❓ What is changing?
Japan has opened a public comment period on a package of ordinances (Bosaicho-rei) and public notices to be issued in the name of the new disaster agency (防災庁 / Bosaicho). It started at 0:00 on September 14, 2026 and runs until 11:59 p.m. on October 13, 2026, handled by the Bosaicho Preparation Office of the Cabinet Secretariat. The drafts include the "Bosaicho Hearing Procedure Rules (tentative name)" based on Chapter 3, Section 2 of the Administrative Procedure Act (Act No. 88 of 1993), and the "Ordinance on the Free Loan and Transfer of Goods under the Jurisdiction of Bosaicho (tentative name)." A hearing is the step that lets a person state their case before the government issues an adverse disposition such as revoking a permit; the draft sets out how the new agency will run it. The goods ordinance decides how state-owned goods are lent or handed over without charge. When a new agency starts, rules that other ministries already hold must be re-enacted under the new agency's name, and this package is that groundwork. Full texts and the submission guidelines are posted as PDFs on e-Gov and are also distributed at the counter.
💡 Key points to know
1The window runs from 0:00 on September 14, 2026 to 11:59 p.m. on October 13, 2026; the case number is 060260914.
2e-Gov asks you to read the entire "Guidelines for Submitting Comments (including where to send them)" and the full draft texts before submitting.
3Materials are available as PDFs on e-Gov and are also handed out at the counter.
4Inquiries go to the Bosaicho Preparation Office, Cabinet Secretariat (TEL 03-6230-9073).
5The draft hearing procedure rules govern how a hearing is run before an adverse disposition — this matters if you are ever the subject of such a disposition.
6The draft ordinance on goods sets how state-owned goods are lent out or transferred free of charge.
7It is run as a public comment procedure under the Administrative Procedure Act, and the case can be looked up on e-Gov by its case number.