''Chapter II Cooperation with the ICC, Section 2 Provision of Evidence, etc., Subsection 1 Provision of Evidence, (Measures by the Minister of Justice) Article 6''

(1) Where the Minister of Justice has received documents sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs pursuant to the provisions of Article 4 concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence, when the case does not fall under any of the following items, the Minister of Justice shall take the measures prescribed in the following paragraph or paragraph (3):
(i) when the request for cooperation competes with a request for assistance as prescribed in Article 1, item (i) of the Act on International Assistance in Investigations and Other Related Matters (Act No. 69 of 1980) (hereinafter referred to as "Investigation Assistance" in this item and Article 39, paragraph (1), item (ii)) and, where it is possible to give priority to such request for assistance pursuant to the provisions of the Statute, when the Minister of Justice finds it reasonable to provide said Investigation Assistance;
(ii) when complying with the request for cooperation would result in a breach of any of the obligations under international law prescribed in article 98, paragraph 1 of the Statute;
(iii) when complying with the request for cooperation would prejudice Japan's national security;
(iv) where the offense underlying the cooperation request is an offense prescribed in article 70, paragraph 1 of the Statute, when the act constituting the offense for which assistance is requested would not constitute a crime under the laws and regulations of Japan were it to have been carried out in Japan;
(v) when complying with the request for cooperation would risk obstructing an investigation or trial in a case that is connected with a crime other than the offense underlying the cooperation request, and that is being investigated by a Japanese public prosecutor, public prosecutor's assistant officer, or judicial police official or is pending before a Japanese court, and the Minister of Justice finds it unreasonable to immediately comply with said request; or
(vi) when there are other justifiable grounds for not immediately complying with the request for cooperation.
(2) The measures by the Minister of Justice pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall be the measures under any of the following items, except in the case prescribed in the following paragraph:
(i) sending the relevant documents to the Chief Prosecutor of the appropriate District Public Prosecutor's Office and ordering the collection of evidence that is necessary for cooperation through provision of evidence;
(ii) sending documents concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence to the National Public Safety Commission; or
(iii) sending documents concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence to the Commandant of the Japan Coast Guard or to the head of any other national agency to which persons prescribed in Article 190 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Act No. 131 of 1948) who are to exercise the functions of judicial police officials belong.
(3) When the request for cooperation prescribed in paragraph (1) pertains to the provision of documents that are connected with a legal action and that are being retained by a court, a public prosecutor, or a judicial police officer, the Minister of Justice shall send the custodian of such documents the documents concerning the request for cooperation.
(4) When the Minister of Justice finds it necessary in order to take the measures prescribed in the preceding two paragraphs or in order to take other measures concerning cooperation through provision of evidence, he/she may conduct an inquiry into the whereabouts of the person concerned and other necessary matters.

''Chapter II Cooperation with the ICC, Section 2 Provision of Evidence, etc., Subsection 1 Provision of Evidence, (Notification of Non-cooperation)Article 12''
After taking measures under the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (2), item (ii) or (iii) or paragraph (3) of said Article, when the Minister of Justice finds that the case falls under any of the provisions of paragraph (1), items (i) through (iv) of said Article and decides not to cooperate through provision of evidence, he/she shall notify the person who received the documents that were sent concerning the request for cooperation through provision of evidence to that effect without delay.

Chapter I General Provisions

(Restrictions on Assistance)

Article 2

Assistance shall not be provided in any of the following circumstances: -
(i) When the offense for which assistance is requested is a political offense, or when the request for assistance is deemed to have been made with a view to investigating a political offense;
(ii) Unless otherwise provided by a treaty, when the act constituting the offense for which assistance is requested would not constitute a crime under laws and regulations of Japan were it to be committed in Japan;
(iii) With respect to a request for examination of a witness or provision of articles of evidence, unless otherwise provided by a treaty, when the requesting country does not clearly demonstrate in writing that the evidence is essential to the investigation.

(Restrictions on extradition)

Article 2A fugitive shall not be extradited in any of the following circumstances; provided that this shall not apply in cases falling under items (iii), (iv), (viii), or (ix) when the extradition treaty provides otherwise.

(i) When the requested offense is a political offense.

(ii) When the extradition request is deemed to have been made with a view to trying or punishing the fugitive for a political offense which he/she has committed.

(iii) When the requested offense is not punishable by death, life imprisonment with or without work for life or for a long term of three years or more according to the laws and regulations of the requesting country.

(iv) When the act constituting the requested offense is deemed to have been committed in Japan and would not be punishable under the laws and regulations of Japan by death or imprisonment with or without work for life or for a long term of three years or more.

(v) When it is deemed that the act that constitutes the requested offense was committed in Japan or the trial for the offense was held in Japan, but the imposition or the execution of punishment on the fugitive for the requested offense would be barred under the laws and regulations of Japan.

(vi) Except in the case of a fugitive who was convicted in the requesting country for the requested offense, when there is no probable cause to suspect that the fugitive committed the act constituting the requested offense.

(vii) When a criminal prosecution based on the act constituting the requested offense is pending in a Japanese court, or when the judgment in such case has become final.

(viii) When a criminal prosecution for an offense committed by the fugitive other than the requested offense is pending in a Japanese court, or when the fugitive has been sentenced to punishment in a Japanese court, with the requested offense but, has not completed serving the sentence or the sentence is still enforceable.

(9) (ix) When the fugitive is a Japanese national.

Chapter II Cooperation with the International Criminal Court

Section 2 Provision of Evidence, etc.

Subsection 1 Provision of Evidence

(Measures by the Minister of Justice)
Article 6 (1) Where the Minister of Justice has received documents sent by the Minister of Foreign Affairs pursuant to the provisions of Article 4 concerning a request for cooperation through provision of evidence, when the case does not fall under any of the following items, the Minister of Justice shall take the measures prescribed in the following paragraph or paragraph (3):

(i) when the request for cooperation competes with a request for assistance as prescribed in Article 1, item (i) of the Act on International Assistance in Investigations and Other Related Matters (Act No. 69 of 1980) (hereinafter referred to as "Investigation Assistance" in this item and Article 39, paragraph (1), item (ii)) and, where it is possible to give priority to such request for assistance pursuant to the provisions of the Statute, when the Minister of Justice finds it reasonable to provide said Investigation Assistance;
(ii) when complying with the request for cooperation would result in a breach of any of the obligations under international law prescribed in article 98, paragraph 1 of the Statute;
(iii) when complying with the request for cooperation would prejudice Japan's national security;
(iv) where the offense underlying the cooperation request is an offense prescribed in article 70, paragraph 1 of the Statute, when the act constituting the offense for which assistance is requested would not constitute a crime under the laws and regulations of Japan were it to have been carried out in Japan;
(v) when complying with the request for cooperation would risk obstructing an investigation or trial in a case that is connected with a crime other than the offense underlying the cooperation request, and that is being investigated by a Japanese public prosecutor, public prosecutor's assistant officer, or judicial police official or is pending before a Japanese court, and the Minister of Justice finds it unreasonable to immediately comply with said request; or
(vi) when there are other justifiable grounds for not immediately complying with the request for cooperation.

Chapter II Cooperation with the International Criminal Court

Section 2 Provision of Evidence, etc.

Subsection 1 Provision of Evidence

(Notification of Non-cooperation)
Article 12 After taking measures under the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (2), item (ii) or (iii) or paragraph (3) of said Article, when the Minister of Justice finds that the case falls under any of the provisions of paragraph (1), items (i) through (iv) of said Article and decides not to cooperate through provision of evidence, he/she shall notify the person who received the documents that were sent concerning the request for cooperation through provision of evidence to that effect without delay.
(Consultation with the Minister of Foreign Affairs, etc.)
Article 13 (1) The Minister of Justice shall consult with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in advance in a case that falls under any of the following items:

(i) when deciding not to cooperate through provision of evidence, on the basis that the case falls under any of the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1), items (i) through (iii);
(ii) when postponing cooperation through provision of evidence, on the basis that the case falls under either of the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1), item (v) or (vi); or
(iii) when setting the conditions set forth in Article 11.

(2) The provisions of Article 16, paragraph (2) of the Act on International Assistance in Investigations and Other Related Matters shall apply mutatis mutandis to where the Minister of Justice decides to take the measures set forth in any of the items of Article 6, paragraph (2) with regard to a request for cooperation through provision of evidence.