Encryption Law by Country
Where strong encryption is a right, restricted, or compelled. National law and policy, mirrored per country.
Source: Global Partners Digital, World Map of Encryption, updated 2026-07-02. Full data at www.gp-digital.org/world-map-of-encryption
Encryption Law by Country (196)
General right to encryption
The second paragraph of Article 21 of the Constitution of Japan provides that “No censorship shall be maintained, nor shall the secrecy of any means of communication be violated.” A copy of the Constitution can be found here .
Mandatory minimum or maximum encryption strength
No known legislation or policies.
Licensing/registration requirements
No known legislation or policies.
Import/export controls
No known legislation or policies.
Other restrictions
No known legislation or policies.
Obligations on individuals to assist authorities
The second paragraph of Article 21 of the Constitution of Japan provides that “No censorship shall be maintained, nor shall the secrecy of any means of communication be violated.” A copy of the Constitution can be found here .
Obligations on providers to assist authorities
Article 111-2 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides that where an article is seized pursuant to a search or seizure order is a “recording medium pertaining to electromagnetic records”, the person executing the search or seizure order may ask a person subject to the order to operate the computer or for some other form of cooperation. This could include the decryption of encrypted electronic records. Articles 99-2 and 218 of the Criminal Procedure Code provides that a court may order the custodian of electronic records, or a person with authority to use them, to record the necessary records onto a recording medium, or to print them out, and to seize the recording medium. The term “to record” could include the decryption of any encrypted electronic records. Article 11 of the Act on the Interception of Communications for Criminal Investigations (Act No. 137 of Heisei 11) allows a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer to request a telecommunications service provider to install interception equipment and provide any other necessary cooperation in relation to conducting interception. Although the Act states that a telecommunications service provider should not refuse such a request without a justifiable reason, it does not set out any penalty for failure to comply. Telecommunications service providers are not, however, required to develop systems or software allowing them to decrypt communications. Article 13(2) of the Act provides that where intercepted communications are encrypted, law enforcement officers can record them and attempt to decrypt them later. Article 197(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code provides that private enterprises can be requested to assist in investigations generally, which could include decrypting encrypted communications. A copy of the Criminal Procedure Code can be found (in Japanese) here and an English translation can be found here . A copy of the Act on the Interception of Communications for Criminal Investigations (in Japanese) can be found here .
Assessment Text Area
In Japan, the constitution guarantees a general right to encryption. However, a court may order specified persons with a key to decrypt encrypted data to decrypt encrypted electronic records. Additionally, the law allows a public prosecutor or a judicial police officer to request a telecommunications service provider to install interception equipment and provide any other necessary cooperation in relation to conducting interception. Telecommunications service providers are not, however, required to develop systems or software allowing them to decrypt communications. Where intercepted communications are encrypted, law enforcement officers can record them and attempt to decrypt them later. Private enterprises can be requested to assist in investigations generally, which could include decrypting encrypted communications.
Murphy's Law