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Domestic Web3 / Crypto-Asset Public Policy Body Layer (METI Web3 Policy Office / LDP web3 PT / Cabinet Secretariat)

Confidence: Likely Updated 2026-05-24 Review by 2026-11-20 Sources 5 Machine-translated Original (JA)
#exchanges#policy#government#web3#meti#ldp
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This entry sits under exchanges index. Read it against JCBA — Japan Crypto-asset Business Association for peer / contrast context and FSA crypto-asset exchange registration system — number system / Local Finance Bureau jurisdiction / registration requirements for the broader system / regulatory boundary.

Overview

Domestic Web3 / crypto-asset policy is shaped by a four-pole structure: FSA (financial regulation) + METI (industrial policy) + LDP web3 PT (member legislation + intra-party policy) + Cabinet Secretariat (cross-ministry digital strategy coordination). The FSA oversees VASP licensing, JVCEA supervision, and the Payment Services Act / Financial Instruments and Exchange Act, while the METI Web3 Policy Office oversees industry development, token taxation (corporate taxation), startup support, and international standardization. The LDP web3 PT bridges both at the political layer, and the Cabinet Secretariat / Digital Agency handles cross-ministry coordination. Since the 2022 年 “Kishida Web3 Declaration”, the government as a whole has established a pro-web3 posture, and web3 / crypto-asset policy has been continuously included in the annual “Basic Policy on Economic and Fiscal Management” and “New Form of Capitalism” documents.

Major Public Policy Bodies

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Web3 Policy Promotion Office (METI Web3 Policy Office)

  • Established: 2022–07 (Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, METI)
  • Position: Under the Information Economy Division, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, METI
  • Mandate: Web3 industry development, proposals for reforming the token taxation framework (corporate taxation), Web3 startup support, NFT industrial policy, overseas expansion support, international standardization
  • Official site: https://www.meti.go.jp/policy/it_policy/web3/index.html
  • Key outputs:
    • Publication of the “Web3 White Paper” series (annual)
    • Proposals to revise the year-end mark-to-market taxation of corporate-held crypto assets (materialized in the 2024 amendment as an exclusion for self-issued + third-party-issued tokens)
    • Development of DAO guidelines (limited liability partnership LLC + DAO structure)
    • NFT guidelines (boundary clarification for the Premiums Act + gambling offence)
    • Ministry delegations to overseas web3 events (Denver Eth Denver / ETHGlobal Tokyo, etc.)

Liberal Democratic Party web3 Project Team (web3 PT)

  • Established: 2022–01 (PT under the Headquarters for Promotion of Digital Society)
  • Position: Under the Headquarters for Promotion of Digital Society, Policy Research Council, LDP
  • Past chairs / advisors: Centred on Taira Masaaki, Member of the House of Representatives (former Deputy Minister for Digital), with ongoing participation from members including Shiozaki Akihisa / Kanda Jun’ichi / Yamada Taro / Kawasaki Hideto
  • Key outputs:
    • Annual publication of “web3 policy proposal 2022”, “web3 policy proposal 2023”, “web3 policy proposal 2024”, “web3 policy proposal 2025”
    • Continued proposal for separate taxation of individual income (not yet realised)
    • Parliamentary pressure toward the 2024 amendment to the Corporation Tax Act (a driving force)
    • Discussions on DAO legalisation
    • Relaxation of visa requirements for Web3 overseas talent
    • Utilisation of the regulatory sandbox
  • Industry liaison: Close consultations with JCBA + JVCEA; jointly drafts policy proposals

Cabinet Secretariat / Digital Agency

  • Digital Agency: Established 2021–09 . Oversees My Number / government digital infrastructure. No direct jurisdiction over Web3 / crypto assets, but overlap in digital ID + stablecoins + CBDC etc.
  • Cabinet Secretariat Council for Realisation of New Form of Capitalism: Continued inclusion of web3 / crypto assets in the “New Form of Capitalism” grand design + action plan
  • Cabinet Secretariat Council for Realisation of a Digital Garden City Nation: Regional revitalisation × web3 / NFT utilisation (precedents such as Niigata Yamakoshi NFT)

Financial Services Agency (FSA) — Regulatory side

  • Position: External bureau of the Cabinet Office
  • Mandate: VASP registration (FSA crypto-asset exchange registration system — number system / Local Finance Bureau jurisdiction / registration requirements), oversight of JVCEA-certified self-regulatory body, stablecoin regulation (amended Payment Services Act 2023–06), regulation of crypto-asset derivatives under the Financial Instruments and Exchange Act
  • Financial Council Working Groups: Continuously convened WGs on crypto assets and stablecoins; preliminary deliberation on amendment bills
  • Relationship with METI: Division of roles between regulation and industry development; director-general-level consultations between the two ministries continue

Bank of Japan (BOJ)

  • Mandate: CBDC (central bank digital currency) proof-of-concept experiments (Stage 1: 2021–04 / Stage 2: 2022–04 / Stage 3 / Pilot operation 2024–)
  • Relationship with crypto assets: Official position that CBDC ≠ crypto assets, though competition / complementarity with private stablecoins (→ JPYC) is a live topic

Role Division and Interaction among the 4 Policy Poles

PolePrimary rolePrimary tools
FSARegulatory enforcement · licensingPayment Services Act / FIEA / Cabinet Office ordinances / [[exchanges/jvcea-self-regulatory-overview
METI Web3 Policy OfficeIndustry development · tax proposalsWhite papers / subsidies / regulatory sandbox
LDP web3 PTPolitical layer · member legislationAnnual policy proposals / intra-party decisions / budget pressure
Cabinet Secretariat / Digital AgencyCross-ministry coordinationBasic economic policy / New Form of Capitalism / Digital Garden City Nation

In practice, policy formation follows the path: industry (JCBA / JVCEA) → LDP web3 PT → METI / FSA → Cabinet Secretariat / ruling-party tax commission → outline of tax reform → submission to the Diet.

Major Policy Agenda (2024–2026)

  1. Separate taxation of individual income — long-standing industry request; under continuing deliberation by the ruling-party tax commission. The focus is realisation in the 2026 年 annual tax reform outline
  2. DAO legalisation — LLC + DAO hybrid design; legal positioning of articles of association + smart contracts
  3. NFT secondary-market legislation — boundary clarification for copyright + Premiums Act + gambling offence
  4. Stablecoin expansion — framework consolidation for Mitsubishi UFJ Trust Progmat / JPYC / megabank issuers
  5. Overseas web3 talent attraction — visa relaxation + highly skilled professional resident status
  6. AML / Travel Rule strengthening — → Domestic VASP Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds + FATF Travel Rule Domestic Implementation (2023-)
  7. Token taxation: corporate adaptation — operation of the 2024 amendment; clarification of uncovered areas (gas fees, airdrops, etc.)

International Comparison / Coordination

  • US: SEC / CFTC / Treasury / FIT21 / CARF 1099-DA (→ CARF / 1099-DA)
  • EU: MiCA (full enforcement 2024–12 )
  • UK: FCA / HMT crypto regime
  • Singapore: MAS Payment Services Act
  • South Korea: FSC + DAXA + Virtual Asset User Protection Act (2024–07)
  • Hong Kong: SFC VASP licensing

Japan’s framework is evaluated as “comprehensive and early-mover”, similar to MiCA; during its G7 Presidency (2023), Japan led international discussions on web3 / stablecoin harmonisation.

Sources