①A specified business operator may prepare a plan concerning management innovation that it intends to carry out alone or jointly (including, where a specified business operator intends to establish an association, federation or company listed in Article 2, paragraph (5), items (v) through (vii), a plan concerning management innovation that the specified business operator carries out jointly with that association, federation or company; where a specified business operator intends to establish a company by merger, a plan concerning management innovation carried out by the company established by the merger (including the company surviving after the merger); and, where a specified business operator intends to carry out management innovation jointly with all or part of its foreign affiliated corporation, etc. (meaning a corporation or other foreign organization established in accordance with the laws and regulations of a foreign state (including one to be newly established) that has a relationship specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as one in which the specified business operator is recognized as substantially controlling its management; the same applies hereinafter in this Chapter), a plan concerning management innovation that the specified business operator carries out jointly with that foreign affiliated corporation, etc.; hereinafter referred to as a "management innovation plan"), submit it to the administrative agency as provided by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and obtain approval to the effect that the management innovation plan is appropriate; provided, however, that where specified business operators have prepared a management innovation plan jointly, they are to designate a representative and submit it to the administrative agency, as provided by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

②A management innovation plan must state the following matters:

③When an application for the approval under paragraph (1) is filed, the administrative agency is to grant the approval if it finds that the management innovation plan pertaining to the application conforms to all of the following items:

①A specified business operator that has obtained the approval under paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, when it intends to change the management innovation plan pertaining to that approval, must obtain the approval of the administrative agency that granted the approval, as provided by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.

②When the administrative agency finds that a business for management innovation is not being carried out in accordance with the management innovation plan pertaining to the approval under paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (where approval of a change has been given under the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the plan as changed; hereinafter referred to as the "approved management innovation plan"), it may rescind that approval.

③The provisions of paragraph (3) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to the approval under paragraph (1).

①The competent ministers may, based on the basic policy, designate, from among the business fields under their jurisdiction, a business field in which management capacity improvement of specified business operators, etc. is found to be especially necessary, and establish guidelines concerning management capacity improvement in that business field (hereinafter referred to as "business-field guidelines").

②The business-field guidelines are to specify, with regard to the matters listed in Article 3, paragraph (2), item (ii), sub-items (b) and (c)(4) through (6), the method of introducing methods of making advanced use of management resources in that business field and other matters necessary for management capacity improvement in that business field.

③When the competent ministers find it necessary in light of changes in the environment surrounding business operators and other circumstances, they are to change the business-field guidelines.

④When the competent ministers intend to establish or change the business-field guidelines, they are to hear in advance the opinions of experts on the business field concerned and other persons concerned; provided, however, that this does not apply to a minor change specified by order of the competent ministry.

⑤Upon establishing or changing the business-field guidelines, the competent ministers must publicize them without delay.

①A specified business operator, etc. may prepare a plan concerning management capacity improvement that it intends to carry out alone or jointly (including, where a specified business operator, etc. intends to establish an association, federation or company listed in Article 2, paragraph (5), items (v) through (vii), or a corporation specified by Cabinet Order in Article 2, paragraph (6), item (ii) (hereinafter simply referred to as a "corporation" in this paragraph), a plan concerning management capacity improvement that the specified business operator, etc. carries out jointly with that association, federation, company or corporation; where a specified business operator, etc. intends to establish a company or corporation by merger, a plan concerning management capacity improvement carried out by the company or corporation established by the merger (including the company or corporation surviving after the merger); and, where a specified business operator, etc. intends to carry out management capacity improvement jointly with all or part of its foreign affiliated corporation, etc., a plan concerning management capacity improvement that the specified business operator, etc. carries out jointly with that foreign affiliated corporation, etc.; hereinafter referred to as a "management capacity improvement plan"), submit it to the competent minister as provided by order of the competent ministry, and obtain certification to the effect that the management capacity improvement plan is appropriate; provided, however, that where specified business operators, etc. have prepared a management capacity improvement plan jointly, they are to designate a representative and submit it to the competent minister, as provided by order of the competent ministry.

②A management capacity improvement plan must state the following matters:

③"Management capacity improvement equipment, etc." in item (v) of the preceding paragraph means facilities, equipment, machinery, apparatus or programs that are used for the production or sale of goods or the provision of services and that are specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as particularly contributing to management capacity improvement.

④A management capacity improvement plan may state the following matters as the matters listed in paragraph (2), item (iii):

⑤A management capacity improvement plan may state, as the matters listed in paragraph (2), item (iv), that the specified business operator is a person that meets the requirements specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, such as that the amount of its net assets is a certain amount or more.

⑥When an application for the certification under paragraph (1) is filed, the competent minister is to grant the certification if the competent minister finds that the management capacity improvement plan pertaining to the application conforms to all of the following items:

⑦Where the status of a transferring specified business operator, etc. based on a specified permission, etc. prescribed in paragraph (4), item (i) is stated in a management capacity improvement plan, the competent minister, when intending to grant the certification under paragraph (1), is to consult with the administrative agency that granted that specified permission, etc. and obtain its consent.

⑧The administrative agency may request the provision of information necessary for the consent under the preceding paragraph from the competent minister and the person that applied for the certification under paragraph (1).

⑨The administrative agency is to determine whether to give the consent under paragraph (7), taking into consideration the purport of the provisions that form the basis for granting that specified permission, etc.

⑩In addition to what is provided for in the preceding three paragraphs, matters necessary for the consent under paragraph (7) are specified by Cabinet Order.