Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures

With regard to the application to designated cities as set forth in the provisions of Article 252-19, paragraph (1) of the Local Autonomy Act (Act No. 67 of 1947) (hereinafter referred to simply as "designated city" in the next paragraph) that are specified by Cabinet Orders in this Act, a ward and an administratively consolidated ward are deemed to be a city and the mayor of a ward and the mayor of an administratively consolidated ward are deemed to be a city mayor.

In addition to what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, with regard to the application of the provisions of this Act to designated cities, special provisions may be provided for by Cabinet Orders.

Except in a case that falls under any of the following items, with regard to the application of the provisions of Article 19 (limited to the part concerning items (iv) and (xvi) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 21-2, paragraph (5) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (7) of that Article) and Article 45-2, paragraph (5) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (7) of that Article); the same applies hereinafter in this paragraph)) to the Specific Personal Information of a person under 16 years of age, the term "consent" in Article 19, item (iv) is deemed to be replaced with "consent of the legal representative", and the term "the person themselves" in item (xvi) of that Article is deemed to be replaced with "the legal representative of the person themselves":

if the person providing the Specific Personal Information has justifiable grounds for not knowing that the Specific Personal Information is that of a person under 16 years of age;

if the legal representative of the person themselves had permitted the person themselves to carry on a business, and the person providing the Specific Personal Information acquired the Specific Personal Information in connection with that business; or

if the person themselves has no legal representative, or if the person providing the Specific Personal Information has reasonable grounds to believe that the person themselves has no legal representative.

Except in a case that falls under any of the following items, with regard to the application of the provisions of Article 29-4, paragraph (2) to Specific Personal Information of a person under 16 years of age in the case where a Person in Charge of a Process Using an Individual Number, etc. handles that Specific Personal Information, the phrase "notify the person themselves" in that paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "notify the legal representative of the person themselves", and the phrase "notification to the person themselves" in the proviso to that paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "notification to the legal representative of the person themselves":

if the Person in Charge of a Process Using an Individual Number, etc. has justifiable grounds for not knowing that the Specific Personal Information is that of a person under 16 years of age;

if the legal representative of the person themselves had permitted the person themselves to carry on a business, and the Person in Charge of a Process Using an Individual Number, etc. acquired the Specific Personal Information in connection with that business; or

if the person themselves has no legal representative, or if the Person in Charge of a Process Using an Individual Number, etc. has reasonable grounds to believe that the person themselves has no legal representative.

The processes to be handled by municipalities pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraphs (1) and (2), Article 8, paragraph (1) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 3, paragraph (4) of the Supplementary Provisions), Article 16-2, paragraphs (2) and (6), Article 17, paragraphs (1) through (5) and paragraph (7) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (8) of that Article), Article 18-5, paragraphs (4) and (6), Article 21-2, paragraph (2) (limited to the part concerning the notice in the case where the Person Providing Information is the Minister of Justice referred to in Article 9, paragraph (3), and including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 26), and Article 3, paragraphs (1) through (3) of the Supplementary Provisions are Type 1 statutory entrusted affairs as provided for in Article 2, paragraph (9), item (i) of the Local Autonomy Act.

The head of an Administrative Organ may delegate authority or processes as specified in Chapters II, IV, V and the preceding Chapter of this Act to officials of said Administrative Organs pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Orders (in case of an organ under the jurisdiction of the Cabinet and Board of Audit, the orders of said organ).

The Minister of Justice must not retain Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information (meaning information prepared by means of computer processing, etc. of information recorded in the duplicate of a family register or a removed family register in order to prepare Family Register Related Information (excluding Family Register Related Information); the same applies hereinafter in this Article) beyond the extent necessary for achieving the purpose of carrying out the processes concerning the preparation of Family Register Related Information to be used for the provision under the provisions of Article 19, item (viii) or (ix).

The Minister of Justice must, for the prevention of leakage of and other appropriate management of secrets concerning the processes concerning the preparation of Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information, take measures to ensure the security and reliability of the computers used for those processes and other necessary measures.

A person who is engaged or was engaged in the processes provided for in the preceding paragraph must not leak or steal secrets concerning those processes that the person has learned in the course of the person's duties.

The Minister of Justice must not itself use Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information for any purpose other than the purpose provided for in paragraph (1).

The provisions of Article 19 (limited to the parts concerning items (vi), (xiii) and (xv) through (xvii)) apply mutatis mutandis to the provision of Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information by the Minister of Justice. In such a case, the phrase "the following" in that Article is deemed to be replaced with "in the case of giving the notice under the provisions of Article 21-2, paragraph (2), and the following", and the phrase "Article 35, paragraph (1)" in item (xiii) of that Article is deemed to be replaced with "Article 35, paragraph (1) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 45-2, paragraph (9)".

A person who has received Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information pursuant to the provisions of Article 19 (limited to the parts concerning items (vi), (xiii) and (xv) through (xvii)) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the preceding paragraph (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the following paragraph) must not retain that Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information beyond the extent necessary for achieving the purpose for which it was received.

The provisions of paragraphs (4) and (5) apply mutatis mutandis to the person provided for in the preceding paragraph. In such a case, the phrase "provided for in paragraph (1)" in paragraph (4) is deemed to be replaced with "for which it was received".

The provisions of Chapter V, Section 4 of the Personal Information Protection Act do not apply to Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information.

The provisions of Chapter VI apply mutatis mutandis to the handling of Information for Preparing Family Register Related Information. In such a case, the phrase "Person in Charge of a Process Using an Individual Number, etc." in Article 33 is deemed to be replaced with "the Minister of Justice or a person provided for in Article 45-2, paragraph (6)", and the phrase "Article 19, item (xv)" in Article 36 is deemed to be replaced with "Article 19, item (xv) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 45-2, paragraph (5) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (7) of that Article)".

The order of the competent ministry in this Act is the Digital Agency Order and Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.

In addition to what is provided for by this Act, procedures for enforcing this Act and other matters necessary to enforce this Act are provided for by Cabinet Orders.