Cabinet Office (Japan)

The Cabinet Office was established on January 6, 2001, following the reorganization of the central government. It was created to assist in the planning and overall coordination of government policies led by the Cabinet (including the Cabinet Secretariat). The Cabinet Office is different from other ministries and agencies, as it is installed in the Cabinet and includes several Ministers of State called Minister of State for Special Missions.

Initially, some questioned that it was "not appropriate" to use the name Cabinet Office because "it is an organization that divides and manages administrative affairs and not the cabinet itself." [4]

The National Administrative Organization Law does not apply, and all necessary items [Note 1] are stipulated in the Cabinet Office Establishment Law. Since many important policy issues require cross-ministerial responses, many operations have been concentrated since the establishment of the Cabinet Office. While it has increased its presence, such as jurisdiction over certified children's educational institutions, it has also been pointed out that its enlargement [5]. The number of ministers in charge of extraordinary missions, which were six at the beginning of the Cabinet Office, has expanded to nine as of April 2019 [6]. In the Third Abe Cabinet, as a review of the work, the “Act for Partial Revision of the National Administrative Organization Act, etc. for Strengthening Functions Related to Comprehensive Coordination, etc. of the Important Policy of the Cabinet” was enacted, and future work to each ministry Transfer, etc. were established.

The Cabinet Office's function is to help the Cabinet work on important policy and streamline critical issues facing Japan into the future. Its responsibilities extend to:

• The Imperial Family, honorary and official systems
• Promotion of the formation of a gender-equal society
• Civil Activities
• Promotion and development of Okinawa and the northern territories
• Protection of the public from disasters
• Promotion of fair and free competition between businesses
• Ensuring national security
• Identifying specific individuals in administrative procedures
• Ensuring the proper handling of numbers, etc.
• Ensuring appropriate functions of finance
• Promoting measures for the realization of a society where consumers can live in a safe and secure consumer life

As such, the Cabinet Office is responsible for several agencies and internal ministries and administrations through which these responsibilities are spread.

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