The national cancer registry in Japan will commence operations in January 2016 under the Cancer Registry Promotion Act, which was established in December 2013. Although data on cancer incidence and survival rates in Japan have been available for limited regions for a long time, accurate nationwide data obtained from the national cancer registry database will contribute to the planning and evaluation of cancer control in Japan. It is expected that this database will be utilized in evaluating the quality of medical care for cancer patients, in assessing the accuracy of cancer screening, and in follow-up surveys in nationwide cohort studies. Furthermore, under the Cancer Registry Promotion Act, hospitals will be permitted to obtain vital patient information from data registered in the national cancer registry database, which will promote the publication of survival rates for cancer patients and accelerate research at hospitals. The founding of the Japanese national cancer registry is a landmark development in the promotion of cancer control and cancer research in Japan and it is essential that the Japanese population benefits from the information obtained from this database.