The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency Explained

ATLA Japan: The Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency Explained

ATLA (Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency) is the Ministry of Defense body that runs Japan's defense procurement, R&D, and equipment transfers. What it buys, how it was created in 2015, and how foreign defense suppliers engage with it.

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Digital Agency Japan (デジタル庁): What It Is and What It Controls

Digital Agency Japan (デジタル庁): What It Is and What It Controls

Japan's Digital Agency (デジタル庁), established 1 September 2021, leads government digital transformation and can direct other ministries' IT spending. What it controls, who leads it, and what it means for technology and cloud vendors.

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Mastering Government Relations in Japan: A Strategic Guide for 2026

Mastering Government Relations in Japan: A Strategic Guide for 2026

A senior-consultant guide to government relations in Japan: nemawashi, trusted introductions, bilingual advocacy, and the long game that actually moves policy.

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What is JETRO? Japan's Trade and Investment Organization

What is JETRO? Japan's Trade and Investment Organization

JETRO is the METI-affiliated organization that supports inbound investment into Japan and exports out of it. What it is, which ministry oversees it, what its services actually cost, and where its usefulness ends.

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Tokyo's Government-Backed Dating App: Demography Meets Digital Policy

Tokyo's Government-Backed Dating App: Demography Meets Digital Policy

Tokyo's government-backed dating app turns demographic policy into a digital product. Here is what it does, why it matters, and what the policy signals.

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Japan's Move to Regulate Generative AI: What Businesses Need to Know

Japan's Move to Regulate Generative AI: What Businesses Need to Know

Japan is building a binding framework for generative AI. Here is what the draft Basic Law, ministry jurisdiction fights, and penalty clauses mean for corporate strategy.

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What is JAXA? Japan's Space Agency, Its Ministry and Its Budget

What is JAXA? Japan's Space Agency, Its Ministry and Its Budget

JAXA is Japan's national space agency, formed in 2003 and supervised primarily by MEXT alongside three other ministries. Which ministry has jurisdiction, how it is funded, and how companies work with it.

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Japan's Government Ministries: A Public Affairs Map for 2026

Japan's Government Ministries: A Public Affairs Map for 2026

A 2026 public affairs map of Japan's central ministries: mandates, policy priorities, and what each one means for foreign and multinational firms operating in Japan.

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Corporate Crisis Communications in Japan: A 2026 Playbook for Multinationals

Corporate Crisis Communications in Japan: A 2026 Playbook for Multinationals

A senior public affairs playbook for corporate crisis communications in Japan: cultural expectations, media relations, regulator coordination, and common foreign-firm mistakes.

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NEDO Japan: What the Agency Is and What It Funds

NEDO Japan: What the Agency Is and What It Funds

NEDO (New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization) is Japan's largest public R&D funding agency and METI's main delivery arm for energy and industrial technology. What it funds, how the GX programme works, and whether foreign companies can apply.

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Akiko Murakami Named First Director of Japan's AI Safety Institute

Akiko Murakami Named First Director of Japan's AI Safety Institute

Akiko Murakami, Sompo Japan CDO and a Watson veteran, is the first director of Japan's AI Safety Institute. Here is what the appointment means for AI policy and business.

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What Was NISC? Japan's Cybersecurity Center and Its NCO Successor

What Was NISC? Japan's Cybersecurity Center and Its NCO Successor

NISC was Japan's national cybersecurity center until 1 July 2025, when it was reorganised into the National Cyber Office (NCO). What NISC was, what the acronym meant, and what changed when the NCO replaced it.

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Cosmetic Product Registration in Japan: 2026 Import Guide

Cosmetic Product Registration in Japan: 2026 Import Guide

There is no single cosmetic product registration in Japan. What applies under the PMD Act is a licensed Japan-side marketing authorization holder, a marketing notification for each cosmetic, and a separate approval for quasi-drugs. A 2026 guide to registering and importing cosmetics and quasi-drugs: classification, licensing, ingredient review, labeling, and claims.

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Japan Customs Explained: Border Gatekeeper and Trade Compliance Partner

Japan Customs Explained: Border Gatekeeper and Trade Compliance Partner

A public affairs briefing on Japan Customs: mandate, structure, priority programs including AEO and NACCS, and what border clearance rules mean for multinationals.

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What is the JFTC? Japan's Fair Trade Commission Explained

What is the JFTC? Japan's Fair Trade Commission Explained

The JFTC is Japan's competition regulator, established in 1947 to enforce the Antimonopoly Act. What it is, how its independence works, what it currently enforces against, and what global firms should prepare for.

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Consumer Affairs Agency Japan (CAA): What It Regulates

Consumer Affairs Agency Japan (CAA): What It Regulates

Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA, 消費者庁) sets the rules on food labeling, health claims, advertising, and digital consumer protection. What it regulates, its 2026 priorities, and what foreign brands need to get right.

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Japan Tourism Agency (JTA): What It Does and Its 2026 Policy

Japan Tourism Agency (JTA): What It Does and Its 2026 Policy

The Japan Tourism Agency (観光庁) is the MLIT body responsible for national tourism policy, established in 2008. What it does, how it handles overtourism, and the inbound targets driving its agenda.

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Financial Services Agency Japan (JFSA): Role and Powers

Financial Services Agency Japan (JFSA): Role and Powers

Japan's Financial Services Agency (金融庁, JFSA) supervises banks, insurers, securities firms, and registered crypto exchanges. What it licenses, how it differs from the UK body of the same acronym, and what foreign financial firms should expect.

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ANRE: Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Explained

ANRE: Japan's Agency for Natural Resources and Energy Explained

The Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (ANRE, 資源エネルギー庁) is the METI agency that sets Japan's energy policy, from the Strategic Energy Plan to electricity market rules and resource security. What it controls, and how energy investors and suppliers engage with it.

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Japan's Mobile App Antitrust Law: What Platforms Must Do Now

Japan's Mobile App Antitrust Law: What Platforms Must Do Now

Japan's Mobile Software Competition Act reshapes app stores, payments, browsers, and search. A 2026 briefing on obligations, enforcement, and strategy for platforms.

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Japan's Ride-Hailing Reform: Public Affairs Stakes for Platforms

Japan's Ride-Hailing Reform: Public Affairs Stakes for Platforms

Japan's partial ride-hailing opening, Japan Ride Share rollout, and the looming debate over full platform entry. A 2026 briefing for mobility operators and investors.

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Japan's Active Cyber Defense Law: A 2026 Briefing for Operators

Japan's Active Cyber Defense Law: A 2026 Briefing for Operators

From the 2023 LDP resolution to Japan's Active Cyber Defense Law: a 2026 public affairs briefing on cybersecurity obligations for critical infrastructure operators.

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Japan's AI Act & AI Safety Institute: A 2026 Business Briefing

Japan's AI Act & AI Safety Institute: A 2026 Business Briefing

From the 2023 LDP proposal to Japan's AI Act and AISI: a 2026 briefing on AI governance obligations, enforcement direction, and what multinational firms should do now.

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Kishida's Cabinet Reshuffle: Inside Japan's Response to the LDP Slush-Fund Scandal

Kishida's Cabinet Reshuffle: Inside Japan's Response to the LDP Slush-Fund Scandal

How PM Kishida reshuffled his cabinet to contain the LDP political funds scandal, and what the reset signaled for government relations and policy continuity in Japan.

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LDP Leadership Poll 2023: Why Ishiba's Rise Signaled a Public Mood Shift in Japan

LDP Leadership Poll 2023: Why Ishiba's Rise Signaled a Public Mood Shift in Japan

The late-2023 Nikkei/TV Tokyo poll that pushed Shigeru Ishiba to the top of LDP leadership rankings, and the public affairs signals it sent long before he became prime minister.

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Japan's Government Cloud Shift: Why Sakura Internet's Selection Reset the Sovereign Cloud Map

Japan's Government Cloud Shift: Why Sakura Internet's Selection Reset the Sovereign Cloud Map

Japan's Government Cloud (ガバメントクラウド) was certified to AWS, Azure, Google and Oracle before Sakura Internet became the first domestic provider. What the programme is, who qualifies, and what sovereign cloud means in practice.

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Kishida's Approval Collapse: How Record-Low Ratings Rewrote Japan's 2024 Policy Agenda

Kishida's Approval Collapse: How Record-Low Ratings Rewrote Japan's 2024 Policy Agenda

Why Prime Minister Kishida's late-2023 approval collapse into the low 20s reset Japan's economic agenda and what it teaches foreign business about political risk in Tokyo.

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Japan's DAO Legal Framework: Inside the LDP's Web3 Incorporation and Tax Reform Push

Japan's DAO Legal Framework: Inside the LDP's Web3 Incorporation and Tax Reform Push

How the LDP's web3 project team opened the debate on DAO incorporation and taxation in Japan, and what the emerging legal framework means for web3 businesses and public affairs.

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The Bigmotor Scandal: A Case Study in Crisis Management Failure in Japan

The Bigmotor Scandal: A Case Study in Crisis Management Failure in Japan

How Bigmotor's insurance fraud scandal cost it its FSA registration, and what multinationals can learn about crisis management, regulator engagement, and governance in Japan.

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The Business Case for Lobbying in Japan: How Strategic Advocacy Drives 22% Better Resource Allocation

The Business Case for Lobbying in Japan: How Strategic Advocacy Drives 22% Better Resource Allocation

A Yale study shows lobbying cuts resource misallocation by 22% and lifts productivity by 3.2%, and why the effect is even more pronounced in Japan's relationship-driven market.

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