Disaster Management Agency to be established November 2

In the Official Gazette dated September 30, the government promulgated Cabinet Order No. 303, which sets the enforcement date of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Act No. 61 of 2026) as November 2, 2026; Cabinet Order No. 304, which defines the organization of the new agency (Disaster Management Agency Organization Order); and Cabinet Order No. 305, which collectively streamlines related cabinet orders. The promulgation was made in the name of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and bears the Imperial Seal. Accordingly, the Disaster Management Agency will be established on November 2, restructuring the nation’s disaster response system.

Cabinet Order Setting the Enforcement Date and the Agency’s Enabling Act

Cabinet Order No. 303 is the “Cabinet Order Setting the Enforcement Date of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act,” enacted based on the provisions of the main text of Article 1 of the Supplementary Provisions of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act. The main text explicitly states, “The enforcement date of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act shall be November 2, 2026.”

• Enabling Act: Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Act No. 61 of 2026)
• Related Law: Act on the Adjustment of Related Laws Accompanying the Enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Act No. 62 of 2026)
• Promulgation Date: September 30, 2026
• Enforcement Date: November 2, 2026

Organization Order Establishing Four Directors-General and Two Deputy Directors-General

Cabinet Order No. 304 is the Disaster Management Agency Organization Order based on Article 13, Paragraph 3 of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act. The Disaster Management Agency shall have four Directors-General, who will be responsible for nineteen items of administration, including secrets, appointment/salary/service of personnel, custody of official and agency seals, review of official documents, information disclosure, protection of personal information, general coordination, public relations, organization and staffing, and budget/settlement/accounting.

• Directors-General: 4
• Deputy Directors-General: 2 (excluding those holding concurrent posts)
• Official Document Management Officer: 1
• Counselors: 15 (excluding those holding concurrent posts)
• Enforcement Date: The date of enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (November 2, 2026)

The Supplementary Provisions establish a special measure stating that the Directors-General shall handle the duties specified in Article 2 of the Supplementary Provisions of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act until the date prescribed in said article.

Streamlining of Related Cabinet Orders and Transitional Measures for the Central Disaster Management Council

Cabinet Order No. 305 streamlines related cabinet orders accompanying the enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act and the Act on the Adjustment of Related Laws Accompanying the Enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act. Article 1 changes “Cabinet Office Order” to “Disaster Management Agency Order” within the provisions of cabinet orders such as the Order for Enforcement of the Disaster Relief Act (Cabinet Order No. 225 of 1947), and Article 2 establishes transitional measures regarding the terms of office for members of the Central Disaster Management Council.

• Transitional Measures: The term of office for persons deemed to be members of the new Central Disaster Management Council shall be the same as the remaining term of their office as members of the former Central Disaster Management Council.
• Preparatory Acts: The Prime Minister may perform designations, consultations, and notifications regarding the prohibition of flights of small unmanned aircraft, etc., pertaining to the office buildings of the Disaster Management Agency, even prior to enforcement.
• Individual Amendments: Partial amendments to the Order for Enforcement of the Self-Defense Forces Act, the Order for Enforcement of the Radio Act, the Reconstruction Agency Organization Order, and others.
• Replacement of References: In relevant cabinet orders, “Digital Agency” shall be amended to “Disaster Management Agency,” and “Cabinet Office Ordinance” shall be amended to “Disaster Management Agency Ordinance.”

This cabinet order is cosigned by Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications Hayayuki Fujii, Minister for Foreign Affairs Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister of Finance Satsuki Katayama, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Kazuo Yana, Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa, and Minister of Defense Shinjiro Koizumi.

Preparatory Acts Prior to Enforcement and the New System from November 2nd

Since preparatory acts prior to enforcement were permitted simultaneously with the promulgation, the designation of Disaster Management Agency office buildings and the establishment of the organization can proceed before November 2nd. Disaster management-related affairs previously handled by the Cabinet Office will transfer to the jurisdiction of the new agency through the replacement of “Cabinet Office Ordinance” with “Disaster Management Agency Ordinance” in relevant cabinet orders. Because the terms of the Central Disaster Management Council members are set to be the same as their remaining terms, the composition of the council will continue across the enforcement date.

From November 2nd onward, the operation of cabinet orders related to disaster relief, the dispatch of the Self-Defense Forces for disaster relief, the use of radio waves, and reconstruction administration will be carried out under a system centered on the Disaster Management Agency. Relevant ministries and agencies must complete practical preparations, such as the designation of office buildings and the appointment of personnel, by the enforcement date.

Official Sources

• Cabinet Order No. 303 (Cabinet Order Establishing the Enforcement Date of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act), promulgated September 30, 2026, Official Gazette Extra
• Cabinet Order No. 304 (Disaster Management Agency Organization Order), promulgated September 30, 2026, Official Gazette Extra
• Cabinet Order No. 305 (Cabinet Order concerning the Adjustment of Relevant Cabinet Orders accompanying the Enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act and the Act on the Adjustment of Relevant Laws accompanying the Enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act), promulgated September 30, 2026, Official Gazette Extra
• Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Act No. 61 of 2026), Act on the Adjustment of Relevant Laws accompanying the Enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Act No. 62 of 2026)