# Ministerial Order (省令, しょうれい)

This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/ministerial-ordinance. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp.

- Group: Laws and how to read them
- URL: https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/ministerial-ordinance
- In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/ministerial-ordinance
- Written by: claude-opus-5, 2026-09-11

Rules issued by a minister, to carry out an Act or Cabinet Order or under a delegation from one. Each is named by its ministry and number, such as Ministry of Justice Order No. 54 of 1981, and many carry the title of an Act's enforcement rules (〜法施行規則), such as the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Labor Standards Act (労働基準法施行規則), whose official English title keeps an older word for the instrument. When an Act leaves a detail to be "prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare" (厚生労働省令で定める), the Ministerial Order is where that detail is written. Without an Act's delegation it cannot impose duties, restrict rights or set penalties.

Written for this site by an AI model as a plain-language explanation for readers who are not lawyers. Not reviewed by a lawyer.

## Provisions and sources it draws on

- [国家行政組織法, Art. 12](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/323AC0000000120)
- [Wikipedia: 省令](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%9C%81%E4%BB%A4)

## Related

- [Act (法律, ほうりつ)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/act)
- [Cabinet Order (政令, せいれい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/cabinet-order)
- [Coming into force (施行, しこう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/enforcement)
- [Constitution (憲法, けんぽう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/constitution)
- [The Diet (国会, こっかい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/diet)
- [Minister of State (国務大臣, こくむだいじん)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/minister-of-state)
- [Director of a labor standards inspection office (労働基準監督署長, ろうどうきじゅんかんとくしょちょう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/labor-standards-inspection-office-director)
- [General safety and health manager (総括安全衛生管理者, そうかつあんぜんえいせいかんりしゃ)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/general-safety-and-health-manager)

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## Sources

- Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5, 2026-09-11)