Compliance with Japanese Representative & METI Registration

Effective December 25, 2025, all goods sold directly to Japan from overseas and regulated by the Four Product Safety Laws must appoint a Japanese Domestic Representative (JDR) and complete registration with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), while fulfilling a series of obligations. Non-compliant regulated goods will be prohibited from sale in Japan.

Is your product subject to these regulations? Step 1: Conduct an immediate self-check!

The core of the new regulations lies in the Four Product Safety Laws. Sellers must first verify if their products fall under the scope of any of the following legislations:

①　PSE: Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Law

②　PSC: Consumer Product Safety Act

③　PSTG: Gas Business Act

④　PSLPG: Liquefied Petroleum Gas Act

Key Obligation Reminders

①　PS Marking Requirement: Manufacturers or importers must ensure products comply with Japanese technical standards and affix the PS mark independently.

②　Sales Prohibition: Retailers are prohibited from selling designated products without the PS mark.

③　Accident Reporting Obligation: Within 10 days of learning about a serious personal injury incident caused by the product, a report must be submitted to the Japanese Consumer Affairs Agency.

Core Compliance Step 2: Appoint a Qualified Japanese Domestic Representative (JDR)

For overseas sellers without a local Japanese entity, appointing a legal and reliable JDR is the only way to complete all compliance procedures. The JDR assumes the following critical roles:

①　Official Liaison: Represents the seller in all communications with Japanese government authorities, including METI.

②　Registration Executor: Acts as the legal entity to submit registration applications to METI and hold the registration number.

③　Incident Handling Assistant: Cooperates with Japanese authorities in product recalls, investigations, and information dissemination in the event of product safety incidents.

④　Registration Update: Manages meti registration updates in case of subsequent information changes.

JDR Qualification Criteria

A qualified JDR is not just any individual based in Japan; they must meet the following strict requirements:

①　Possess a valid address within Japan (with company registration certificate or resident identification documents to be submitted).

②　Hold authorization from the overseas seller to receive notifications and provide opinions to METI.

③　Be fluent in Japanese to ensure accurate transmission of official information.

④　Have sound document management and transaction processing capabilities; maintain a clean record with no violations of laws or regulations.

⑤　Sign a written contract specifying the JDR’s responsibilities and file the contract with METI for registration.

Core Compliance Step 3: Complete METI Registration Application

After successfully appointing a compliant JDR, submitting the METI registration application is the key final step to obtain legal sales status for products in Japan.

①　The JDR shall submit a full set of documents to METI.

②　Upon approval, METI will issue a unique registration number, which serves as a critical document required for product customs clearance and platform sales.

③　Post-Registration Maintenance Obligation: Any changes to the seller’s information or the JDR’s information must be reported to METI within the specified timeframe; failure to do so will result in the invalidation of the registration.

In summary, METI registration and the appointment of a JDR are inseparable components of compliance.

JJR Empowers Sellers to Achieve JDR and METI Compliance

JJR officially launches the Amazon SPN Service Network!

To help Amazon sellers smoothly meet METI registration and JDR compliance requirements, JJR has fully rolled out this service and officially become an Amazon SPN-certified provider of Japanese Domestic Representative services.

As an official Amazon SPN service provider, JJR’s JDR service features:

①　Fully compliant with Amazon’s JDR qualification requirements

②　Adheres to all relevant Japanese regulatory provisions

③　Provides end-to-end Japanese Domestic Representative services

④　Handles full-cycle METI registration application procedures

⑤　Offers professional Japanese language communication and liaison support

⑥　Provides guidance on compliance process implementation and document preparation

Whether you are entering the Japanese market for the first time or already have sales plans in place but have not yet completed compliance preparations, sellers are welcome to contact JJR for registration.