Photo/Illutration The Justice Ministry (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

The Justice Ministry has begun utilizing artificial intelligence to more quickly release English translations of laws and regulations to facilitate international transactions and attract foreign investment.

Until now, it would take an average of about two and a half years to publish English translations.

With the use of AI, the ministry seeks to make translations of important laws and regulations available “within a year” of their promulgation or revision.

In 2009, the government launched the Japanese Law Translation Database System, which publishes English translations of laws and regulations.

Japan has more than 8,000 laws and regulations, and as of the end of November, 915 laws and regulations have been translated into English and published.

In the translation process, each ministry or agency prepares an English draft translation of the laws and regulations it oversees, which is then submitted to the Justice Ministry.

Native English speakers with knowledge of both Japanese and U.S. laws check these drafts, and then they are published.

Generally, preparing the drafts is outsourced to private companies. However, budget constraints limit how many can be outsourced.

Therefore, officials of ministries or agencies sometimes prepare drafts on their own in conjunction with their regular duties.

Of the approximately two and a half years it has taken to publish the translations, about two years are spent in preparing the drafts, according to the Justice Ministry.

In 2019, the ministry established a panel of experts to consider the international dissemination of Japanese laws and regulations.

The panel, which includes individuals engaged in business both in Japan and abroad, called for speeding up the process as translations that are not up to date could lead to confusion.

Therefore, the ministry has been considering using AI to accelerate the process.

This fiscal year, which started in April 2023, an AI system specializing in translating laws and regulations was developed in collaboration with a research institute and a private company.

Since December, the ministry has been testing the system.

Officials said the system can now produce highly accurate English translation drafts in just a few hours, even for lengthy laws and regulations.

The ministry aims to have 320 laws and regulations published in English in the next fiscal year--more than double what is translated every fiscal year.

The government also plans to expand the system to all ministries and agencies in the next fiscal year.

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