General goods (apparel, furniture, tools…) Individual — personal use
Rules verified as of 2026-08-08 · reviewed quarterly (next review: November 2026)
No product-approval regime — the work is customs classification, duty/JCT and retail labeling. Watch washing-instruction labels for textiles.
Which regimes apply
Household Goods Quality Labeling Act (家庭用品品質表示法)
Textiles, plastics and certain household goods must carry the prescribed Japanese quality labels at retail (fiber composition, care symbols, handling notes). This is a labeling duty at the point of sale, not an import barrier.
- Prepare Japanese quality/care labels before retail sale
- Textiles: fiber composition + JIS care symbols + handler name
Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record
Every commercial import needs an importer of record with post-release disposal authority, correct HS classification, duty and 10% consumption tax. A non-resident importer files through an Attorney for Customs Procedures (ACP, 税関事務管理人) and needs a tax agent for JCT recovery.
- Classify the product (HS code) and check the duty rate
- Convert values with the official customs FX rate
- Non-residents: appoint ACP (form C-7500) before the first declaration
Who can be the importer — verdict
Personal-use imports are outside most business notification regimes (PSE/PSC notifications target businesses; food notification is not needed for small personal quantities; cosmetics have quantity allowances). Radio devices are the exception in practice: using a non-certified transmitter is still a Radio Act violation. Customs duty/JCT apply above the exemptions, with the ¥10,000 de minimis.
Your checklist
- Stay within personal-use quantities (resale voids the exemptions)
- Radio devices: check 技適 certification before buying
- Expect duty/JCT above ¥10,000 customs value
- [Household Goods Quality Labeling Act (家庭用品品質表示法)] Prepare Japanese quality/care labels before retail sale
- [Household Goods Quality Labeling Act (家庭用品品質表示法)] Textiles: fiber composition + JIS care symbols + handler name
- [Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record] Classify the product (HS code) and check the duty rate
- [Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record] Convert values with the official customs FX rate
- [Customs: duty, consumption tax and the importer of record] Non-residents: appoint ACP (form C-7500) before the first declaration