Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Do Royalty Payments Have to Be Included in Your Japan Customs Value? (2026)
Yes, if the royalty relates to the imported goods and paying it is a condition of the sale. Under the Customs Tariff Law (関税定率法) Article 4, dutiable value is the transaction price actually paid or...
Cordless vs. Pneumatic Power Tools: Which HS Code Applies in Japan in 2026?
No. A cordless, battery-powered hand tool and a pneumatic, compressed-air-powered hand tool sit under different subheadings in Japan's tariff schedule: pneumatic tools fall under 8467.19, while...
Can You Recover Japan's Import Consumption Tax Without a Japan Entity? (2026)
Yes, but only when three separate appointments exist together: an Attorney for Customs Procedures (税関事務管理人) under Customs Act (関税法) Article 95, a Tax Administration Representative (消費税の納税管理人)...
Does a Multimeter or Clamp Meter Need PSE Certification to Import Into Japan? (2026)
Generally no. Battery-powered measuring instruments such as handheld multimeters and clamp meters are not enumerated in the Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act's (電気用品安全法, DENAN Act)...
Is a Bicycle-Use E-Bike Battery Exempt From PSE in Japan?
No. The Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act (電気用品安全法, DENAN) excludes lithium-ion battery packs used in automobiles, mopeds, medical equipment, and industrial machinery from PSE scope,...
Sub-100g Drones in Japan: Do You Still Need MLIT Registration in 2026?
No. Under Japan's Civil Aeronautics Act (航空法), registration (機体登録) is mandatory only for unmanned aircraft with a total weight of 100 grams or more. A drone under that threshold does not need a...
Can a Non-Resident Company Be the Named Exporter on a Japan Customs Declaration?
Yes. A non-resident company can be the named exporter on a Japan export declaration by appointing a Japan-resident customs procedure agent (税関事務管理人) under Article 95 of the Customs Act (関税法第95条)....
PSE and Giteki in Japan: Do Wireless Devices Need Both?
Yes. A battery-powered wireless device with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, cellular, or NFC needs both Radio Act (電波法) Giteki (技適) certification and Electrical Appliance and Material Safety Act (電気用品安全法, PSE)...
Do You Need a FEFTA Export License to Import a Research Balloon Into Japan?
Not for the import itself. The Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (外為法, FEFTA) licensing question for a stratospheric research balloon sits on the export and re-export side of the payload's...
Does Temporary Admission Into Japan Trigger a FEFTA Export License on Re-Export?
A temporary admission into Japan does not by itself create a FEFTA export licensing obligation. The licensing question resurfaces at the point of re-export: Article 48 of the Foreign Exchange and...