On December 23, 2025, Japan’s Cabinet Office issued its "Basic Plan on Artificial Intelligence—Revitalizing Japan through 'Trustworthy AI'" (the "Plan")¹. The Plan reflects the view that rapid advances—especially in generative AI—have made AI a foundational technology for sustainable development, improving efficiency and convenience, while enabling scientific discovery and enhancing human creativity. Because AI directly affects industrial competitiveness and national security, public and private sectors are intensifying their efforts. In Japan, however, adoption in everyday life and business remains limited, and delays in development and investment are becoming increasingly apparent. The Plan therefore emphasizes "trustworthy AI," seeks to make Japan the easiest place in the world to develop and deploy AI, and positions AI as a core component of both risk-management and growth-oriented investment.

Drawing on the AI Act’s basic principles, the Plan sets out 3 principles for AI-related R&D and deployment:

• balancing innovation promotion with risk response
• taking an agile approach by running a PDCA (plan-do-check-act) cycle to respond swiftly to change
• strengthening international cooperation and advancing domestic and external policies in an integrated manner

The Plan also sets out 4 policy directions:

• accelerating the use of cutting-edge AI, subject to appropriate risk controls, to drive innovation and improve AI performance
• strategically developing "trustworthy AI" by linking efforts across the AI stack—from infrastructure through applications
• establishing AI governance frameworks that are workable both domestically and internationally and leading the formation of international frameworks
• realizing a society in which humans and AI collaborate through the ongoing transformation of industry, employment, and institutions coupled with talent development, and the creation of an environment that strengthens the human capabilities needed to thrive in an AI-enabled society

In addition, the Plan identifies 4 categories of measures for the Government:

• accelerating AI adoption across society and promoting regulatory and institutional reforms premised on the use of AI
• strategically developing a domestic AI ecosystem and, through overseas expansion, for stronger competitiveness, a reduced digital trade deficit, enhanced national capability, and greater autonomy and strategic indispensability; prioritizing "physical AI" and "AI for Science"
• establishing PDCA-based governance across the AI lifecycle and while articulating national guidance, and strengthening the AI Safety Institute (AISI) to conduct technical evaluations and implement risk-based measures
• promoting industrial restructuring and regional revitalization with AI as a driver, and pursuing inclusive growth through continuous reforms to institutions and social systems

Going forward, it will be important to monitor implementation and tangible outcomes.

¹ https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/ai/ai_plan/aiplan_20251223.pdf (In Japanese)
https://www8.cao.go.jp/cstp/ai/ai_plan/aiplan_eng_20260116.pdf (The English version (provisional translation) published with the original text)