_Regulation · Other_

# Japan automated-driving framework (Road Traffic Act amendments)

Canonical ID: `122cbae6-db09-4ce5-a040-209d3c885e04`

- **Jurisdiction:** [Japan](/locations/japan.md) (id: `94b72ada-cafc-4321-a524-cb8e576bb849`)
- **Kind:** `other`
- **Status (derived):** in_effect
- **Effective:** 2020-04-01

Japan's automated-driving legal framework under amendments to the Road Traffic Act, administered by the National Police Agency (permissions via prefectural Public Safety Commissions). The 2019 amendment authorized Level 3 conditional automated driving (effective 1 April 2020); the 2022 amendment (Act No. 32) authorized Level 4 'specified automated operation' - driverless, remote-supervised operation with no in-vehicle driver (effective 1 April 2023), with the first L4 approval granted to a low-speed service in Eiheiji, Fukui Prefecture on 11 May 2023. The framework is vehicle-class-general (covers shuttles/buses; first deployments are low-speed shuttles).

## Sources (5)

1. https://www.npa.go.jp/english/bureau/traffic/selfdriving.html
2. https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2023/0512_002.html
3. https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2023/0331_003.html
4. https://www.nagashima.com/en/publications/publication20221215-2/
5. https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=fa274056-aa09-4dec-ba86-7752757f9a51

## Status history

- **in_effect** · 2023-04-01 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (Sprint 5c-2 Asia regs)
    - Japan Road Traffic Act 2022 amendment (Act No. 32) authorized Level 4 'specified automated operation' (driverless, remote-supervised), effective 1 April 2023; first approval Eiheiji May 11, 2023.
- **in_effect** · 2020-04-01 · editor:DEPLOY content-agent (Sprint 5c-2 Asia regs)
    - Japan Road Traffic Act 2019 amendment authorized Level 3 conditional automated driving, effective 1 April 2020.

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