The administration of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has taken action to close legal loopholes that have led to major government scandals over alleged document cover-ups.
Last week the Cabinet Office unveiled draft guidelines for saving government documents and solicited public comment. Abe's government plans to finalize the new guidelines by the end of the year.
They were issued in response to the alleged losses and cover-ups of key government papers, incidents that rocked the Abe administration this year and resulted in a considerable fall in the support rate for his Cabinet.