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Selling consumer products in Japan

Japan's product rules sit in national laws, each run by its own ministry. The Consumer Affairs Agency covers food labelling, standards and product safety; MHLW checks imported food and regulates cosmetics; METI covers electrical appliances; MIC radio equipment; MAFF and the environment ministry pet food; and the National Tax Agency liquor.

Updated · Each section links to the official source it comes from

Food labelling and standards
Consumer Affairs Agency (消費者庁)
Food imports and cosmetics
Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (厚生労働省)
Electrical goods
METI, under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act
Radio equipment
MIC, under the Radio Act
Pet food
MAFF and the Ministry of the Environment
Liquor
National Tax Agency (国税庁)

By product

What each kind of product has to meet in Japan.

Before a product goes on sale

The questions to answer, in the order they usually come up.

  1. 1Is it food, a drink, a supplement or liquor? Read more
  2. 2Is it a cosmetic or a quasi-drug? Read more
  3. 3Is it an electrical, radio or other consumer product? Read more
  4. 4Is it pet food for dogs or cats? Read more
  5. 5Who in Japan answers for it: importer, labeller or licence holder? Read more

The rules, by area

What each area covers, the texts that set it, and what the official pages say.

Food, drink and pet food

The laws for what people and pets eat and drink.

  • The Food Sanitation Act (食品衛生法) sets standards for food, additives, utensils, containers, packaging and some toys.
  • Responsibility for setting and evaluating food safety standards moved from MHLW to the Consumer Affairs Agency on 1 April 2024.
  • The Food Labelling Act (食品表示法) and its Food Labelling Standards set what a food label shows; the CAA runs Foods with Function Claims and FOSHU.
  • Liquor is a drink of 1% alcohol or more under the Liquor Tax Act (酒税法), with sales licences from the tax office.
  • Dog and cat food falls under the Pet Food Safety Act, run by MAFF and the Ministry of the Environment.

How we help: Compliant Always shows which of these laws apply to your product, with the source for each, and keeps the documents behind them. Ask about this

Cosmetics and quasi-drugs

Products regulated under the pharmaceutical law.

  • Cosmetics and quasi-drugs fall under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act (医薬品医療機器等法), run by MHLW.
  • Only a holder of a cosmetics marketing licence may place cosmetics on the market, and each product is notified in advance.
  • Quasi-drugs, products with mild active effects, generally need approval for each item.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the licence holder's details, the notification and the formula with each product. Ask about this

Electrical, radio and consumer products

Product safety, marks and quality labelling.

  • Electrical appliances carry the PSE mark under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act (電気用品安全法).
  • Specified consumer products carry the PSC mark under the Consumer Product Safety Act (消費生活用製品安全法), and serious incidents are reported to the CAA within 10 days.
  • Radio equipment conforms to technical regulations under the Radio Act (電波法), run by MIC.
  • Textiles, plastics, electrical appliances and miscellaneous goods carry quality labels under the Household Goods Quality Labelling Act (家庭用品品質表示法).
  • Household products must meet limits for harmful substances under the Act on Control of Household Products Containing Harmful Substances.

How we help: Compliant Always keeps notifications, certificates and test reports with each model, and shows what is missing or expiring. Ask about this

Import and who answers

How goods come in, and who in Japan is responsible.

  • Each import of food, additives, utensils, containers, packaging and designated toys for sale is notified to an MHLW quarantine station.
  • MHLW inspects imported food at quarantine stations at 32 airports and seaports.
  • Quality labels on imported goods are given by a business in Japan, and an overseas business selling PSE or PSC products directly into Japan names a domestic administrator.
  • Customs does not permit the import of goods showing a false or misleading origin (Customs Act, Article 71).

How we help: Compliant Always records who in Japan answers for each product, and keeps their documents with it. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
ImporterImport notifications, and many of a manufacturer's duties for the goods it brings in.Suppliers' documents read and dated before the goods ship.
ManufacturerStandards, notifications, marks and incident reports.Test reports and certificates kept with each product.
Licence holderCosmetics marketing, or liquor sales at each place of sale.Licences kept with the products they cover.
LabellerThe food or quality label, given by a business in Japan.Labels checked against the requirements for the item.

National law, prefectural enforcement

Product law in Japan is national. Ministries and the Consumer Affairs Agency set the standards; prefectural governors and cities with public health centres license food businesses, receive food recall notifications and carry out inspections.

Imports are checked at the border: food and food contact articles at MHLW quarantine stations, and liquor licences are granted by the tax office for each place of sale.

Questions businesses ask

Who regulates food in Japan?
The Consumer Affairs Agency sets food labelling rules and, since 1 April 2024, food safety standards. MHLW inspects imported food at its quarantine stations, and prefectures license food businesses.
Who regulates cosmetics in Japan?
MHLW, under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act. A cosmetics marketing licence holder places products on the market and notifies each one in advance.
What are the PSE and PSC marks?
PSE marks electrical appliances under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act; PSC marks specified consumer products under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Products needing either must not be sold without it.
Who regulates radio equipment in Japan?
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, under the Radio Act. Equipment generally conforms to technical regulations and carries a mark.
Who regulates alcohol in Japan?
The National Tax Agency, under the Liquor Tax Act. Sales need a licence from the tax office for each place of sale.
Do I need a business in Japan to sell there?
Often. Quality labels on imports are given by a business in Japan, cosmetics need a marketing licence holder, and overseas sellers of PSE or PSC products name a domestic administrator.
Do labels have to be in Japanese?
Food labels follow the Food Labelling Standards in Japanese, and cosmetic particulars are written in Japanese under the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Act's ordinance.
How does Compliant Always help with selling in Japan?
Our team reads the rules for the markets you sell in, including the Japanese-language sources. Compliant Always shows which apply to your product, keeps the documents behind each one ready, and watches the sources for changes. It shows what the requirements say and what your documents show; you decide.

Sources

Compliant Always is a product of Lettuce Labs LLC. It shows what requirements say and what your documents show. It is not legal advice, and you decide.

Tell us what you make, and we will show you the rules for it.

Name the product and the markets you sell in. We will come back to you with what applies in Japan and what your paperwork needs to show.

Get in touch

No card, no account, and no call to book. Tell us what you make and where you sell it, and we will come back to you.

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