# 個人情報の保護に関する法律 / Act on the Protection of Personal Information — 第二十条 (Article 20)

- Law: 個人情報の保護に関する法律 (Act on the Protection of Personal Information), 平成十五年法律第五十七号
- English title "Act on the Protection of Personal Information": Ministry of Justice translation
- Kind: Act — the distinction between 法律 (Act), 政令 (Cabinet Order), 省令 (Ministerial Order) and 条例 (local ordinance) decides who may issue it and what it may say.
- Provision: 第二十条 (Article 20)（適正な取得） — address `art-20`
- Text in force since: 2026-10-01
- URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20
- Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20
- Every provision below carries its address and both URLs on the line under it.
- Japanese text: e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁). English: as marked on each line below.

Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect; the text
below is a copy of it. Every English rendering below is a translation and
says which kind: the Ministry of Justice's translation, or this
site's machine translation, whose model and date the Sources list names.
They are never merged and never substituted for one another.

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### 第二十条（適正な取得） — (Proper Acquisition)
<sup>caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>art-20 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20</sup>

  **第一項**  個人情報取扱事業者は、偽りその他不正の手段により個人情報を取得してはならない。
  <sup>art-20/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-1</sup>
  A business handling personal information must not acquire personal information by deception or other wrongful means.
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

  **第二項**  個人情報取扱事業者は、次に掲げる場合を除くほか、あらかじめ本人の同意を得ないで、要配慮個人情報を取得してはならない。
  <sup>art-20/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2</sup>
  A business handling personal information must not acquire sensitive personal information without obtaining the identifiable person's consent in advance, except cases set forth in the following:
  <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **一**  法令に基づく場合
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-1</sup>
    cases based on laws and regulations;
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **二**  人の生命、身体又は財産の保護のために必要がある場合であって、本人の同意を得ることが困難であるとき。
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-2</sup>
    cases in which there is a need to protect the life, wellbeing, or property of an individual, and it is difficult to obtain the consent of the identifiable person;
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **三**  公衆衛生の向上又は児童の健全な育成の推進のために特に必要がある場合であって、本人の同意を得ることが困難であるとき。
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-3</sup>
    cases in which there is a special need to improve public wellbeing or promote healthy child development, and it is difficult to obtain the consent of the identifiable person;
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **四**  国の機関若しくは地方公共団体又はその委託を受けた者が法令の定める事務を遂行することに対して協力する必要がある場合であって、本人の同意を得ることにより当該事務の遂行に支障を及ぼすおそれがあるとき。
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-4</sup>
    cases in which there is a need to cooperate with a national government organ, local government, or person entrusted thereby with performing the functions prescribed by laws and regulations, and the consent of the identifiable person is likely to interfere with the performance of those functions;
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **五**  当該個人情報取扱事業者が学術研究機関等である場合であって、当該要配慮個人情報を学術研究目的で取り扱う必要があるとき（当該要配慮個人情報を取り扱う目的の一部が学術研究目的である場合を含み、個人の権利利益を不当に侵害するおそれがある場合を除く。）。
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-5 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-5</sup>
    cases in which the business handling personal information is an academic research institution or the equivalent, and needs to handle the sensitive personal information for academic research purposes (including cases in which a part of the purpose of handling the sensitive personal information is for academic research purposes, and excluding cases in which there is a risk of unjustly infringing on individual rights and interests);
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **六**  学術研究機関等から当該要配慮個人情報を取得する場合であって、当該要配慮個人情報を学術研究目的で取得する必要があるとき（当該要配慮個人情報を取得する目的の一部が学術研究目的である場合を含み、個人の権利利益を不当に侵害するおそれがある場合を除く。）（当該個人情報取扱事業者と当該学術研究機関等が共同して学術研究を行う場合に限る。）。
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-6 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-6 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-6</sup>
    cases of acquiring the sensitive personal information from an academic research institution or the equivalent and it is necessary to acquire that information for academic research purpose (including cases in which a part of the purpose of acquiring the sensitive personal information is for academic research purposes, excluding cases in which there is a risk of unjustly infringing on individual rights and interests) (limited to cases in which the business handling personal information and the academic research institution or the equivalent jointly conduct academic research);
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **七**  当該要配慮個人情報が、本人、国の機関、地方公共団体、学術研究機関等、第五十七条第一項各号に掲げる者その他個人情報保護委員会規則で定める者により公開されている場合
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-7 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-7 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-7</sup>
    cases in which the sensitive personal information is open to the public by a person identifiable by that information, a national government organ, a local government, an academic research institution or the equivalent, a person set forth in each item of Article 57, paragraph (1), or other person prescribed by Order of the Personal Information Protection Commission;
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **八**  その他前各号に掲げる場合に準ずるものとして政令で定める場合
    <sup>art-20/par-2/item-8 · https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-8 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-8</sup>
    other cases prescribed by Cabinet Order as equivalent to the cases set forth in each preceding item.
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

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## Cites
- art-20/par-2/item-7: 第五十七条第一項 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第五十七条第一項 (Article 57, paragraph (1)), art-57/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-57/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-57/par-1
- art-20/par-2/item-8: 前各号 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第一号 (Article 20, paragraph (2), item (i)), art-20/par-2/item-1 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-1
- art-20/par-2/item-8: 前各号 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第二号 (Article 20, paragraph (2), item (ii)), art-20/par-2/item-2 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-2
- art-20/par-2/item-8: 前各号 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第三号 (Article 20, paragraph (2), item (iii)), art-20/par-2/item-3 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-3
- art-20/par-2/item-8: 前各号 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第四号 (Article 20, paragraph (2), item (iv)), art-20/par-2/item-4 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-4
- art-20/par-2/item-8: 前各号 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第五号 (Article 20, paragraph (2), item (v)), art-20/par-2/item-5 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-5
- art-20/par-2/item-8: 前各号 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第六号 (Article 20, paragraph (2), item (vi)), art-20/par-2/item-6 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-6 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-6
- art-20/par-2/item-8: 前各号 → 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第七号 (Article 20, paragraph (2), item (vii)), art-20/par-2/item-7 — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-7 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-7

## Cited by

8 provisions cite this one. No official source publishes this direction.

- 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十条第二項第八号（適正な取得） — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-20/par-2/item-8 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-20/par-2/item-8
- 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第二十七条第二項（第三者提供の制限） — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-27/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-27/par-2
- 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第三十五条第一項（利用停止等） — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-35/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-35/par-1
- 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第百二十五条第三項（適用の特例） — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-125/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-125/par-3
- 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第百四十八条第一項（勧告及び命令） — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-148/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-148/par-1
- 個人情報の保護に関する法律 第百四十八条第三項（勧告及び命令） — https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-148/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/415AC0000000057/art-148/par-3
- 行政手続における特定の個人を識別するための番号の利用等に関する法律 第三十条第一項（個人情報保護法の特例） — https://japanlaw.org/en/my-number-act/art-30/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/425AC0000000027/art-30/par-1
- 行政手続における特定の個人を識別するための番号の利用等に関する法律 第三十条第二項（個人情報保護法の特例） — https://japanlaw.org/en/my-number-act/art-30/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/425AC0000000027/art-30/par-2

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## Sources

- e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 個人情報の保護に関する法律 — the text in force from 2026-10-01 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/415AC0000000057/20261001_507AC0000000070), retrieved 2026-10-10
- Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Act on the Protection of Personal Information — Ministry of Justice translation (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4241/tb), retrieved 2026-10-10
- This site's parser, version 190 — 個人情報の保護に関する法律 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-10-10