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Country tracker · Asia-Pacific · 40 countries, one method

AI in Japan

How far Japan has come on AI, and how complete its AI rulebook is: two scores, six lenses, every law linked to its official text.
24.7% of people aged 15–64 used a generative AI product in Q2 2026, up from 16.7% in H1 2025; #45 of the 147 economies Microsoft tracks. Its strongest lens is Infrastructure (#4 of 40) and its weakest Adoption (#39). On AI law, a national AI law that sets up planning and coordination, with no fines for companies.
Follow JapanAI law in Japan
#11 of 40 on Progress57/100 Rulebook3 verified laws and rulesChecked 21 Oct 2026
In the Record’s memory4 dated events since January 2023, by month and kind. Darker means busier; choose a square to see those events.
See all 4 in the ledger →
Laws and rules4

Japan through six lenses

How the scores work →
The same six lenses, in the same order, on every country page. Each shows its lead number, the rank among the countries the source covers, and every indicator behind the lens score. 11 of 17 indicators measure Japan.
01Adoption#39 of 40
How widely are people and firms using AI?
24.7%
share of people aged 15–64 who used generative AI, Q2 2026
H1 2025Q2 2026
Lens score23
03Research#6 of 40
Does it build AI and its science?
6
notable AI models, 2003–2025
Lens score53
05Infrastructure#4 of 40
Does it have the machines?
18,156
H100-equivalents of known AI supercomputer capacity in operation, Oct 2026
Lens score62

AI law in Japan

How to check a law →

Japan's AI Promotion Act (Act No. 53 of 2025) is fully in force from 1 September 2025; it sets up a cabinet AI Strategy Headquarters and a Basic Plan, with no fines.

Promotion law, no penaltiesA national AI law that sets up planning and coordination, with no fines for companies.
  1. In forceStrategy · not bindingAdopted 23 Dec 2025

    Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan (first plan; Phase II plan)

    Government-wide AI policy plan under Article 18 of the Act; aims for 'reliable AI', more staff for J-AISI and AI education; to be revised annually. Phase II plan reported adopted by cabinet on 14 Jul 2026.

    Official text Independent check Confidence: medium
  2. VoluntaryGuidance · not bindingAdopted 19 Dec 2025

    Guidelines on Ensuring the Appropriateness of Research, Development and Utilization of AI-Related Technologies (under the AI Act)

    Guidelines under Article 13 of the AI Promotion Act, decided by the AI Strategy Headquarters on 19 Dec 2025: basic considerations (human-centricity, fairness, safety, transparency) and actions for R&D bodies and business users, state and local government, and citizens; non-binding.

    Official text Independent check Confidence: medium
  3. In forceLaw · bindingAdopted May 2025 · In force from 1 Sep 2025

    Act on Promotion of Research, Development and Utilization of Artificial Intelligence-Related Technologies (Act No. 53 of 2025)

    Framework law: basic principles, duties of state and businesses to cooperate, AI Strategy Headquarters chaired by the Prime Minister, AI Basic Plan, government research and guidance on misuse; promulgated and partly in force 4 Jun 2025.

    Official text Independent check Confidence: high
1 more item is awaiting verification. We publish a law only after confirming its status and dates against an official source; until then it earns no Rulebook points.

The Rulebook score, line by line

What each line means →
57 of 100. Each line names the law or body that earns its points.
  1. Binding AI rulesA national AI law is in force, but it sets no penalties for companies · Act No. 53 of 202520/35
  2. A national AI strategy, adopted or updated since 2022Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan (first plan; Phase II plan)8/8
  3. A body named to oversee or enforce AI rulesSee Institutions6/6
  4. An AI safety or evaluation instituteSee Institutions6/6
  5. A right to challenge automated decisions, in forceNone found0/12
  6. Rules on AI-generated content: labels or deepfake offences, in forceNone found0/13
  7. International AI governance initiatives endorsed (of 8)8 of 8. Source: AI governance initiatives by country12/12
  8. Council of Europe AI Convention: signed 5, ratified 8Signed5/8

The record

What gets an entry →
Every dated step: laws adopted and coming into force, and each reading of AI use. Newest first; future dates are marked.
  1. 30 Jun 2026AdoptionAI user share reached 24.7%, from 22.5% in Q1 2026Share of people aged 15–64 who used a generative AI product, Q2 2026.Independent estimateSource →
  2. 31 Mar 2026AdoptionAI user share reached 22.5%, from 19.1% in H2 2025Share of people aged 15–64 who used a generative AI product, Q1 2026.Independent estimateSource →
  3. 31 Dec 2025AdoptionAI user share reached 19.1%, from 16.7% in H1 2025Share of people aged 15–64 who used a generative AI product, H2 2025.Independent estimateSource →
  4. 23 Dec 2025LawsArtificial Intelligence Basic Plan (first plan; Phase II plan) adoptedGovernment-wide AI policy plan under Article 18 of the Act; aims for 'reliable AI', more staff for J-AISI and AI education; to be revised annually. Phase II plan reported adopted by cabinet on 14 Jul 2026.Official sourceSource →
  5. 19 Dec 2025Lawsunder the AI Act adoptedGuidelines under Article 13 of the AI Promotion Act, decided by the AI Strategy Headquarters on 19 Dec 2025: basic considerations (human-centricity, fairness, safety, transparency) and actions for R&D bodies and business…Official sourceSource →
  6. 1 Sep 2025LawsAct No. 53 of 2025 came into forceOfficial sourceSource →
  7. May 2025LawsAct No. 53 of 2025 adoptedFramework law: basic principles, duties of state and businesses to cooperate, AI Strategy Headquarters chaired by the Prime Minister, AI Basic Plan, government research and guidance on misuse; promulgated and partly in f…Official sourceSource →

How people in Japan see AI

Public opinion on AI →
Survey results, not scored. They show the mood that new AI rules land in.
48%say AI products have more benefits than drawbacks, 2025+6 points since 2022Ipsos, 2022–25 →32%trust their government to regulate AI responsibly2025Ipsos →31%of employees say they trust AI at work44% use itUniversity of Melbourne and KPMG International →

Japan beside its peers

All 40 countries →
The two Progress leaders and the countries nearest to Japan in its region. A dash means no source measures that lens for the country.
MeasureJapanUnited StatesChinaAustraliaSouth KoreaIndia
Progressfive lenses, 0–10041#1177#174#237#1349#851#6
Adoptionlens score235656453972
Talentlens score1852—313161
Researchlens score538983327517
Investmentlens score4910074495158
Infrastructurelens score628883305047
Rulebook0–100577484448934
AI user shareQ2 2026 · Microsoft24.7%33.0%17.5%40.7%40.6%18.5%
Approach to AI lawPromotion law, no penaltiesState laws, no federal AI statuteBinding rules by use caseExisting regulators, no AI statuteComprehensive AI lawExisting regulators, no AI statute

More of Asia-Pacific

Every country →
India51Progress34RulebookExisting regulators, no AI statuteOpen tracker →China74Progress84RulebookBinding rules by use caseOpen tracker →South Korea49Progress89RulebookComprehensive AI lawOpen tracker →Taiwan18Progress53RulebookPromotion law, no penaltiesOpen tracker →Vietnam10Progress43RulebookComprehensive AI lawOpen tracker →
Malaysia10Progress11RulebookStrategy and guidance
Singapore53Progress40RulebookExisting regulators, no AI statuteOpen tracker →Indonesia13Progress36RulebookStrategy and guidanceOpen tracker →Australia37Progress44RulebookExisting regulators, no AI statuteOpen tracker →New Zealand11Progress14RulebookStrategy and guidanceOpen tracker →

Check AI-law news yourself

All our data sources →
Every law on these pages links to its official text and to an independent check. These are the registers and trackers we use, with what each is good for. A headline about a new AI law is real when the official register shows it.
Official registers8
Law and policy trackers4
  • OECD.AI Policy Navigator (formerly National AI Policies & Strategies database; GAIIN)OECDNational AI policy initiatives (strategies, governance bodies, funding, regulation) by jurisdictionUse it for Use as primary verification source for 'national AI strategy exists / date' and governance bodies; link each country page to its OECD.AI country profile
  • IAPP Global AI Law and Policy TrackerIAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals)AI laws, policies, national strategies and responsible authorities per jurisdictionUse it for Cite as a secondary legal cross-check; link out; do not reproduce
  • Council of Europe Framework Convention (CETS 225) treaty chartCouncil of Europe Treaty Office · Live chart (see coe_convention block)Signature and ratification status of the first binding international AI treatyUse it for Primary source for a 'CoE AI Convention: signed / ratified' field per country
  • Digital Policy AlertDigital Policy Alert (St.Gallen Endowment for Prosperity through Trade) · ContinuousEvent-level tracker of digital policy changes incl. AI rules, by jurisdictionUse it for Use as verification source for law-stage changes; model aiadoption.org's country timeline on its event structure
Country indices11
  • Stanford HAI AI Index Report + Global AI Vibrancy ToolStanford Institute for Human-Centered AIAnnual state-of-AI report; Vibrancy Tool ranks national AI ecosystems (R&D, economy, policy, talent, infrastructure, public opinion, etc.)Use it for Reuse individual underlying indicators (with attribution) rather than the composite; link to Vibrancy Tool for each covered country
  • Tortoise Global AI IndexTortoise MediaNational AI capacity: investment, innovation, implementationUse it for Link out and quote rank with attribution only; do not reuse scores
  • Oxford Insights Government AI Readiness Index 2025Oxford InsightsWhether governments can harness AI for the public goodUse it for Cite as a verification source for governance/policy-capacity; reuse rank with attribution for countries lacking other data
  • Microsoft Global AI Diffusion Report (AI user share)Microsoft (AI Economy Institute / On the Issues)AI user share: % of working-age population (15-64) using generative AI products in the periodUse it for Reuse the per-country AI user share as the core 'adoption' metric with attribution and vintage label; flag method breaks
  • IMF AI Preparedness Index (AIPI)International Monetary Fund · June 2024 (released 25 June 2024); no later update foundMacro-structural readiness to adopt AIUse it for Use as background 'structural readiness' component only; label vintage 2024
  • Global Index on Responsible AI (GIRAI)Global Center on AI GovernanceGovernment commitments and implementation evidence for responsible AIUse it for Cite as verification source for responsible-AI governance; adopt its framework-vs-implementation distinction in aiadoption.org's law status pills
  • AI Safety / Security Institutes network (NAAIMES)Member governments; UK AI Security Institute as coordinatorMembership of the international network of AI safety/evaluation institutesUse it for Field 'has national AI evaluation institute (year)' per country; see safety_institutes block
  • Carnegie Endowment (AI governance research, e.g. China AI safety institute work)Carnegie Endowment for International Peace · Ongoing researchQualitative country analysis of AI governanceUse it for Cite for country narrative paragraphs
  • Brookings: How are countries evaluating AI models?Brookings Institution · Article (date not confirmed)Comparative analysis of national AI evaluation institutesUse it for Cite in safety-institute methodology notes
  • Anthropic Economic Index - geographic report (Anthropic AI Usage Index)AnthropicClaude usage per capita relative to working-age population by country (AUI), plus task mixUse it for Use as secondary adoption metric beside Microsoft; triangulate, never sole sourceLink not yet opened by us
  • Epoch AI dataEpoch AI · ContinuousNotable models, training compute, GPU clusters/data centres by countryUse it for Reuse 'notable models by country' and 'AI supercomputers by country' with attributionLink not yet opened by us
Research and safety4
  • CSET (Center for Security and Emerging Technology)Georgetown University · OngoingData-driven research on AI talent, investment, compute, policy (incl. ETO tools such as AGORA AI governance document set)Use it for Cite AGORA for law-text links; reuse open datasets with attributionLink not yet opened by us
  • International AI Safety ReportExpert panel chaired by Yoshua Bengio, UK-backed secretariat · 2026 edition expected/early 2026 (not verified)Scientific synthesis of general-purpose AI capabilities and risksUse it for Cite in methodology for why safety institutes/evaluation capacity are scored; list which countries sit on the panelLink not yet opened by us
  • Our World in Data - Artificial IntelligenceOur World in Data (Global Change Data Lab) · ContinuousCharts republishing AI data (investment, models, patents, public opinion) by countryUse it for Model chart UX on OWID; reuse CC BY datasets with attributionLink not yet opened by us
  • Artificial AnalysisArtificial Analysis · ContinuousModel benchmarks, price and speed; includes model origin by countryUse it for Use for 'frontier models produced by country' cross-check; citeLink not yet opened by us

How the scores work

Two scores, never added together. Download every score and indicator (CSV).

Progress, 0–100

  1. Five lenses, same for everyone. Adoption, Talent, Research, Investment and Infrastructure. Each lens is the average of its indicators; Progress is the average of the lenses.
  2. Only published numbers. Each indicator is a chart on AI Adoption with its source and CSV, or a public dataset linked on the page (Microsoft AI Diffusion, Epoch AI GPU Clusters).
  3. Scaled so outliers do not swamp the rest. Money, models and compute use a log scale on which the leader scores 100; shares and rates use the range of countries the source covers.
  4. Gaps stay gaps. A source that does not cover a country leaves a dash, never a guess. A country below a source's top-15 list scores 0 on that indicator, and the page says so. The coverage flag shows how many of the 17 indicators measure the country.

Rulebook, 0–100

How complete and binding a country's AI rules are. It does not grade whether the rules are good, strict or lenient. Points come only from laws we have verified against an official source.

Binding AI rulesup to 35
  • An AI law with enforceable duties on companies applies now35
  • Enforceable rules on AI systems apply, but only in part of the country26
  • An AI law with enforceable duties is enacted; its duties start later26
  • A national AI law is in force, but it sets no penalties for companies20
  • An AI bill or official draft is before the legislature or out for consultation10
  • No AI-specific law, bill or official draft0
Institutions, safeguards, international65
  • A national AI strategy, adopted or updated since 20228
  • A body named to oversee or enforce AI rules6
  • An AI safety or evaluation institute6
  • A right to challenge automated decisions, in force12
  • Rules on AI-generated content: labels or deepfake offences, in force13
  • International AI governance initiatives endorsed (of 8)12
  • Council of Europe AI Convention: signed 5, ratified 88
Disclosure: AI Adoption uses AI tools in its research and editorial work. No government, company or lobby group has any say in a country's scores or its law register, and the same rules apply to every country. Editorial standards · Data sources · Corrections
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