Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Why Did My HS Code Get Rejected in NACCS in 2026?
NACCS (Nippon Automated Cargo and Port Consolidated System, Japan's customs electronic filing system) rejects a filing when the declared HS heading no longer exists in the current Japan tariff...
Do You Need a Separate Permit to Import High-Pressure Gas Into Japan in 2026?
Yes. Importing compressed or liquefied high-pressure gas into Japan requires clearing the High Pressure Gas Safety Act (高圧ガス保安法), on top of ordinary customs clearance under the Customs Act (関税法)....
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 ACP for Chilean Manufacturers: Choosing Between the Japan-Chile EPA and CPTPP (2026)
Chile is unusual among Japan's trade partners in one specific way: it has two separate preferential tariff routes into Japan running at the same time. The Agreement between Japan and the Republic...
Japan ACP for Philippine Manufacturers: Non-Resident Importer Setup Under JPEPA and RCEP (2026)
Many Philippine manufacturers in electronics components, automotive parts, and machinery reach the Japan market through a local intermediary or distributor who appears as importer of record on the...
Japan ACP for Malaysian Manufacturers: Non-Resident Importer Setup Under JMEPA, CPTPP, and RCEP (2026)
Malaysian manufacturers exporting to Japan sit under three overlapping frameworks: a long-standing bilateral agreement, a plurilateral agreement Malaysia joined more recently, and a broad regional...
Japan ACP for Hong Kong Manufacturers and Trading Companies: Non-Resident Importer Setup for an Entrepot Hub (2026)
Hong Kong occupies a different position in this series than the manufacturing-origin jurisdictions covered elsewhere. A large share of Hong Kong-incorporated companies selling into Japan are not...