On 16 February 2024, the ruling party’s project team on the ‘Evolution and Implementation of AI’ released ‘the rough draft of the Basic Law for the Promotion of Responsible AI’. This rough draft of the AI Act intends to propose legal governance for frontier AI models. Frontier AI models are recognised as high-performance, general-purpose AI models capable of performing a wide variety of tasks and are as capable or more capable than today’s most advanced models. The AI Act seeks to minimise risks and maximise benefits through appropriate AI governance.

Subsequently, the Act on Promotion of Research and Development, and Utilization of AI-related Technology ('AI Act') was enacted on 28 May 2025, and promulgated on 4 June 2025, with many of its provisions (except for certain sections) coming into force on the same day. The remaining provisions, including those concerning the establishment of the AI Strategy Headquarters, came into force on 1 September 2025, and the AI Act is now fully in force. While the AI Act primarily serves as a basic framework law targeting the national and local governments, it also sets forth responsibilities for AI-utilising business operators to proactively strive to improve the efficiency and sophistication of their business operations and to create new industries through the use of AI-related technologies, as well as to cooperate with measures implemented by national and local governments.

Separately, proposed amendments to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information may also affect AI development in Japan. The amendment bill reportedly includes measures to facilitate the use of data for AI development in certain cases where the data is used in a manner that does not identify individuals.

Following the full enforcement of the AI Act, the AI Strategy Headquarters was established as the government body responsible for promoting AI-related policy measures. The AI Act also provides for the formulation of an AI Basic Plan and guidelines concerning the appropriate research, development and utilisation of AI-related technologies.

The AI Basic Plan, which was adopted by the Japanese government on 23 December 2025, sets out the Japanese government’s basic policy for promoting the research, development and utilisation of AI-related technologies. It emphasises both the promotion of AI development and utilisation and the need to address AI-related risks, with a view to strengthening Japan’s AI competitiveness, improving productivity and addressing social challenges.