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LawLegianceWorld Legal Atlas

Japan

Civil law with common-law influenceUnitary parliamentary constitutional monarchyReviewed· 2026-05-15
Capital
Tokyo
Population
123,500,000
Languages
Japanese
Currency
JPY
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Japan · Rights

Rights in Japan

What the atlas records on rights in Japan, checked against the primary sources cited below.

Rights

APPI with EU adequacy in both directions

Reviewed· 2026-08-03

The Act on the Protection of Personal Information is enforced by the Personal Information Protection Commission. Japan and the EU recognise each other as adequate, easing transfers.

Key rules

  • Leakage incidents likely to harm individual rights must be reported to the PPC.
  • Third-party transfers generally require consent, with an opt-out route for some business operators.
  • Pseudonymously processed information has a relaxed regime for internal analysis.

Governing law

  • Act on the Protection of Personal Information (Act No. 57 of 2003)

Penalties and consequences

  • Up to ¥100 million for corporations failing to comply with a PPC order

In practice

The PPC prefers guidance and corrective orders over fines, but the 2022 amendments materially raised corporate exposure.

Sources

Rights

A pacifist constitution never once amended

Reviewed· 2026-08-03

The 1947 Constitution vests sovereignty in the people, makes the Emperor a symbol of the state and renounces war in Article 9. No amendment has ever been adopted.

Key rules

  • Amendment needs two-thirds of both Diet houses plus a majority in a national referendum.
  • The Supreme Court exercises judicial review but has invalidated statutes only a handful of times.
  • Article 9 renounces war and the threat or use of force to settle international disputes.

Governing law

  • Constitution of Japan (1947)
  • Court Act (Act No. 59 of 1947)

In practice

Judicial review is real but exercised with marked restraint, so constitutional change in practice happens through reinterpretation and legislation.

Sources

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