Revised Early Retirement Formats and Special Allowance Provisions for DMA

The government promulgated Cabinet Secretariat Order No. 10 in the Official Gazette dated October 22, 2026. In conjunction with the enforcement of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Act No. 61 of 2026), this order amends the Cabinet Secretariat Order regarding the written forms for the recruitment and certification system for those seeking early retirement based on the National Public Service Retirement Allowance Act (Act No. 182 of 1953), as well as the Cabinet Secretariat Order regarding special provisions for the basic amount of retirement allowances. It was promulgated in the name of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

The legal basis for the amendment is Article 8-2, Paragraph 9, and Supplementary Provisions Paragraphs 12, 14, and 16 of the National Public Service Retirement Allowance Act. The targets of the amendment are two Cabinet Secretariat Orders: the one prescribing the written forms for the recruitment and certification system for those seeking early retirement under the provisions of said Act (Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Ordinance No. 58 of 2013), and the one regarding special provisions for the basic amount of retirement allowances pursuant to Supplementary Provisions Paragraphs 12, 14, and 16 of said Act. The inauguration date of the new agency is set as November 2, 2026, by the Cabinet Order prescribing the enforcement date of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Cabinet Order No. 303, promulgated September 30, 2026), and this amendment serves as the institutional preparation immediately preceding that date.

Revision of Submission and Reporting Forms and Mandating Annual April Reports

Article 1 partially amends Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications Ordinance No. 58 of 2013, revising the provisions in a table format that corresponds the “Before Amendment” column with the “After Amendment” column. The revised Article 4 stipulates that submissions and reports pursuant to Article 8-2, Paragraph 9 of the National Public Service Retirement Allowance Act shall be conducted by each target organization every year during the month of April.

The content of the report consists of the following two points:

• The number of employees who applied and were certified in the previous fiscal year.
• All recruitment implementation guidelines pertaining to said certification (referring to those prescribed in Article 8-2, Paragraph 2 of said Act; if the necessary methods prescribed in Paragraph 5 of the same Article were publicized, those methods are included).

Reports are to be submitted using Appended Form 6, maintaining a framework to track the actual results of early retirement recruitment every fiscal year.

Addition of the Disaster Management Agency as the 18th Item in the List of Reporting Organizations

The core of the amendment lies in the addition of the Disaster Management Agency to the list of organizations enumerated in Article 4. In the “After Amendment” column, “18. Disaster Management Agency” has been newly established, and the previous items 18 through 24 have been shifted down to 19 through 25.

The list also includes administrative agencies (administrative agencies as defined in Article 2, Paragraph 4 of the Act on General Rules for Independent Administrative Agencies (Act No. 103 of 1999)) under the jurisdiction of said organization. This means that upon its inauguration, the new agency will be positioned as an operating entity of the early retirement system, similar to other ministries and agencies.

Simultaneous Amendment of Special Provisions for the Basic Amount of Retirement Allowances

Another pillar is the amendment to the Cabinet Secretariat Ordinance concerning special provisions for the basic amount of retirement allowances, based on Paragraphs 12, 14, and 16 of the Supplementary Provisions of the National Public Service Retirement Allowance Act. The promulgated Cabinet Secretariat Ordinance is structured to amend both this Special Provisions Ordinance and the Form Ordinance as a single unit, directly affecting the calculation of retirement allowances and the financial burden associated with the assignment of personnel to the new agency.

To Launch with a System of Four Directors-General and Fifteen Counselors

The organizational structure that will serve as the foundation was finalized in the Disaster Management Agency Organization Order (Cabinet Order No. 304), promulgated on September 30, 2026. The primary quotas are as follows:

• Directors-General: 4
• Deputy Directors-General: 2 (excluding those holding concurrent posts)
• Public Records Management Officer: 1
• Counselors: 15 (excluding those holding concurrent posts)

The Cabinet Order concerning the adjustment of related Cabinet Orders (Cabinet Order No. 305), promulgated on the same day, also stipulates transitional measures regarding the terms of office for members of the Central Disaster Management Council and preparatory actions regarding the designation of agency buildings where the flight of small unmanned aircraft, etc., is prohibited, as final preparations for the launch proceed in parallel.

The current amendment is a procedural arrangement to ensure that the Disaster Management Agency can smoothly execute the recruitment and certification of early retirement and the payment of retirement allowances from its first year of operation. For personnel officers in each ministry and agency, this means that the reporting destination and forms for every April, as well as the scope of application for special provisions on the basic amount of retirement allowances, have been finalized to include the new agency, which will impact the outlook for the number of retirees and the financial estimates for retirement allowances toward the end of fiscal year 2026.

Source: Official Gazette, October 22, 2026, Cabinet Secretariat Ordinance No. 10 “Cabinet Secretariat Ordinance to Partially Amend the Cabinet Secretariat Ordinance Prescribing the Forms of Documents Related to the System for Recruitment and Certification of Persons Wishing for Early Retirement under the Provisions of the National Public Service Retirement Allowance Act and the Cabinet Secretariat Ordinance Concerning Special Provisions for the Basic Amount of Retirement Allowances under the Provisions of Paragraphs 12, 14, and 16 of the Supplementary Provisions of the National Public Service Retirement Allowance Act” / Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Act No. 61 of 2026) / National Public Service Retirement Allowance Act (Act No. 182 of 1953) / Cabinet Order Specifying the Enforcement Date of the Disaster Management Agency Establishment Act (Cabinet Order No. 303 of 2026) / Disaster Management Agency Organization Order (Cabinet Order No. 304 of 2026)