Concurrent Employment Regulations for Reserve Self-Defense Officials Application and Approval Procedures

On September 28, 2026, the Government promulgated the Concurrent Employment Regulations based on Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Special Provisions for Concurrent Employment of National Public Service Personnel and Local Public Service Personnel to Ensure the Smooth Execution of Duties by Reserve Self-Defense Officials, etc. (Act No. 40 of 2026) as Cabinet Secretariat Order No. 1. The promulgation was made under the joint signature of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi. The regulations shall come into effect on April 1, 2027, which is the date of enforcement of the Act.

The underlying Act No. 40 of 2026 is a law that establishes a framework to exceptionally permit concurrent employment when national and local public service personnel engage in duties as Reserve Self-Defense Officials, etc. The enforcement date was finalized as April 1, 2027, by Cabinet Order No. 273, promulgated on September 9, 2026. These regulations represent the first time that the specific requirements and procedures delegated to Cabinet Secretariat Orders and Ministry of Defense Orders under Article 3, Paragraph 1 of said Act have been codified under the joint jurisdiction of the Cabinet Secretariat and the Ministry of Defense.

Explicitly Specifying Hiring and Transfer as Cases Where Concurrent Employment is Possible

Article 1 limits the cases specified by Cabinet Secretariat Order and Ministry of Defense Order under Article 3, Paragraph 1, Item 4 of the Act to the following three:

• Cases where a person is currently a Reserve Self-Defense Official, etc., at the time of appointment as a general service national public servant.
• Cases where a general service national public servant who has received approval under Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Act is transferred.
• Other cases deemed necessary by the head of the competent authority.

By explicitly specifying personnel milestones such as hiring and transfer, uniform standards are introduced to areas where the appointing authority’s judgment had previously been left to individual discretion.

Items to be Stated in the Application and Criteria for Approval

Article 2 stipulates that a general service national public servant seeking approval must apply in writing to the head of the competent authority, and lists the items to be stated:

• Name, address, held official position and nature of duties, type of salary schedule applied, and the grade of the position to which they belong.
• Working hours.
• Classification as a Reserve Self-Defense Official, Immediate Response Reserve Self-Defense Official, or Assistant Reserve Self-Defense Official.
• Scheduled period for engaging in the duties of a Reserve Self-Defense Official, etc.
• Other relevant matters.

Article 3 establishes the requirements for approval, stating that the head of the competent authority may grant approval only when none of the following apply:

• When it is recognized that there is a risk of significant adverse impact on the efficient execution of duties due to extreme fatigue or other reasons resulting from engaging in the duties of a Reserve Self-Defense Official, etc.
• When it is recognized that there would be an impediment to the operation of public service.

Maintenance of Approval Ledgers and Enforcement Date

Article 4 mandates that the head of the competent authority maintain a ledger regarding approvals under Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Act, with required entries including the date of approval, name, official title, type of salary scale and grade, classification (e.g., Reserve Self-Defense Official), and the scheduled period of engagement. The supplementary provisions stipulate that this order shall come into effect on the date of the Act’s enforcement (April 1, 2027).

Amid challenges in securing personnel for the Self-Defense Forces, a systemic framework has been established to integrate the engagement of Reserve Self-Defense Officials into the overall concurrent employment rules for public servants. Operations will commence on April 1, 2027, and by that time, each ministry and agency must prepare the application windows and approval ledger systems in their capacity as competent authorities.

Sources

• Official Gazette, September 28, 2026 (Monday), Cabinet Secretariat Order No. 1, “Rules Concerning the Concurrent Employment of Reserve Self-Defense Officials, etc., Pursuant to the Provisions of Article 3, Paragraph 1 of the Act on Special Provisions for the Concurrent Employment of National Public Servants and Local Public Servants to Ensure the Smooth Execution of Duties of Reserve Self-Defense Officials, etc.” (Cabinet Secretariat/Defense 1)
• Official Gazette, September 9, 2026, Cabinet Order No. 273, “Cabinet Order Establishing the Enforcement Date of the Act on Special Provisions for the Concurrent Employment of National Public Servants and Local Public Servants to Ensure the Smooth Execution of Duties of Reserve Self-Defense Officials, etc.”