Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Experimental Station Licence or Type Certification: Which Does Your IoT Device Need in Japan? (2026)
If your wireless device is for research, development, or a limited trial, you need an Experimental Station Licence (実験局免許) from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (総務省 (MIC)). If...
Do You Need a Plant or Animal Quarantine Permit to Import Into Japan? The MAFF Step Customs Doesn't Handle (2026)
Yes, if your shipment is a plant, a plant product, an animal-origin product, or contains CITES-listed species material. This clearance is separate from Japan Customs (税関) release and from any...
Diamond PSE vs Circle PSE: How Japan Classifies Your Electrical Product for Import (2026)
Diamond PSE (特定電気用品, Specified Electrical Appliances) requires mandatory third-party certification by a METI-registered conformity assessment body, including a factory inspection, with...
MLIT Flight Permission for Drones in Japan: When Registration Alone Isn't Enough (2026)
Registering a drone under the Civil Aeronautics Act (航空法) is mandatory for almost every unmanned aircraft in Japan, but it does not authorize where or how you can fly it. A separate flight...
Japan Bonded Warehouse and 保税地域 Guide: Duty Deferral, Re-Export, and the Five Zone Types Every Importer Should Know
Storing, Processing, and Re-Exporting Goods Without Paying Japanese Duty: How Bonded Zones, Bonded Warehouses, and Bonded Manufacturing Operations Work
How to Import from the US to Japan: Japan-US Trade Agreement, US Re-Export Controls, and Dual Compliance for Cross-Border Shipments in 2026
Importing from the United States to Japan carries a compliance profile that differs from every other major trade corridor. Two features make it distinctive. First, the Japan-US Trade Agreement is...
How to Import from the EU to Japan: Japan-EU EPA, REX Origin Statements, and the Regulatory Differences Every European Exporter Must Know
The European Union is Japan's third-largest import partner. The Japan-EU Economic Partnership Agreement, JEEPA (経済連携協定), in force since 1 February 2019, eliminates or stages down tariffs on the...
Japan Customs Advance Ruling (事前教示制度) - How to Lock In HS Classification, Valuation, and Origin Before Your Shipment Arrives
The Pre-Import Binding Determination Mechanism That Eliminates Classification Risk for Recurring Shipments
Japan EPA Preference Utilization Guide - How to Claim Reduced Tariffs Under RCEP, CPTPP, EU-Japan EPA, and Bilateral Agreements in 2026
Japan operates one of the broadest EPA / Economic Partnership Agreement (経済連携協定) networks of any trading economy. As of 2026, preferential tariff access exists from 21 partner countries or blocs...
Japan Export Control & 該非判定: How Exporters Determine Whether a Product Requires METI Permission Before Shipping from Japan
Japan operates one of the most structurally sophisticated export control regimes in the G7. Every company shipping goods or transmitting technology out of Japan bears a legal obligation to...