On 21 October 2026 the Secretariat of Japan's Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC) opened public comment on a draft rule partially amending the Enforcement Rules of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (APPI) and the rule on reporting leaks of specific personal information under Article 29-4(1) and (2) of the My Number Act.
This page sets out the content of the case page on e-Gov Public Comment, the guidelines for submitting comments, and the outline of the amendment (including the referenced provisions).
Overview
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date the draft was published | 21 October 2026 |
| Responsible body | Secretariat of the Personal Information Protection Commission (Office for the Personal Information Protection System) |
| Case number | 240000131 |
| Legal basis | Article 163(2) of the APPI as amended by the Act Partially Amending the Act on the Protection of Personal Information, etc. (Act No. 56 of 2026); Article 29-4(1) and (2) of the My Number Act |
| Deadline | 17:00 on 20 November 2026 (comments sent by post must arrive by that day) |
| Rules concerned | Enforcement Rules of the APPI (PPC Rule No. 3 of 2016); rule on reporting leaks of specific personal information under Article 29-4(1) and (2) of the My Number Act (Specific Personal Information Protection Commission Rule No. 5 of 2015) |
| Planned schedule | Public comment from late October to mid/late November 2026; promulgation and entry into force in mid-January 2027 (planned) |
Current rules on service by publication
Service by publication is a method of service the PPC may use where, for example, the address of the person to be served is unknown (APPI, Article 163(1)). That paragraph lists the following cases:
- Where the domicile, residence or other place for service of the person to be served is unknown
- Where, for service to be made in a foreign country, the procedure under Article 108 of the Code of Civil Procedure cannot be used, or service is considered impossible even by that procedure
- Where no document certifying service has been sent within six months after a request was made to the competent foreign authority under Article 108 of the Code of Civil Procedure
The current Article 163(2) provides that service by publication is made by posting, on the PPC notice board, a statement that the documents to be served will be delivered to the person at any time. It takes effect two weeks after the posting begins, and six weeks for service to be made in a foreign country (Article 163(3) and (4)).
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Try for free →Article 163(2) as amended
According to the outline, Article 163(2) as amended by Act No. 56 of 2026 provides that service by publication is made by making that statement (the "public notice") viewable by the general public by a method set by PPC rule, and, together with this, either posting a document stating it on the PPC notice board or making it viewable on a computer screen installed at the PPC office.
The outline explains that internet-based methods for service by publication have already been introduced by the Act Partially Amending the Code of Civil Procedure, etc. (Act No. 48 of 2022) and by the Act Partially Amending the Basic Act on the Formation of a Digital Society, etc. (Act No. 63 of 2023), and that the APPI is being brought into line with them.
Content of the draft rule
Article 69 of the Enforcement Rules (method of service by publication)
According to the outline, the draft defines the "method set by PPC rule" under the amended Article 163(2) as a method including the following: a method using an electronic data processing system connecting, through a telecommunications line, a computer used by the PPC (including input and output devices) and a computer used by the viewer (limited to one that can connect to the PPC's computer through a telecommunications line and communicate normally), which meets both of the following:
- It displays the public notice, recorded in a file on the PPC's computer, on the screen of the viewer's computer
- It uses an automatic public transmission server connected to the internet
The current Article 69 of the Enforcement Rules provides that the PPC may publish the fact of service by publication in the Official Gazette or a newspaper, and, for service to be made in a foreign country, may give notice of it instead. The outline states that the new method does not replace or exclude this, and that the current text will become Article 69(2).
Express inclusion of input and output devices
Other provisions of the Enforcement Rules that use the word "computer" are to be amended to state expressly, where appropriate, that it includes input and output devices, in line with Article 23(ii) of the APPI Enforcement Order. Article 3(3) of the My Number Act leak-reporting rule is to be amended in the same way.
How to submit comments
According to the guidelines, comments may be submitted by one of the following:
- The comment form on the e-Gov page for this case
- Post (must arrive by the deadline)
Comments by telephone are not accepted. Comments must be written in Japanese, and must relate to the amendments set out in the draft.
Sources
- e-Gov Public Comment, case no. 240000131 (with PDFs of the guidelines, the draft rule and the outline; Japanese): https://public-comment.e-gov.go.jp/servlet/Public?CLASSNAME=PCMMSTDETAIL&id=240000131&Mode=0
- e-Gov, Act on the Protection of Personal Information (Act No. 57 of 2003): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/415AC0000000057
- e-Gov, Enforcement Rules of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (PPC Rule No. 3 of 2016): https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/428M60020000003
This page is compiled from material published by government agencies and from statutory text. Please consult a lawyer where a decision is needed on a specific matter.
