https://shueisha.online/culture/52936>Shocking response from the Ministry of Finance. "Real reason" to introduce the invoice system even if "real name is exposed" is unavoidable>``names are mandatory rather than high-risk personal information such as addresses and phone numbers,''
>[Mr. Natsumi Koizumi] What do you think about the risk of infringement of privacy regarding the problem that the real name of a sole proprietor is disclosed on the website of a qualified invoice issuing business?[Deputy Director Nishiko, National Tax Agency] When the recipient of the invoice with the registration number confirms its validity, additional information such as the name is required. For example, if you check the registration number written on the invoice received from Mr. Sasaki, you can confirm that the registration number is valid, but you cannot judge whether it is really Mr. Sasaki's registration number. At this time, if the name is also disclosed, it can be quickly confirmed that it is Mr. Sasaki's registration number. From this point of view, we believe that disclosure of real names is necessary in practice. Names were chosen because they are effective for narrowing down the list and are not highly dangerous personal information such as addresses and phone numbers.
>[Mr. Natsumi Koizumi] Why did you allow commercial use of the information published on the website of eligible invoice issuers?[Deputy Director Nishiko, National Tax Agency] If there are many business partners, we assume that the accounting software vendor will create its own database and refer to it. Accounting software users refer to information downloaded by vendors. This is the operation that we assumed for commercial use.
>[Mr. Natsumi Koizumi] I feel uncomfortable with the commercial use of personal information registered for tax purposes. Why should it be used for the benefit of a company that has nothing to do with the taxpayer himself?[Deputy Director Nishiko, National Tax Agency] Only the minimum information, such as names, is disclosed.
>[Mr. Natsumi Koizumi] In the first place, isn't it rude to publish all the data in a form that can be downloaded all at once from all over the world? It would have been possible to search for each registration number and confirm whether or not it is registered.[Deputy Director, Nishiko, National Tax Agency] For businesses that do not have many business partners, it is possible to search and check them one by one, but for large companies with many business partners, it is time-consuming to check each one. Efficiency can be achieved by constructing a database with a list and searching for the registration number from there.
>[Mr. Natsumi Koizumi] The convenience of such large companies and the privacy of us taxpayers are completely different issues. It has nothing to do with taxpayers who don't want their real names published.[Deputy Director Nishiko, National Tax Agency] In the case of sole proprietorships, it is not the address or phone number that is disclosed, but the name, so we believe that it is unlikely that the individual will be identified.
>[Mr. Natsumi Koizumi] Do you have any plans to review it?[Deputy Director Nishiko, National Tax Agency] Not yet. We are following the law.
TL;DR: Basically, these dinosaurs that don't understand how much easier it is to track someone down with a name online are going to destroy Japan.