Japan AI Promotion Act

Japan has chosen a promotion-based, non-punitive approach. Its law promoting AI research, development and use has been in force since June 2025: it sets principles, creates a strategic body within government and tasks it with a national plan.

It imposes no general obligations or fines on companies, although the government can investigate misuse and issue guidance. In July 2026 it approved its AI Basic Plan, and the AI Guidelines for Business are the voluntary reference for developers, providers and users.

For a European company operating in Japan, what matters is following those guidelines and the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI), which is mandatory.

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