(1) PURPOSE OF THE LAW AND SYSTEM
The objective of this law is to authenticate ownership, and to promote technological improvement in safety insurance, in prevention of environmental pollution, and in preservation and improvement of the environment with regards to road vehicles, as well as to promote sound development of automobile maintenance business, thereby securing public welfare.

(2) OUTLINE OF THE LAW AND SYSTEM
The Law prescribes the registration of vehicles (Chapter II), the standards for safety of road vehicles and prevention of environmental pollution (Chapter III), the inspection and maintenance of road vehicles (Chapter IV), the check-ups (Chapter V) and the automobile maintenance business in implementation of these inspections (Chapter VI).

(3) CABINET ORDER AND MINISTERIAL ORDINANCES
- Enforcement Order of the Road Vehicles Law
- Enforcement Regulations of the Road Vehicles Law
- Safety Regulations for Road Vehicles
- etc.

(4) OUTLINE OF THE CONTROL
1) Items Covered
Road vehicles (automobiles, motor bikes and light-weight vehicles)

2) Outline of Specifications, Standards and Inspections, etc.
i) Content of the Control
Since one of the purposes of the Road Vehicles Law (hereinafter referred to as "Law") is to ensure safety of road vehicles and to promote the conservation of environment, it established safety regulations stipulating that no automobiles, motor bikes, and light-weight vehicles shall be operated unless they conform to the safety regulations (Articles 40 to 42, Article 44, and Article 45).

ii) Certification System
(a) Conformity inspection of safety standards, etc.
Motor vehicle manufacturers, etc. (including foreign motor vehicle manufacturers and dealers of imported motor vehicles), by filing an application, may obtain a designation from the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to the effect that each type of motor vehicles conforms to Japan's safety requirements for road vehicles (Article 75).
As a simplified special procedure for imported vehicles, the preferential handling procedure for imported vehicles has also been established.

(b) Procedure for application
Applicants must submit their application documents and exhibit sample vehicles to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. However, no exhibition of sample vehicles is required at the time of filing of applications pertaining to the preferential handling procedure for imported vehicles. For the imported vehicles, the Japanese Government accepts the test data of the foreign testing institutes designated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. At the same time, in testing imported motor vehicles the Japanese government dispatches officials to foreign motor vehicle manufacturers. In addition it is undergoing mutual recognition of approvals between Japan and other contracting countries in relation to the regulations adopted in Japan according to the UN/ECE 1958 Agreement.


(Reference) Comparison of procedures related to vehicle examination and inspection

[Flowchart of procedures related to examination, inspection and registration of vehicles](PDF file)

(5) REFERENCE INFORMATION
Liaison Office for Further Information:
Engineering Planning Division
Road Transport Bureau,
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport

Tel: 03-5253-8111 http://www.mlit.go.jp