# Constitution and government — Japanese laws in English — japanlaw.org

This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/government. 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.

The Constitution of Japan in English, and the laws on dealing with the state: administrative procedure, appeals, public records, state compensation and schools.

- Constitution and government (憲法・行政): 8 laws on this topic, each Act (法律) with the orders that go with it — Cabinet Orders (政令) and Ministerial Orders (省令) — listed beneath it, then the laws at home in another topic that this one lists too.
- Each law links to its page; its Markdown twin is the same path under /md. The descriptions are this site's own summaries, not the law's words.
- Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect.

## Laws

- [日本国憲法 / The Constitution of Japan](https://japanlaw.org/en/constitution): 昭和二十一年憲法 · Constitution (憲法) · text in force since 1947-05-03 · 103 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. Japan's supreme law: it declares that sovereign power rests with the people, makes the Diet the sole law-making organ, gives executive power to the Cabinet and judicial power to the courts, guarantees fundamental human rights, and puts the duty to respect and uphold it on those who hold public office. Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/constitution
- [行政手続法 / Administrative Procedure Act](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-procedure-act): 平成五年法律第八十八号 · Act (法律) · text in force since 2026-07-24 · 48 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. The common procedure government offices must follow when they decide applications, make decisions against a person, give administrative guidance, receive notifications and make orders, so that administration is fair and open and people's rights and interests are protected. Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/administrative-procedure-act
- [行政不服審査法 / Administrative Complaint Review Act](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-complaint-review-act): 平成二十六年法律第六十八号 · Act (法律) · text in force since 2026-06-24 · 87 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. How a person can challenge a decision of a government agency, or its failure to decide an application, by asking the administration itself to review it, under a simple, quick and fair procedure. Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/administrative-complaint-review-act
- [行政事件訴訟法 / Administrative Case Litigation Act](https://japanlaw.org/en/administrative-case-litigation-act): 昭和三十七年法律第百三十九号 · Act (法律) · text in force since 2026-10-01 · 51 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. The rules for administrative cases in court, above all for challenging an administrative authority's decision: the kinds of suit, who may bring one and against whom, the time limits, and what the court may order while the case runs and in its judgment. Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/administrative-case-litigation-act
- [行政機関の保有する情報の公開に関する法律 / Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs](https://japanlaw.org/en/information-disclosure-act): 平成十一年法律第四十二号 · Act (法律) · text in force since 2026-07-17 · 27 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. Gives any person the right to ask the administrative organs (行政機関) this Act lists, from the Cabinet's bodies to the Board of Audit, to disclose the documents they hold, and sets what may be withheld and how a refusal is challenged. Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/information-disclosure-act
- [国家賠償法 / State Redress Act](https://japanlaw.org/en/state-redress-act): 昭和二十二年法律第百二十五号 · Act (法律) · text in force since 1947-10-27 · 6 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. When the State or a public entity must pay compensation: for harm a public employee exercising public authority causes unlawfully, intentionally or negligently, in the course of their duties, and for damage caused by a defect in a road, river or other public structure. Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/state-redress-act
- [国民の祝日に関する法律 / Act on National Holidays](https://japanlaw.org/en/national-holidays-act): 昭和二十三年法律第百七十八号 · Act (法律) · text in force since 2020-01-01 · 3 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. Names Japan's national holidays (国民の祝日), days set aside for the people to celebrate, give thanks or commemorate, and makes each of them — and certain days after or between them — a public holiday (休日). Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/national-holidays-act
- [学校教育法 / School Education Act](https://japanlaw.org/en/school-education-act): 昭和二十二年法律第二十六号 · Act (法律) · text in force since 2026-06-17 · 161 articles in the main text · English: 100% of paragraphs. What counts as a school in Japan, from kindergarten to university, and who may found one; the nine years of compulsory education a custodian must give a child; and the rules for specialized training colleges and miscellaneous schools, which are not schools in this Act's sense. Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/school-education-act

## Other topics

- [Work and employment (労働)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/work): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/work
- [Visas, residence and nationality (在留・国籍)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/immigration): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/immigration
- [Tax (税)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/tax): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/tax
- [Pensions, insurance and welfare (社会保障)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/social-security): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/social-security
- [Business and companies (会社・取引)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/business): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/business
- [Consumers and personal data (消費者・個人情報)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/consumers): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/consumers
- [Family, contracts and courts (民事)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/civil): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/civil
- [Housing and property (住まい・不動産)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/housing): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/housing
- [Crime and safety (刑事)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/crime): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/crime
- [Driving and transport (交通)](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws/transport): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws/transport
- [Every law](https://japanlaw.org/en/laws): Markdown: https://japanlaw.org/md/en/laws