Your access to the Japanese market can be arranged via MIC certification.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications (MIC) regulates the information, communications, and postal services sectors. The MIC promotes the fair competition of these sectors while also developing new technological systems for information and communications. The MIC grants licenses to operators and sets tariffs and taxes for regulation.
Japan Radio Type Approval (MIC)
Radio and telecommunication products that are intended to be marketed in Japan are subject to a mandatory certification process issued by MIC. According to Japanese law; radio and telecommunications devices can fall under two different laws, “radio law” and “business law”. Depending on the integrated technologies and equipment characteristics, certification in accordance with either one or both laws is mandatory.
- Japan Radio Law (Law No. 131 of May 2, 1950)
- Japan Telecom Business Law (Law No. 86 of December 25, 1984)
Japanese Radio Law
Products with radio technologies must be tested and approved for marketing in Japan in accordance with the requirements of the Japanese Radio Law. The Japanese Radio Law covers products with radio technologies. There are three different types of products that fall into Radio Law Approval, each one depending on the product intended to be marketed in Japan:
- Specified Radio Equipment (SRE):
- Special Specified Radio Equipment (SSRE)
- High-Frequency Device
- Extremely Low-Power Device (ELP)
The most common category is the Specified Radio Equipment. The complete list of products categorized as SRE can be found under Article 38-2-2 of the Radio Law.
Regarding the licensing procedures, the Radio Law offers three procedures, ranging from self-declaration to third-party certification:
- Certificate of Construction Design or Type
In this case, the product, including construction and design production process, is certified on the basis of representative samples. MIC approval is granted if the product complies with the technical standards specified in paragraph 24 of article 38 of the Radio Law. This approval process is particularly suitable for manufacturers of radio products that are produced in large quantities.
- Technical Regulations Conformity Certification
In this case the product is tested for conformity in accordance with the standards defined in Section 38(6)(6) of the Radio Law. Testing and certification are carried out for each product. This process is primarily designed for equipment that is only produced in small batches (typically less than 100 units).
- Declaration of conformity (DoC)
If the manufacturer is the owner of suitable measuring equipment, the test reports drawn up there can be used for a declaration of conformity. In this case, however, a local Japanese representative must apply for approval with MIC.
Japanese Telecommunication Business Law
Telecom Business Law addresses all types of equipment which connects to public networks. It is irrelevant whether this connection is wired or wireless:
Devices that connect directly or indirectly to the public network (and these are both carrier networks and the public Internet) must comply with Article 9 of the Telecommunications Law. This is a requirement aimed at providing a minimum Quality of Service (QoS) to users of the public networks.
Therefore, Telecommunication devices that connect to the Japanese Public Network must apply for Business Law approval and comply with Article 9 of the Telecommunications Business Law issued by MIC.
This category includes mobile phones, fax machines, fixed-line telephones and WLAN routers.
To get the approval certificate, an MIC Registered Certification Body (RCB) will determine whether or not each terminal device complies with MIC’s Business Law technical standards.
Once the examination is done and the product has been approved, RCB will issue a certificate for each Terminal Device. Then the terminal equipment can be marked complying with MIC’s standards for equipment marking.
The technical file to address Telecom Business Law is equivalent to the one mentioned in the Radio Law.
A detailed Technical Construction File (TCF) must be provided to the authorities to address the Certification. The technical file must include specific MIC requirements as Quality Production Statements, Construct Design Forms, Protection Statements and generic technical documentation i.e Block diagrams, schematics, labeling, product photos, etc.
We can take care of the Technical Construction File (TCF) required for approval to the Japanese market and help you with any queries regarding accessing the Japanese market.
To determine what must be tested, it is necessary to refer to the ordnances that cover the specified equipment. The ordnances lay out the various types of equipment, what needs to be tested and what instrument is used to do the testing.
Japanese standards for type approval differ from the EU and/or FCC standards. Also many of the technical specifications are only available in the Japanese language, so its highly advisable to choose a partner who is capable of handling the language issues and knows how to stay updated on the Japanese regulations. Another different aspect is regarding module certification, which differs from the North American or European regions. It can depend on housing details for example, whether module certification is at all possible.
A Local Representative will not be required and the validity of the Type examination approval is indefinite.
MIC Certification Guide
Please read more about Japan MIC certifications in our MIC Certification GUIDE.