Chairman Masao Horibe

I am delighted to inform you that the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC) was established on Jan 1, 2016 under the amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information. So, Japan has finally achieved the establishment of the independent data protection authority and taken a significant step forward harmonizing Japanese data protection framework with international one.

I am particularly pleased to be a part of this significant phase and have become the first Chairman of the PPC. I have no doubt that the PPC plays a very important role in our society for the protection of personal information. Let me focus on two key points of the PPC: independence and international cooperation.

One is that the PPC will assume authorities that are right now exercised by competent Ministers and exercise them independently. Currently, each competent Minister assumes supervising authorities on ensuring proper handling of personal information in business fields respectively. However, after the amended Act comes into force, such authorities will be consolidated into the PPC. The PPC will be able to exercise its authorities from the standpoints of expertise and based on the politically neutral attitude.

The other is international cooperation. The amended Act allows the PPC to provide foreign data protection authorities with information, whereby the PPC is able to interact more with foreign data protection authorities and engage in enforcement cooperation, contributing to safeguard personal information of individuals.

We have already begun to be committed to ensuring the proper handling of personal information for the protection of rights and interests of individuals, while taking into account proper and effective use of personal information. Of course, the PPC also continues to engage in supervising and monitoring proper handling of personal information related to MY NUMBER.

Before I close, allow me to note that we, all the members of the PPC and the secretariat, continue to dedicate our strength with the strong sense of responsibility to address issues. I have advocated to establish an independent data protection authority in Japan which guides and supervises for the proper handling of personal information. I have also engaged in legal research on privacy issues more than half a century and in processes of all bills regarding personal information protection and privacy in Japan. Based on these experiences, I am delighted to make great efforts to achieve our duty.

Finally, we want to acknowledge you all for your continued support and encouragement.