The framework of laws, ordinances and regulations governing government procurement in Japan is one of high complexity, involving dozens of legal texts. Procurement by national entities is subject to the Public Accounting Law. Public procurement by local government is governed by the Local Autonomy Law (J). This has resulted in the development of two separate legal structures for government procurement.
An overview of the legal framework concerning government procurement of goods and services is provided in English on the Cabinet Office website.
The Ministry of Justice in Japan operates a website, Japanese Law Translation, with unofficial translations of Japanese laws, where some of these laws and ordinances are listed. For original Japanese legal texts, see the Digital Agency’s e-Gov Law search portal (J).
(Last update: June 2026)
