Submissions open Aug 14, 2026 19:30 and close Sep 15, 2026 23:59 — a voluntary public comment by the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy (case No. 620340003)
The Gas Market Development Office of the Electricity and Gas Industry Department, Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, has opened a public comment on the draft "Review Results of Gas System Reform and Future Direction." The draft was published on August 14, 2026, and submissions are accepted from 19:30 that day until 23:59 on September 15, 2026. The case number is 620340003, filed under the "Industry" category. It is run as a voluntary public comment rather than a procedure under the Administrative Procedure Act, and no enabling legal provision is listed. Gas system reform refers to the set of institutional changes centered on the full liberalization of retail city gas in April 2017, which let households choose their gas supplier and plan. This draft reviews how that reform has actually worked and sets out the direction going forward, and the government is now inviting broad comment on it. Unlike public comments that target a single ministerial ordinance amendment, this one covers an upstream document that looks back at the system as a whole. So the consultation itself does not immediately change your gas rates or contract procedures, but it is the starting point for future rule revisions. The full draft and the submission guidelines are available as PDFs on the e-Gov case page.
This consultation does not change your current city gas rates or procedures right away. For now, monthly bills and the connection/disconnection steps when you move stay the same. But because the subject is a review of the whole system since full retail liberalization in April 2017, plus the direction going forward, what is settled here will shape future rate menus, how easy it is to switch suppliers, and how contracts are handled. If you struggle with Japanese-language contracts and meter-reading slips, or find the gas connection process painful every time you move, this is one of the few chances to put those foreign-resident-specific problems in front of the regulator. Public comments can be submitted by people living in Japan regardless of nationality, but always check the "submission guidelines" PDF for the required format, destination and fields. The deadline is 23:59 on September 15, 2026; late submissions are not accepted.
Japan's MAFF set the government selling price of imported wheat for the October 2026 term at ¥70,020 per ton, a 12.0% increase. Here is what changed, how the twice-a-year system works, and what it means for your food budget.
Japan's Digital Agency is seeking public comments on draft amendments to the My Number order and the technical standards for individual number cards. Submit through e-Gov in Japanese between 31 August and 30 September 2026; foreign residents may also comment.
Japan's Digital Agency says a VPN-based intrusion into its Government Solution Service may have exposed about 246,000 records of ministry staff and contractors. No My Number or bank data was involved, but phishing risk is real.