Digital Version of Official Gazette Established as Original

   Tokyo, April 1 (Jiji Press)--A Japanese law to digitize the official gazette entered into force Tuesday, establishing the digital version as the official original.
   Japan began publishing the official gazette in 1883. It is used to announce the promulgation of laws, decrees and treaties and release government procurement information and public notices of corporations under the companies law.
   The release of the digital version began in 1999, but it was treated only as an attachment to the paper version, which had been the original from the beginning.
   The law was enacted in December 2023 to improve convenience and reduce administrative work. For those who do not have access to the internet, a paper version will be issued for a fee for 90 days from the publication of the original.
   The shift is "very significant in the history of the official gazette," regional revitalization minister Yoshitaka Ito, who covers official gazette-related affairs, told a press conference.

(2025/04/01-22:05)