Bangō hō no chikujō kaisetsu (Commentary on the Number Law [2nd Edition])

The Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures (the My Number Law) is a piece of legislation that has a tremendous impact on each and every Japanese citizen; indeed, if one does not correctly comprehend its provisions, one may end up breaking the law unintentionally. However, this piece of legislation is by no means easy to understand. Also, because it provides exceptions to the existing legal framework for the protection of personal information, it is essential to understand laws on the protection of personal information, which are the general body of legislation governing this area, to get a grasp of the My Number Law. Bearing this in mind, this book has been carefully written to explain the contents of the My Number Law in as simple terms as possible, assuming a general readership not particularly well versed in the law.
 
Also, a wide range of officials and groups are required to carry out a Specific Personal Information Protection Assessment, which is tantamount to a privacy impact assessment. These include the heads of national administrative organs, independent administrative agencies, local public bodies, regional independent administrative agencies, Japan Agency for Local Information Systems, and inquirers and information providers making use of information-provision network systems to share information. All of these actors need to have an accurate comprehension of the Specific Personal Information Protection Assessment. Furthermore, in relation to specific personal information, the My Number Law provides exceptions to the Act on the Protection of Personal Information Held by Administrative Organs, the Act on the Protection of Personal Information Held by Independent Administrative Agencies, and the Personal Information Protection Act. Also, in regard to local public bodies, the stipulations of these three pieces of legislation (along with those of the My Number Law) require the heads of administrative organs and bodies such as independent administrative agencies, along with businesses handling personal information, to revise and improve their provisions for the protection of personal information based on measures understood to apply to these parties. Thus, public bodies not only require general knowledge about the My Number Law but also a detailed understanding of its provisions. This book has been written with the staff of such public bodies in mind, and it explains the My Number Law in as much detail as possible.
 
In particular, the author has made every effort to answer the kind of questions about the My Number Law that get asked at public meetings and lectures on the topic, and this publication contains a wealth of material of this type. Many readers of this publication probably have the same sort of questions.
 
The 2^nd edition of this publication incorporates additional material on major legal revisions stemming from Act No. 65 of 2015, passed on September 3, 2015, along with the cabinet order enforcing the My Number Law and other guidance measures on the protection of personal information, such as the Regulations on Specific Personal Information Protection Assessment, the Policy on Specific Personal Information Protection Assessment, and the Guidelines on the Appropriate Handling of Specific Personal Information.
 

(Written by UGA Katsuya, Professor, Graduate Schools for Law and Politics / 2018)