Insights & Guides
Practical knowledge on Japan market entry — from company setup and visas to trade logistics and branding.
Does an Agricultural Spray Drone Need Special MLIT Permission to Import Into Japan? (2026)
Yes, in almost every real-world case. Importing an agricultural spray drone into Japan only requires aircraft registration (機体登録) with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism...
Does a Button Cell Battery Need a Dangerous Goods Declaration to Ship to Japan? (2026)
No, usually not. A lithium coin or button cell, such as a CR2032, installed inside a consumer device is excepted from a Shipper's Declaration under IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR) Packing...
Does Shipping CKD/SKD (Disassembled Goods) Change the Japan HS Code in 2026?
No, not by default. Under General Rules for Interpretation (GRI) Rule 2(a), goods presented unassembled or disassembled are classified under the same heading as the finished article, provided the...
Does Japan Require Country-of-Origin Marking? (2026)
No. Japan has no single general statute requiring "Made in [Country]" marking on imported goods at the point of customs clearance, unlike the United States marking regime under 19 CFR Part 134....
Can You Classify a Tool Set Under One Japan HS Code?
Sometimes, but not automatically. Heading 8206.00 lets an importer declare a boxed set of hand tools under one line only when every constituent falls within headings 82.02 to 82.05. The moment the...
Does a Japan Bulk Export Licence Require a Compliance Programme (CP)? (2026)
Only some of Japan's bulk export licences require a Compliance Programme, CP (コンプライアンス・プログラム). The basic General Bulk Licence (一般包括輸出許可) runs a simpler no-CP route: registering a compliance...
Does a Pet Supplement Need a Japan Pet Food Safety Act Notification? (2026)
Yes. Any dog or cat product sold to supply nutrition, including marine-oil softgels and joint chews, falls under the Pet Food Safety Act (愛がん動物用飼料の安全性の確保に関する法律), which requires a business...
Does a Baby Bed Rail Need a Japan Safety Mark in 2026?
Yes. An infant bed guard (乳幼児用ベッドガード) designed to stop a child under 60 months from falling out of a bed became a designated Child PSC Mark (子供用特定製品) product on 2026-07-08. From 2027-07-08 it...
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...