Japan privacy law comes into force this week

Japan's new privacy law is coming into force this week. PC World has a nice summary of the new law:

PCWorld.com - Japan Tightens Personal Data Protection:

"TOKYO -- Starting April 1, businesses throughout Japan, including foreign companies, must comply with legislation that sets out new rules for handling personal data.

The Personal Information Protection Law, effective April 1, applies to any company with offices in Japan that holds personal data on 5000 or more individuals, according to Kazuhito Masui, an attorney at Shiba International Law Offices, a major international law firm based in Tokyo.

Personal data as defined by the law includes a person's name, address, date of birth, sex, home and mobile phone numbers, and also a person's e-mail address if that address is recognizably the person's name. The 5000 minimum includes company employees, Masui said in an interview last week...."