December 19, 2025 Results of the Solicitation for Opinions on the Draft Amendments to Establish a Legal Framework Mandating Electronic Applications for Radio Station Licenses and Related Procedures (hereinafter the "Electronic Application Mandating Legal Framework"), and the Report from the Radio Regulatory Council

(The Draft Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act (hereinafter the "Draft Ministerial Ordinance"))

　To develop the Electronic Application Mandating Legal Framework, the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) solicited opinions on the Draft Ministerial Ordinance from Saturday, November 1, 2025, to Monday, December 1, 2025. As a result, 18 opinions were submitted. These opinions, along with the MIC’s position on them, will be made available.
　Based on the results of the opinion solicitation, the MIC consulted the Radio Regulatory Council, chaired by SASASE Iwao, professor emeritus at Keio University, regarding the appropriateness of the draft. Today, the MIC has received a report stating that it is appropriate.
　Based on the results of the opinion solicitation and the report from the Radio Regulatory Council, the MIC will promptly revise the relevant ministerial ordinances.

Note: The published materials are in Japanese only.

1. Background and overview

　In recent years, the government has been promoting the Digital First Principle as part of a collective effort. Under this policy, individual administrative procedures and related administrative tasks at government agencies will be completed entirely through digital means. For administrative procedures under the Radio Act, digitalization should also be further promoted since it expedites and streamlines the operations conducted by licensees, other operators, and administrative agencies, and helps reduce costs.

　Against this background, the Act to Partially Amend the Radio Act and the Broadcasting Act (Act No. 27 of 2025; hereinafter the "Amending Act") was enacted. Under the Amending Act, the national government, independent administrative agencies, blanket licensees, and other entities that have a significant number of radio stations established are required to use electronic applications for radio station licenses and other related procedures, and written procedures are no longer permitted.

　In response to the enforcement of the Amending Act, it is necessary to develop the Electronic Application Mandating Legal Framework. To this end, the MIC prepared the Draft Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Regulations for Enforcement of the Radio Act in order to implement the Amending Act, under which blanket licensees and other entities that have a significant number of radio stations established are designated. The MIC then solicited opinions on the Draft Ministerial Ordinance from Saturday, November 1, 2025, to Monday, December 1, 2025.

2. Report from Radio Regulatory Council

　Based on the results of the opinion solicitation, the MIC consulted the Radio Regulatory Council regarding the consultation matters relevant to Article 2 of the Amending Act and Article 99-11, Paragraph 1, Item 1 of the Radio Act. Today, the MIC received a report stating that these matters are appropriate.

3. Future plans

　Based on the results of the public solicitation and the report of the Radio Regulatory Council, the MIC will promptly develop the relevant ministerial ordinances.

　Enforcement is scheduled for April 1, 2026.

4. How to obtain materials

　Materials will be available in the "Public Comments" section on the e-Gov website (https://www.e-gov.go.jp).