Abstract
APPI protects personal information handled by business operators. The 2020 amendments introduced individual rights (deletion, usage suspension), strengthened cross-border transfer rules, and created the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC). Japan has mutual EU adequacy, enabling data flows.
Summary
Japan’s APPI, originally enacted in 2003, was substantially revised in 2020 and 2022 to align with GDPR and strengthen protections. Business operators must specify utilization purposes, obtain consent for sensitive data, implement security measures, and respond to individual requests for disclosure, correction, and deletion. The 2020 amendments introduced rights to request deletion and usage suspension, created penalties for database theft, and strengthened the Personal Information Protection Commission’s enforcement powers. Cross-border transfers require consent plus adequacy assessment, consent plus contractual safeguards, or group company systems with equivalent protections. Japan and the EU recognize each other’s adequacy, creating a ‘data free-flow highway’ between the two economies. The PPC actively updates guidelines for emerging technologies including cookies, AI, and biometrics.
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