How does one go about registering and importing foreign agricultural chemicals? 

In the case of importing and selling foreign agricultural chemicals, the relevant agricultural chemicals should be registered by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries by presenting test results on chemical efficacy, phytotoxicity, toxicity and residual properties of the agricultural chemicals. A registration number of agricultural chemicals to be imported should be notified to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.

1. In the case of importing (or manufacturing) agricultural chemicals in Japan, the importer (or the manufacturer) must obtain registration for respective agricultural chemicals from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries in accordance with the Agricultural Chemicals Regulation Law. In the case of applying for its registration, in accordance with the said Law, a person should submit a written application for agricultural chemical registration, test results concerning the chemical efficacy, phytotoxicity, toxicity and residual properties of the agricultural chemical, and also a sample. An application for registration is accepted at Independent Administrative Institution of Agricultural Chemicals Inspection Station or Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Japan has utilized the GLP (Good Laboratory Practice) system and therefore accepts foreign test data on toxicity prepared under this system for use in registration applications. Test data regarding the chemical efficacy, phytotoxicity and residual properties are tremendously affected by the type of crop, method of cultivation, types of blight or pests, meteorological conditions so this data should be prepared with full consideration given to the conditions and regional characteristics of Japan.

2. If the safety of the relevant agricultural chemicals is confirmed by the results of inspection conducted by Agricultural Chemicals Inspection Station, registration from the Minister of Agricultural, Forestry and Fisheries can be obtained.

3. The importer (or the manufacturer) must label on the container (or if not in any form of container, then on the wrapping) the following items when selling the imported (or manufactured/processed) agricultural chemicals (Article 7).
1) Registration Number
2) As to the agricultural chemical conforming to the official standard, the letters "official standard"
3) Kind name, trade name and physical and chemical properties of agricultural chemical pertaining to registration, and kind and content of each ingredient, specified for each of the active ingredients and other ingredients
4) Net content
5) Spectrum of applicable diseases and insect pests, and use method pertaining to registration
6) As to the water-pollutive agricultural chemicals specified in Paragraph 1 of Article 12-2, "agricultural chemical of water pollution"
7) As to agricultural chemicals harmful to humans and livestock, statement to that effect, and the antidotal method
8) As to agricultural chemicals harmful to aquatic animals and plants, statement to that effect
9) As to agricultural chemicals that pose danger of being inflammable, explosive, or harmful, statement to that effect
10) Cautions regarding storage and use
11) Name and address of manufacturing plant
12) Date of quality guarantee limit

4. Incidentally, any person engaged in overseas manufacture, processing or selling agricultural chemicals destined for export to Japan may also secure registration for the chemicals from the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries. Any person who intends to obtain such registration should appoint an "in-country caretaker" who resides in Japan at the time of applying for a registration (Article 15-2).

5. Any importer of agricultural chemicals that have obtained the registration mentioned in 4. should notify registration number of the relevant agricultural chemicals to be imported, name and address of the importer to the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (Article 15-4).