AI Promotion Act — Act on the Promotion of R&D and Utilization of AI-Related Technologies (2025) · AI Guidelines for Business v1.1 (METI/MIC, 2025) · Social Principles of Human-Centric AI (2019) · Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) — Status: Act in force (soft-law)
Japan has confirmed an innovation-first, light-touch approach. The AI Promotion Act, passed in May 2025, is a promotion statute: it sets national principles and creates a Prime-Minister-chaired AI Strategy Headquarters, but imposes no prohibitions or monetary penalties on businesses. Companies are expected to voluntarily follow the METI/MIC AI Guidelines for Business (human-centricity, safety, fairness, transparency, accountability); the only real legal exposure for AI-related data handling comes via the existing APPI privacy regime, enforced by the Personal Information Protection Commission.
Recent developments: