Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.11.0617 min read

Cosmetics need no product-by-product approval in Japan — what they need instead is a notification completed before customs clearance

We are often asked whether selling in Japan requires a governm…

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.11.0516 min read

Translating the ingredient list is not the same as a full-ingredient declaration — three exceptions to the order, and the small-container allowance

When you import cosmetics and sell them in Japan, the list of …

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.11.0413 min read

Some ingredients are not on the banned list and still cannot be used — the two lists inside Japan’s Cosmetics Standard

When checking whether an overseas formulation can be brought i…

Five Points to Settle Before Signing with a Japanese Distribution Partner — From Licence Scope to Recall Responsibility

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.09.149 min read

Five Points to Settle Before Signing with a Japanese Distribution Partner — From Licence Scope to Recall Responsibility

Once a Japanese distribution partner is chosen and terms move …

If It Says “Medicated”, It Is Not a Cosmetic — The Quasi-Drug Boundary and What Crossing It Requires

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.09.149 min read

If It Says “Medicated”, It Is Not a Cosmetic — The Quasi-Drug Boundary and What Crossing It Requires

Products sold in Korea or the West as “functional cosmet…

Distributing Medical Devices in Japan — Licence, Notification or Nothing, Depending on Class

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.09.149 min read

Distributing Medical Devices in Japan — Licence, Notification or Nothing, Depending on Class

When you set out to distribute a medical device in Japan, the …

Reading a Japanese Pharmaceutical License — Category, Scope of Products and Validity

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.09.149 min read

Reading a Japanese Pharmaceutical License — Category, Scope of Products and Validity

Requesting a copy of the counterparty’s licence before s…

An Overseas Company Cannot Hold a Japanese Marketing Authorization — How the Designated MAH System Works

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.09.149 min read

An Overseas Company Cannot Hold a Japanese Marketing Authorization — How the Designated MAH System Works

Every overseas manufacturer considering the Japanese market ev…

Who Needs a License to Sell Medicines in Japan — Marketing Authorization and Distribution License Are Different Systems

Import & Regulatory Basics

2026.09.1410 min read

Who Needs a License to Sell Medicines in Japan — Marketing Authorization and Distribution License Are Different Systems

When a prospective partner in Japan tells you “we hold a…

Sourcing or distribution question?
Just ask.

Tell us the product and the conditions you need, and we will come back with a concrete proposal — within three business days.

Cosmetics need no product-by-product approval in Japan — what they need instead is a notification completed before customs clearance

Translating the ingredient list is not the same as a full-ingredient declaration — three exceptions to the order, and the small-container allowance

Some ingredients are not on the banned list and still cannot be used — the two lists inside Japan’s Cosmetics Standard

Five Points to Settle Before Signing with a Japanese Distribution Partner — From Licence Scope to Recall Responsibility

If It Says “Medicated”, It Is Not a Cosmetic — The Quasi-Drug Boundary and What Crossing It Requires

Distributing Medical Devices in Japan — Licence, Notification or Nothing, Depending on Class

Reading a Japanese Pharmaceutical License — Category, Scope of Products and Validity

An Overseas Company Cannot Hold a Japanese Marketing Authorization — How the Designated MAH System Works

Who Needs a License to Sell Medicines in Japan — Marketing Authorization and Distribution License Are Different Systems

Sourcing or distribution question?Just ask.

Sourcing or distribution question?
Just ask.