Japan

Capitalise on the market opportunities in Japan

Japan Regulations and compliance requirements can pose challenges to companies who are looking to export their new products in Japan. Most products must meet local standards and requirements to ensure products are safe, good quality, and fit for consumers’ needs.

Ensure that your products successfully meet Japanese standards by working with TÜV SÜD. We fully understand the local requirements and procedures applicable in Japan.

Click on the categories below for market access information

Plug Types

Type A

Type B

Electrical Safety

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.

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 340 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.

Telecom & Wireless

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.

Our services at a glance

TÜV SÜD has the experience and capability to support manufacturers in attaining compliance with Japanese requirements and obtaining the necessary approval. As a MIC RCB, TÜV SÜD is able to perform testing and issue/obtain certification for manufacturers.

EMC

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

EMD 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.

Our services at a glance

Environmental - Energy Efficiency

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.

Our services at a glance

TÜV SÜD has the experience and capability to support manufacturers in attaining compliance according to the Japanese requirements and obtaining the necessary approvals. TÜV SÜD can also support manufacturers in obtaining voluntary endorsement labels.

Environmental - WEEE and ROHS

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.

Our services at a glance

TÜV SÜD has the experience and capability to support manufacturers in attaining compliance with Japanese requirements and obtaining the necessary approval. TÜV SÜD is a RCAB with the capability to issue the CoC for all 340 items of Category B products and 7 groups of the Category A specified products

Why choose TÜV SÜD

TÜV SÜD has the expertise and laboratory infrastructure to support manufacturers in obtaining the necessary approvals and compliance in accordance to the Japan's standards and requirements. TÜV SÜD test reports are accepted for safety approval and recognised by relevant authorities internationally. We also supports manufacturers in obtaining voluntary endorsement labels.