Official Gazette Overview
The Official Gazette, the journal of the Japanese Government, is introduced as follows.
- Official Gazette Overview
- Promulgation of Laws
- Articles of Official Gazette
- Official Gazette by Type
- Process of Official Gazette Publication
- Delivery of the document stating the matters to be published in the Official Gazette
The Official Gazette, the State gazette to inform the public about laws and regulations and public notice matters was first published by the Cabinet Document Bureau in 1883. The Official Gazette, previously published in paper form since then, is provided in electronic form from April 1, 2025 according to the enforcement of the Act on Publication of the Official Gazette (Act No. 85 of 2023).
The National Printing Bureau creates articles for the Official Gazette and prints documents stating the matters to be published. It also contributes to disseminating it for the purpose of communicating important national matters accurately and reliably.
The Official Gazette is issued by making the information accessible to the public (posting to the website of Cabinet Office for the issuance of the Official Gazette). All the Official Gazette are available for browsing or downloading for 90 days from its day of issue as a general rule. After the 90-day period, articles except those requiring privacy considerations are available for browsing or downloading.
The National Printing Bureau’s website of the Online Official Gazette Service*, which was operated until March 31, 2025, is now closed. However, the information published on the website continues to be made available on the website of Cabinet Office for the issuance of the Official Gazette for the purpose of providing information.
*Information in the Official Gazette concerning laws, government ordinances, etc. issued on or after July 15, 2003, and that concerning government procurement issued on or after April 1, 2016.
The Official Gazette Information Search Service provided by the National Printing Bureau has been offered as a paid Internet subscription service approved by the Prime Minister based on the provisions of Article 16 of the Act on Publication of the Official Gazette starting from April 1, 2025. The contents of the Official Gazette from May 3, 1947 (the date of enforcement of the Constitution of Japan) to the most recent issue can be searched and browsed by specifying the date or keywords.
The Official Gazette Information Search Service (Japanese Only)（外部リンク）
In order to make information on the Official Gazette publicly accessible even for those without internet access, the gazette is posted on the bulletin board and digital signage displays installed on the premises of the Head Office of the National Printing Bureau（PDF：1,122KB）. It is also available at the Official Gazette Service Center (website for the issuance of the Official Gazet(Japanese Only)（外部リンク）, and prefectural libraries (Cabinet Office)(Japanese Only)（外部リンク）.
In addition, the Official Gazette Service Center in each prefecture deliveries printed documents stating the matters to be published in the Official Gazette*.
*A separate fee (plus delivery charges) is charged for delivering paper-based documents.
In the event that the Official Gazette cannot be published on the website of Cabinet Office for the issuance of the Official Gazette due to a disaster or telecommunications failure, etc., the Official Gazette will be issued by posting the printed edition of Official Gazette on the bulletin board installed on the premises of the Head Office of the National Printing Bureau（PDF：1,122KB） as an alternative measure. In addition, the printed edition of Official Gazette will be distributed through the Official Gazette Service Center (A fee will be charged for the distribution of the printed Official Gazette, which is the same as the fee charged for obtaining documents stating the matters to be published in the Official Gazette mentioned above).
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The Official Gazette plays an extremely important role as the official means of communication of government information such as laws and regulations.
Time of issuing the Official Gazette
The Official Gazette is issued every day except on administrative holidays at 8:30 a.m. (However, a special edition is published at any time during an emergency if the Prime Minister deems it necessary to make a prompt notice, such as announcing the establishment of a disaster response headquarters.)
The Official Gazette features articles in the category of official documents and that of pronouncements. The official documents are published by the government and government agencies to promulgate laws and government and ministerial ordinances, while the pronouncements include statutory pronouncements based on the Companies Act.
Official documents
Documents promulgated or announced by the government or government agencies
Outlines of laws and ordinances
Revision of the Constitution of Japan
Imperial rescripts
Laws, government decrees, treaties and the rules of the Supreme Court
Administrative orders
Instructions, legal notices and other notices
National Diet matters
Personnel transfer, investitures, honors and decorations
Imperial family matters
Government agency reports (including reference materials)
Local government matters
Pronouncements
Pronouncements from the government, various ministries, government corporations, local governments and other bodies
Public bidding, successful bidding pronouncements by government agencies
Pronouncements from courts and governmental corporations
Pronouncements from local governments
Pronouncements from companies
Account settlements, etc
The number of articles published and the amount of each issue varies from day to day, as the date of each article's publication is specified. In addition, special editions are published in the event of an emergency.
- Regular edition
- The Official Gazette is published every day except on administrative holidays.
- Extra edition
- The following editions are published as necessary when a regular edition does not have enough space for articles.
- Extra edition on minutes of the Diet sessions
- The minutes of the House of Representatives and the House of Councillors are published from time to time.
- Extra edition on government procurement
- An extra edition is issued as necessary, carrying public notices of tenders for goods or services to be purchased by government agencies with a value of over a certain amount.
- Special Edition
- It is issued when the Prime Minister deems it to be urgently necessary.
Workflow from preparation of manuscripts for the Official Gazette (OG) to publication
The Official Gazette Service Center in each prefecture offers a service to print a document stating the matters to be published in the Official Gazette.Official Gazette Service Center List (Japanese Only)（外部リンク）
Applications can also be made online via the website of the Official Gazette Co-Operation of Japan.Official Gazette Co-operation of Japan website（外部リンク）
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