Japan's IT Policy Minister: Yasushi Kaneko (as of 2021)

Yasushi Kaneko served as Japan's Minister in Charge of Information Technology Policy from October 4, 2021, appointed under Prime Minister Fumio Kishida's first cabinet. He concurrently held the portfolio of Minister of State for "Cool Japan" Strategy and Intellectual Property Strategy.

Profile

• Party: Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
• District: Saitama 4th District (since 2012)
• Prior cabinet roles: Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (2019–2020, Abe Cabinet)
• Policy focus: Digital transformation (DX), My Number (national ID) expansion, 5G/6G rollout, data governance, AI ethics, cybersecurity

Japan's IT Policy Architecture

• Digital Agency (est. Sept 2021): Central command for govt digitalization; Minister oversees
• Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC): Telecommunications, postal, broadcasting — separate but coordinated
• Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI): Industrial policy, AI, semiconductors — separate but coordinated
• IT Strategic Headquarters: Chaired by PM; Kaneko as key ministerial member

Key Initiatives Under Kaneko (2021–2022)

• Digital Garden City Nation: Regional revitalization via remote work, satellite offices, digital infrastructure
• My Number Card acceleration: Target: near-universal adoption; integration with health insurance, driver's license
• Government cloud migration: "Government Cloud" (Gov-Cloud) for all ministries
• Data basic act: Framework for public/private data utilization
• International: G7 Digital Ministers, OECD AI Principles, DFFT (Data Free Flow with Trust)

Current Status (2024)

Cabinet reshuffles occur ~annually. As of 2024, the IT Policy Minister role has been held by subsequent appointees (e.g., Taro Kono, 2022–2023; others). Always verify current cabinet via kantei.go.jp.

Kaneko's tenure marked the transition from "IT policy" as a portfolio to "Digital Transformation" as a whole-of-government imperative—embodied by the new Digital Agency.