Possible Leak of Registered Business Information in the 2024 Housing Energy-Saving Campaign
Overview
Hakuhodo, which operates the secretariat for the 2024 Housing Energy-Saving Campaign, reported that an external party had improperly accessed the system used to receive businesses’ subsidy applications, and that registered business information may have been leaked. Preliminary figures show that the personal information of 23,918 people (16,950 businesses) may be involved. The cause and extent of the damage are under investigation. No leak has been confirmed involving consumer personal information or registered business information for similar programs in other fiscal years. All system functions have been suspended; some functions are expected to resume after inspections and measures to prevent recurrence. The secretariat is contacting affected businesses, setting up consultation desks, and warning people about suspicious emails. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has instructed Hakuhodo to investigate the cause and prevent recurrence.
Key points
- Preliminary figures show that the personal information of 23,918 people (16,950 businesses) may be involved.
- All system functions have been suspended to prevent the damage from spreading.
- No leak has been confirmed involving consumer information or registered business information for similar programs in other fiscal years.
Overview
On October 20, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism received a report from Hakuhodo Inc., which operates the secretariat for the 2024 Housing Energy-Saving Campaign, about external unauthorized access to the application system for businesses and the possibility that registered information had been leaked.
The campaign is the collective name for the Child-Rearing Eco Home Support Project, the Advanced Window Renovation 2024 Project, the Hot Water Energy-Saving 2024 Project, and the Rental Housing Collective Hot Water Energy-Saving 2024 Project, implemented in fiscal years 2023–2024. Subsidies are provided for acquiring new homes and renovating homes that meet specified requirements, and businesses carrying out the work apply for the subsidies.
Impact
The secretariat warns people to be alert to suspicious emails, as information that may have been leaked could be misused for impersonation or to send phishing or malware emails.
Details
The information potentially involved includes the names and titles of corporate representatives; the names and addresses of sole proprietors; the names, departments, and positions of subsidy contacts; and business addresses, telephone numbers, and email addresses. Hakuhodo is investigating the cause and the details of the damage.
At this time, no leak has been confirmed involving personal information of consumers who used this subsidy program, or registered business information relating to similar subsidy programs in other fiscal years, such as the 2026 Housing Energy-Saving Campaign.
All system functions are currently suspended. After inspections and measures to prevent recurrence, the secretariat plans to resume only the functions needed to accept completion reports for the Child-Rearing Eco Home Support Project and related tasks. The secretariat is contacting affected businesses individually to apologize and warn them. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism has instructed and directed Hakuhodo to promptly investigate the cause and damage, take necessary measures, and thoroughly prevent recurrence.
A telephone consultation desk for registered businesses and consumers has been established at the 2024 Housing Energy-Saving Campaign Secretariat (0570-062-065; IP phone: 050-3524-7232; 9:00–17:00, excluding weekends, public holidays, and the year-end and New Year holidays). Consumers can also contact the Sumairu Dial service (03-3556-5147; 10:00–17:00, excluding the same holidays).