Bank of Japan joins the G7 central bank quantum working group
1 JUNE 2025, TOKYO
The Bank of Japan joined the G7 central bank quantum working group in June 2025. The group brings together G7 central banks to examine what quantum computing means for central banking and financial stability. It went on to produce a reference report during 11 to 13 May 2026.
Central banks have good reason to study the question together. They oversee critical financial infrastructure and payment systems that depend on cryptography, so a cryptographically relevant quantum computer would threaten systems at the core of the financial system. Working as a group lets them coordinate on the risks and align their supervisory and operational responses rather than diverging.
The May 2026 reference report informs the participants' thinking rather than imposing requirements on commercial banks. As a central bank working-group document, its influence runs through how the member central banks shape their own supervision and operations. Commercial banks feel its effect indirectly, through the expectations their central banks set.
Why it matters. The Bank of Japan's participation shows central banks treating quantum risk as a shared financial-stability concern, not just an institution-level IT issue. Coordination among G7 central banks increases the chance of consistent expectations across major markets. Commercial banks should expect the thinking in forums like this to flow into the supervisory expectations they eventually face, so early preparation remains prudent.