Companies are required to retain their records by the following laws:
- The Consumption Tax Act (Act No. 108 of 1988) business operators and special importers to retain consumption tax-related books and records, such as those related to asset transfers or the purchase and collection of taxable goods, for seven years after the year in which they complete the records (Art. 58.1);
- The Corporation Tax Act (Act No. 34 of March 31, 1965): books, records, and documents for seven years (Art. 126.1);
- The Companies Act (Act No. 86 of July 26, 2005): shareholder meeting minutes for ten years (Art. 318.2), account books and important business materials for ten years (Art. 432.2), and financial statements, business reports, and supplementary schedules used to prepare financial statements for ten years (Art. 435.4).

The Unfair Competition Prevention Law (Law No. 47 of 1993) provides a framework for the effective protection of trade secrets. A ‘trade secret’ is defined in the law as a production method, sales method, or any other technical or operational information useful for business activities that are kept secret and are not publicly known (Art. 2). According to Art. 3 of the law, those businesses or persons whose business interests have been, or are threatened to be, infringed on by misappropriation or illegal disclosure shall have the right to seek an injunction. The Unfair Competition Prevention Act provides civil and criminal remedies in such cases where secret information about the company is stolen or disclosed illegally. To protect information according to the Act, companies need to manage such data as “trade secrets”.

It is reported that there is an obligation for passive infrastructure sharing in Japan to deliver telecom services to end users.

According to Arts. 4-6 of the Act on Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (Act No. 85 of 1984), foreigners' aggregate ownership cannot exceed one-third of the aggregate voting rights of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT), which holds all the issued shares of NTT-East and NTT-West.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation (NTT) is incorporated under the Act on Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, etc. (Act No. 85 of 1984) (NTT Act). NTT, being the incumbent in the telecommunications industry, is partly owned by the Japanese government with 36% of its stock.

It is reported that Japan mandates functional and accounting separation for operators with significant market power (SMP) in the telecom market.

Under the Radio Act (Act No. 131 of 1950) (電波法 (昭和二十五年法律第百三十一号), the allocation of the spectrum is at the discretion of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communication (MIC), based on consultation with the Radio Regulatory Council and consideration of plans submitted by the operators. The Act was amended in May 2019 to adopt what is called a "partial auction system," whereby the MIC considers the amount of special fees submitted by the applicant based on their own valuation of the spectrum, although it is not a decisive element. It is reported that the MIC's decision-making is arbitrary and opaque. Moreover, it reported that "several current spectrum allocations create bands unique to Japan (e.g., for self-driving vehicles) that prevent foreign technologies from functioning in Japan".

Japan has appended the World Trade Organization (WTO) Telecom Reference Paper to its schedule of commitments.

Japan has a telecommunications authority: The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications. However, it is reported that this entity's decision-making process is not fully independent of the government.

The Guidelines on Security Management of Information System and Services Handling Medical Information provide that information systems for the handling of medical data must be located in the territory of Japan so that in the event of an emergency, Japanese governmental authorities can enforce their power to collect information or issue administrative orders. Although this is not a mandatory requirement based on a specific law, it is reported that some medical institutions have requested that service providers maintain servers inside Japan to comply with these Guidelines.

The National Center of Incident Readiness and Strategy for Cybersecurity (NISC) “Common Standards for Information Security Measures for Government Agencies” allows for government agencies to make use of systems that are "isolated" from the internet if necessary (Chapter 5.2.1). Information on the agencies affected is not readily available.

Japan has implemented foreign direct investment (FDI) screening mechanisms through the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (Act No. 228 of 1949), supplemented by procedural regulations such as the Cabinet Order on Inward Direct Investment. Under this Act, foreign investors in "Designated Business Sectors" or "Core Business Sectors" are required to submit a prior notification to the relevant ministry. After reviewing the notification, the ministry may either approve, amend, or suspend the proposed investment.
According to the Cabinet Order on Inward Direct Investment, "Core Business Sectors" include industries where foreign investors (e.g., non-residents or foreign corporations) must file prior notification for direct investment, such as acquiring 1% or more of voting rights in a listed company or purchasing shares in an unlisted company. These sectors, considered highly sensitive, are generally not exempt from prior notification requirements due to national security concerns.
The List of Classifications of Listed Companies outlines core business sectors such as semiconductors and dual-use technologies, metal mining of significant mineral resources, cybersecurity-related services (e.g., network security monitoring and critical infrastructure protection), and telecommunications. Non-core business sectors include software, data processing services, and internet-use support businesses.

According to Arts. 8 and 184-11 of the Patent Act, the appointment of an agent is required if the applicant is not resident in Japan. Such an agent must be a resident of Japan or a firm registered to practice before the Japan Patent Office. In addition, pursuant to the Art. 184-4, translation of international applications is required into Japanese.

Japan is a party to the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT).

Japan has a copyright regime under the Copyright Act. However, the exceptions do not follow the fair use or fair dealing model, therefore limiting the lawful use of copyrighted work by others. Arts. 30-50 list the exceptions, which include which include quoting and thereby exploiting a work that has been made public. In such a case, the work must be cited consistent with fair practices and within a scope that is justified for the purpose of news reporting, critique, study, or another place in which the work is quoted; to broadcast or cablecast a work that has been made public, in broadcast or cablecast programming for schools that conforms to the curriculum standards provided for in laws and regulations on school education; among others.