(1) PURPOSE OF THE LAW AND SYSTEM
The objective of this law is to prevent the occurrence of danger and trouble resulting from electrical appliances by regulating the manufacture and sale, etc. of electrical appliances by introducing the third-party certification system in order to ensure the safety.

(2) OUTLINE OF THE LAW AND SYSTEM
An establishment who intends to manufacture or import electrical appliances and materials shall be under obligation to notify the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (Article 3), and the electrical appliances and materials shall be manufactured or imported conforming with technical standards (Article 8).
Electrical appliances and materials deemed likely to be dangerous or cause trouble are defined as "specific electrical appliances" (Paragraph 2 of Article 2). Any entitiy who wishes to manufacture or import the said appliances and materials shall pass a legitimate test conducted by a testing organization registered by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, receive the conformity certificate and then keep it (Article 9). Furthermore, all establishments shall be obligated to conform to technical standards (Article 8), prepare and store testing record (Article 8) and label (Article 10).
When deemed necessary in order to prevent the occurrence of danger or trouble if electrical appliances and materials manufactured or imported by a manufacturer do not conform to technical standards from the viewpoint of consumers' safety, the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry may order to ban labeling attached to electrical appliances and materials to which the said electrical appliances belong (Paragraph 1 of Article 12). Furthermore, when deemed necessary in order to prevent the expansion of danger or trouble with electrical appliances and materials that do not conform with technical standards, the Minister of International Trade and Industry may order that necessary measures (eg. the withdrawal of the said electrical appliances and materials) be taken (Article 42-5), a penalty shall be imposed to the violation of the order. The maximum fine for a juristic person violating an order to prevent danger, etc. shall be not exceed 100,000,000 yen and provisions required for other penal provisions shall be prescribed.

(3) CABINET ORDER AND MINISTRIAL ORDINANCES
Enforcement Order of the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law
Enforcement Regulations of the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law

(4) OUTLINE OF THE CONTROL
1) Items Covered
Electrical appliance and materials

2) Outline of Specifications, Standards and Inspections, etc.
In the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law, technical standards for 450 electrical appliances, 112 of which are the designated "specific electrical appliances" and 338 non-designated appliances, subject to control were established.
Conformity tests for the specific electrical appliances are to be conducted by the domestic or foreign testing organization registered by the Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry (Articles 9, 29 and 42-3).

(5) REFERENCE INFORMATION
(Liaison Office for Further Information)
Product Safety Division, Consumer Affairs Department, Commerce and Information Policy Bureau, Ministry of Economy, Trade
Tel: 03-3501-1511 http://www.meti.go.jp