How Japan's Cabinet Secretariat Processes Disclosure Requests

Japan's Cabinet Secretariat has laid out the rules covering requests to see the administrative documents it holds, in an official notice aimed at members of the public who want to exercise their information disclosure rights.

Applicants must submit requests either by post or in person to the Cabinet Secretariat at 1-6-1 Nagatachō, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo. Fax and email requests are not accepted, and each request must carry ¥300 in revenue stamps — the only form of payment accepted for the filing fee — regardless of whether it is sent by mail or handed in at the counter.

Because the authority for disclosure decisions is delegated to the heads of individual bureaus, applicants must address requests to the bureau chief listed for the unit that holds the document in question. The Cabinet Secretariat's administrative document register can be searched online to help identify the right file. Once a request is accepted, the responsible bureau head must make a disclosure or non-disclosure decision within 30 days and notify the applicant in writing. If disclosure is refused, the applicant may file an administrative appeal against the decision with the Prime Minister under Japan's Administrative Appeal Act.

Separate fees apply when disclosure is actually carried out, although the first ¥300 of these implementation fees is waived for each document. The notice also covers the management of Cabinet Secretariat records and the procedure for viewing gift reports filed by its officials, for which online applications are accepted via a dedicated form.

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What the Fine Print Reveals About Transparency in Japan's Cabinet Secretariat

Procedural Hurdles That Shape Who Asks

The notice confirms a deliberately narrow channel for requests: post or a physical counter, payment only in revenue stamps, and no fax or email. These are standard mechanics under Japan's information disclosure system, but they are not frictionless. Applicants bear the burden of identifying the correct bureau head, since decision-making authority has been delegated downward — a step the Cabinet Secretariat says is intended to improve accountability and administrative efficiency.

How Much of the Government Sits Inside the Cabinet Secretariat

The list of covered bodies — from the National Security Council and the Cybersecurity Strategy Headquarters to the gambling-addiction and dementia policy headquarters and the unit promoting the 2025 World Expo — shows that the Cabinet Secretariat is the administrative home for many of the government's flagship cross-ministerial initiatives. That makes its document register a meaningful transparency resource that reaches well beyond the secretariat's own internal files.

A Transparency Check on Official Gifts

Separately, the notice details how members of the public can inspect gift reports filed by Cabinet Secretariat officials, including an online application route. This is a quiet but real accountability mechanism: the acceptance of gifts by officials from outside parties is an area where Japanese public-ethics rules draw regular scrutiny.

Practical Steps for Filing a Disclosure Request

For citizens or journalists planning to file a request:

  • Identify the bureau holding the document first, using the Cabinet Secretariat's online administrative document register, and address the request to that bureau's head.
  • Post the request to 1-6-1 Nagatachō, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, or submit it in person at the counter — fax and email requests are not accepted.
  • Affix ¥300 in revenue stamps per request; the filing fee can only be paid this way, whether posting or submitting at the counter.
  • Expect a written disclosure or non-disclosure decision within 30 days of acceptance, and budget for implementation fees, though the first ¥300 per document is free.
  • If refused, an administrative appeal to the Prime Minister is available under the Administrative Appeal Act.