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Selling general consumer goods in Japan

In Japan, consumer products fall under the Consumer Product Safety Act. Specified products carry the PSC mark, and serious incidents are reported within 10 days. Quality labelling, net quantity, packaging recycling and the ban on misleading representations apply across product types. Toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware have their own guides.

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

Product safety
Consumer Product Safety Act (消費生活用製品安全法)
Specified products
PSC mark, no sale without it
Serious incidents
Reported to the CAA within 10 days
Quality labelling
Household Goods Quality Labelling Act (家庭用品品質表示法)
Net quantity
Measurement Act (計量法)
Packaging
Containers and Packaging Recycling Act (容器包装リサイクル法)

Before a product goes on sale

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

  1. 1Is the product a consumer product, and is it a specified product needing the PSC mark? Read more
  2. 2Is it a toy, electrical product, textile, cleaning product or kitchen item with its own guide? Read more
  3. 3Is it designated for quality labelling? Read more
  4. 4Is it a specified commodity sold sealed, needing a net quantity? Read more
  5. 5Do you use containers or packaging covered by the recycling obligations? Read more
  6. 6Can the claims and the origin mark be substantiated? Read more

The rules, by area

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

Product safety and the PSC mark

Specified products, incident reports and recalls.

  • Consumer products are products supplied mainly for use by general consumers, except those listed in the Act's Appended Table, such as food, cosmetics and drugs, covered by other laws (Article 2).
  • For specified products, manufacturers and importers notify the government, conform to the technical standards, and mark the product; special specified products also need a registered body's inspection (Articles 6, 11, 12 and 13).
  • Specified products without the PSC mark must not be sold or displayed for sale (Article 4); an overseas business selling directly into Japan names a domestic administrator.
  • Manufacturers and importers report serious product incidents to the Consumer Affairs Agency within 10 days (Article 35), make efforts to recall, and may be ordered to take measures to prevent hazards (Articles 38 and 39).
  • For toys, electronics, textiles, cleaning products and kitchenware, see the separate guides.

How we help: Compliant Always records whether each product is a specified product, and keeps the notification, conformity records and mark with it. Ask about this

Quality labelling

Which goods carry a quality label.

  • The Household Goods Quality Labelling Act covers textile goods, plastic goods, electrical appliances and miscellaneous goods designated by Cabinet Order.
  • The labeller is the manufacturer, seller or a labelling contractor; for imports, a business in Japan.
  • The Prime Minister or the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry may instruct a business to label correctly, and publish its name if it does not follow the instruction (Article 4).

How we help: Compliant Always sets your label beside the labelling matters for its item, and records who in Japan is the labeller. Ask about this

Net quantity

Quantity marking under the Measurement Act.

  • Sellers of specified commodities measure the quantity within the tolerance set by Cabinet Order (Article 12).
  • Specified commodities sold sealed show the quantity on the container or package, with the name and address of the business (Article 13); importers do the same for goods they import (Article 14).
  • Other sellers make efforts to show quantity in statutory units (Article 11).

How we help: Compliant Always reads the pack against its specification, so the declared quantity and the measured one sit side by side. Ask about this

Containers and packaging

Recycling obligations for businesses using packaging.

  • Specified container users, specified container manufacturers and specified packaging users carry yearly recycling obligations (Articles 11 to 13).
  • A business may meet them by contracting with a designated organisation (Article 14).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the packaging specification for each product, so the material and weight figures behind the obligation are on file. Ask about this

Claims and origin

Misleading representations and origin marks.

  • Representations that make goods look significantly better than they are, or terms significantly more favourable, are prohibited (Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations, Article 5).
  • The CAA may ask a business to submit evidence for a claim; if none is given, the claim is deemed misleading (Article 7(2)).
  • A surcharge may be imposed for misleading representations (Article 8).
  • Customs does not permit the import of goods showing a false or misleading origin (Customs Act, Article 71).

How we help: Compliant Always keeps the evidence behind each claim with the product, so a request for substantiation is answered from the record. Ask about this

Who answers for what

WhoWhat they answer forHow we help
Manufacturer or importerPSC notification, standards, marking, incident reports and recalls.Conformity records kept with each product.
Domestic administratorActing in Japan for an overseas business selling directly to consumers.Records kept where the administrator can see them.
LabellerThe quality label and the net quantity.Labels checked against the labelling matters.
Online marketplaceResponding to government requests about listings of dangerous products.Sellers' documents checked before listing.

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

What is the PSC mark?
The mark under the Consumer Product Safety Act for specified products. Specified products without it must not be sold or displayed for sale in Japan (Article 4).
Which products does the Consumer Product Safety Act cover?
Products supplied mainly for use by general consumers, except those in the Act's Appended Table, such as food, cosmetics and drugs, which other laws cover.
How quickly must a serious product incident be reported in Japan?
Within 10 days of the manufacturer or importer learning of it, to the Consumer Affairs Agency (Article 35).
What counts as a serious product incident?
Deaths, residual disabilities, injuries or illnesses needing 30 days or more of treatment, fires and carbon monoxide poisoning, according to the CAA.
Do overseas sellers need a representative in Japan?
An overseas business selling specified products directly into Japan names a domestic administrator in Japan under the Consumer Product Safety Act.
Which goods need a quality label in Japan?
Textile goods, plastic goods, electrical appliances and miscellaneous goods designated by Cabinet Order under the Household Goods Quality Labelling Act.
Must packaged goods show net quantity?
Specified commodities sold sealed show the quantity on the container or package, with the business's name and address, under Article 13 of the Measurement Act.
Who is responsible for packaging recycling in Japan?
Specified container users, container manufacturers and packaging users carry yearly recycling obligations, which they may meet by contracting with a designated organisation.
Can the CAA challenge a product claim?
Yes. It may ask for evidence; if none is given, the claim is deemed misleading under Article 7(2) of the Act against Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations.
What if the origin mark is false?
Customs does not permit the import of goods showing a false or misleading origin; the importer may correct or erase the mark, or return the goods.
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.

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