Japan sets a 2035 government post-quantum target
20 NOVEMBER 2025, TOKYO
Japan set a government post-quantum target of 2035, in principle, on 20 November 2025. The target gives the country's government a horizon for transitioning to post-quantum cryptography, and Japan plans to publish a detailed roadmap in FY2026 that fills in the steps behind it.
The phrase "in principle" signals a target rather than a hard legal deadline. It commits the government to a 2035 horizon while leaving the FY2026 roadmap to define how the transition happens. Organizations should read it as firm direction, since a stated government target shapes procurement and planning even before the detailed document arrives.
The sequencing, a target now and a roadmap later, is common in national post-quantum programs. It lets a government fix the destination while taking time to work out the route. For Japanese agencies and their suppliers, the 2035 target already sets the planning horizon, and the FY2026 roadmap will add the concrete timelines and responsibilities.
Why it matters. Japan has joined the group of jurisdictions using a 2035 horizon for government post-quantum migration, giving its agencies and vendors a clear planning target. The FY2026 roadmap will turn that target into actionable steps. Suppliers to the Japanese government can begin cryptographic discovery now, confident that the direction is set and that more detailed requirements are on the way.