Foreigners or foreign-controlled enterprises are not granted licenses to operate broadcasting stations, nor are they approved as broadcasters. Enterprises are considered as foreign-controlled if any of their executive directors is a foreigner or if no less than one-fifth (in the case of terrestrial broadcasting stations, including indirect investment) or one-third ("facility-supplying broadcasters") of voting rights in the aggregate are owned by foreigners. Restrictions do not apply to cable television and broadcast of telecommunications services.
"Article 93　(1)　Persons intending to conduct basic broadcasting operations (excluding those intending to receive or who have already received a basic terrestrial broadcasting station license for use in the operations of the basic broadcasting pursuant to the provisions of the Radio Act) must obtain the approval of the Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications with regard to coming under all of the following requirements: [...]
(vii)　the person intending to conduct such operations does not come under any of the following of (a) through (k) inclusive (excluding (e) in cases of conducting the operations of basic satellite broadcasting or basic terrestrial broadcasting for mobile reception):
(a)　a person who does not have Japanese nationality
(b)　a foreign government or its representative
(c)　a foreign corporation or organization
(d)　a corporation or organization where the person given in (a) through (c) is a specified officer or where the person holds one-fifth or more of the voting rights
(e)　a corporation or organization where the ratio obtained by adding the ratio of the voting rights directly held by the person given in 1. and the ratio provided for by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as the ratio of the voting rights indirectly held by the person given in 2. through the person accounts for one-fifth or more of the voting rights (excluding cases coming under (d)).
1.　The person given in (a) through (c)
2.　A corporation or organization where the ratio of the voting rights held directly by the person given in 1. is the same as or more than the ratio stipulated by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications[...]" (Broadcasting Act (No. 132 of 1950), last amended by Law No. 23 of 2019, Article 93 [unofficial translation])
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"Article 5　(1)　No radio station license is granted to any person who falls under any of the following items:
(i)　a person who does not have Japanese nationality
(ii)　a foreign government or its representative
(iii)　a foreign corporation or organization
(iv)　A corporation or organization, which is represented by any person listed in the preceding three items, or one third or more officers of which are those persons, or one third or more voting rights of which are made up of the aggregate of voting rights held by those persons [...]
(4)　With respect to radio stations that transmit radio communications intended to be received directly by the general public (hereinafter referred to as "broadcast" except in Article 99-2) and use the radio frequencies (meaning the "frequencies assignable to core broadcasting" in Article 7, paragraphs (3) and (4)) given in Article 26, paragraph (2), item (v) (a) (hereinafter referred to as "core broadcasting") (except radio stations that broadcast relay-broadcasting for preventing reception obstructions, satellite core broadcasting (meaning the "satellite core broadcasting" set forth under Article 2, item (xiii) of the Broadcast Act) and terrestrial core broadcasting for mobile reception (meaning the "terrestrial core broadcasting for mobile reception" set forth under item (xiv) of the same Article; hereinafter the same applies)), notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) and the preceding paragraph, a radio license is not to be granted to any person who falls under any of the following items:
(i) any person listed in paragraph (1) items (i) through (iii) [...]
(ii) a corporation or organization, of which any person listed in paragraph (1) items (i) through (iii) is a specified officer set forth under Article 2 item (xxxi) of the Broadcast Act, or in which any persons listed in paragraph (1) items (i) through (iii) holds one fifth or more of its total voting rights
(iii)　a corporation or organization, in which the aggregate of the proportion of voting rights possessed directly by the persons listed in (a) and the proportion of voting rights specified by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications as the proportion of voting rights possessed indirectly by the persons listed in (b) through those listed in accounts for one fifth or more of its total voting rights (except cases that fall under the preceding item)
(a)　Any person listed in paragraph (1) items (i) through (iii)
(b)　A corporation or organization, in which the proportion of voting rights possessed directly by the persons listed in (a) is not less than the proportion specified by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications [...]" (Radio Act (No. 131 of 1950), last amended by Law No. 19 of 2021, Article 5 [unofficial translation])
Broadcasting Act (No. 132 of 1950), last amended by Law No. 23 of 2019, Article 93
Radio Act (No. 131 of 1950), last amended by Law No. 19 of 2021, Article 5
[<a href="https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=325AC0000000132">Act</a>],[<a href="https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/2954">Act_Eng</a>],[<a href="https://elaws.e-gov.go.jp/document?lawid=325AC0000000131">Act</a>],[<a href="https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/3205">Act_Eng</a>]