Japan

Regulatory agency

Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI)

Regulations

• The PSE Mark is a mandatory safety mark under DENAN Law.
• Testing by an accredited test laboratory is required.
• Category A: Specified electrical appliances and materials must be marked with the Diamond PSE Mark. Products require factory inspection and certification by a RCAB.

• Category B: Non-specified electrical appliances and materials must be marked with the Circle PSE Mark. Products do not require CAB certification.

• Compliance with JIS standards.
• EMC compliance is required for the above, where applicable.

Guidelines 

• A local importer or “Notifying Supplier” is required when exporting electrical devices to Japan.

Notifying Suppliers are responsible for:

• Submitting the Business Commencement Report.
• Confirming that the products comply with DENAN or IEC standards.
• Affixing the PSE Mark as applicable.
• Submitting product inspection records to METI upon request, etc.

Manufacturers are responsible for:

• Conducting product inspection.
• Maintaining test equipment.
• Maintaining the product inspection records for 3 years, etc.

Applicable product categories

The PSE Mark Category A consists of 116 items such as cables and cords, thermal fuses, battery charges, DC power supply units, etc. The PSE Mark Category B consists of 341 items such as electric irons, vacuum cleaners, washing machines, microwave ovens, television receivers, etc.

To determine if a particular product is subject to the above regulations, please contact us.

Regulatory agency

VCCI Council

Regulations

• IT equipment should comply with EMC requirements under Regulations for Voluntary Control Measures*. Equipment intended for the domestic environment must comply with the Class B requirements, while other equipment should satisfy the Class A requirements.
• Test reports need to be obtained from test laboratories that are registered with VCCI.
• Testing for compliance with CISPR 22.

* Although not mandatory, it is widely supported by the Japanese industry and increasingly perceived as an indication of product quality and is highly recommended for marketing reasons.

Guidelines

EMC approval procedure:

• Register and become a member of VCCI
• Obtain test report
• Submit Conformity Verification Report
• Upon approval, label products accordingly

Applicable product categories

To determine if a particular product is subject to the above regulations, please contact us.

Regulatory agency

Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC)

Regulations

• Manufacturers must seek an Independent MIC RCAB to certify conformity and obtain the MIC Mark. 

• Terminal equipment is divided into 2 categories – Terminal equipment for the purpose of calls and other terminal equipment.

• Radio equipment is divided into 3 categories according to legal effects – Unlicensed station, licensed station (blanket license) and licensed station (subject to simplified licensing procedure or registration).

Guidelines

Telecom & wireless approval procedure:

• Application.
• Product testing.
• Pre-license procedures.
• Inspection.
• Issuance of license.
• The approval process also depends on the category in which the product falls under.

Applicable product categories

To determine if a particular product is subject to the above regulations, please contact us.

Regulatory agency

The Energy Conservation Center, Japan (ECCJ)

Regulations

• Products need to comply with the standards laid out by the Energy Conservation Law which is also the basis for the Top Runner Program and the Energy-saving Labelling Program*.
• Business operators, constructors of non-residential buildings and transportation carriers also need to plan and report the status of their energy utilisation.

* Although a voluntary program, Energy-saving Labels are actively utilised in Japan and are recommended for marketing reasons.

Guidelines

Under the Top Runner Program, manufacturers are required to surpass a weighted average value for all their products per category for each predetermined target year.

Applicable product categories

Applicable products under the Top Runner Program include:

• Air conditioners
• Computers
• Copying machines, Printers, Multifunction Devices
• DVD recorders
• Electric freezers
• Electric refrigerators
• Electric rice cookers
• Electric toilet seats
• Fluorescent lights
• Freight vehicles
• Gas cooking appliances
• Gas water heaters
• Magnetic discs units
• Microwaves
• Oil water heaters
• Passenger vehicles
• Space heaters
• Television sets
• Transformers
• Vending machines
• Video-cassette recorders

Applicable products under the Energy-saving Labelling Program include:

• Air conditioners
• Computers
• DVD recorders
• Electric toilet seats
• Fluorescent lights
• Freezers
• Gas cooking appliances
• Gas water heaters
• Magnetic disks
• Microwave ovens
• Oil water heaters
• Refrigerators
• Rice cookers
• Space heaters
• Television sets
• Transformers

To determine if a particular product is subject to the above regulations, please contact us.

Regulatory agency

Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association

Regulations

• Compliance with J-MOSS which requires marking the presence of the specific chemical substances for electrical and electronic appliances (similar to EU RoHS).
• Compliance with the Law for Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances; manufacturers are required to collect and finance recycling of their own appliances.

Guidelines

Companies that sell a limited number of products in the market can designate other organisations to fulfil collection and recycling responsibilities on their behalf.

Applicable product categories

Applicable product categories under the J-Moss include:

• Clothes dryers
• Microwaves
• Personal computers
• Refrigerators
• Television sets
• Unit-type air conditioners
• Washing machines

To determine if a particular product is subject to the above regulations, please contact us.