①Whenever any person believes there to be a fact in violation of the provisions of this Act, the person may report the fact to the Japan Fair Trade Commission and ask for appropriate measures to be taken.

②When the Japan Fair Trade Commission receives a report as provided in the preceding paragraph, it must make the necessary investigations into the case.

③If a report made pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) includes a written allegation with regard to a specific fact pursuant to the provisions of the Rules of the Japan Fair Trade Commission, when the Japan Fair Trade Commission decides to take appropriate measures or to take no measures with respect to the case connected with the report, the Japan Fair Trade Commission must promptly notify the person who made the report to that effect.

④When the Japan Fair Trade Commission believes there to be a fact in violation of the provisions of this Act or a fact falling under the purview of a monopolistic situation, the Japan Fair Trade Commission may take appropriate measures on its own authority.

①If the Japan Fair Trade Commission believes there to be a fact that falls under the purview of a monopolistic situation and decides to take the measures set forth in paragraph (4) of the preceding Article, the Japan Fair Trade Commission must notify the competent minister for the business that the enterprise concerned operates to that effect.

②When a notice set forth in the preceding paragraph has been given, the competent minister may express the competent minister's opinion to the Japan Fair Trade Commission regarding the existence or non-existence of a monopolistic situation and other measures that the competent minister considers sufficient to restore competition as provided in the proviso to Article 8-4, paragraph (1).

①In order to conduct the necessary investigation with regard to a case, the Japan Fair Trade Commission may take the following measures:

②If the Japan Fair Trade Commission finds it to be appropriate, it may designate a staff member of the Japan Fair Trade Commission as an investigator pursuant to Cabinet Order, and cause the staff member to take the measures set forth in the preceding paragraph.

③If the Japan Fair Trade Commission causes a staff member to conduct an on-site inspection pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Japan Fair Trade Commission must instruct the staff member to carry identification and to present it to persons concerned.

④The authority to take measures pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) must not be construed as being granted for conducting criminal investigation.

When the Japan Fair Trade Commission conducts the necessary investigations for a case, it must compile a record of the substance of the investigation, and when it takes a measure provided in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, it must clearly record the date on which the measure was taken and the results.

If the Japan Fair Trade Commission believes there to be a fact in violation of the provisions of Article 3, Article 6, Article 8, Article 9, paragraph (1) or (2), Article 10, paragraph (1), Article 11, paragraph (1), Article 13, Article 14, Article 15, paragraph (1), Article 15-2, paragraph (1), Article 15-3, paragraph (1), Article 16, paragraph (1), Article 17, or Article 19 and recognizes that it is necessary for promotion of fair and free competition, it may notify the party conducting the act that was the reason for that suspicion of the following matters in writing provided, however, that this does not apply after notice under the provisions of Article 50, paragraph (1) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 62, paragraph (4) following the deemed replacement of terms) was made:

①A person that has received the notification pursuant to the provisions of the preceding Article may, when intending to formulate and implement by itself the measures necessary to eliminate the act that was the reason for the suspicion, prepare a plan (hereinafter referred to as a "cessation measure plan" in this Article and Article 48-5) concerning the measures it intends to implement (hereinafter referred to as "cessation measures" in this Article through Article 48-5), pursuant to the provisions of the Rules of the Japan Fair Trade Commission, and submit it to the Japan Fair Trade Commission within 60 days from the date of the notification to apply for its approval.

②The cessation measure plan must contain the following:

③When there has been an application for approval pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), the Japan Fair Trade Commission is to approve the plan if the Japan Fair Trade Commission finds that the cessation measure plan conforms to both of the following items:

④The approval of the preceding paragraph must be rendered in writing, and the Chair and Commissioners who attended the meeting pursuant to the provisions of Article 65, paragraph (1) must affix their names and seals on the statement of approval.

⑤The approval under the provisions of paragraph (3) takes effect by serving a copy of the statement of approval on its addressee.

⑥When there has been an application for approval pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), the Japan Fair Trade Commission must render a decision to dismiss it if the Japan Fair Trade Commission finds that the cessation measure plan does not conform to any of the items of paragraph (3).

⑦The provisions of paragraphs (4) and (5) apply mutatis mutandis to a decision pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph. In this case, the term "statement of approval" in paragraphs (4) and (5) is deemed to be replaced with "statement of decision".

⑧When a party that has received the approval of paragraph (3) intends to change the cessation measure plan related to that approval, it must receive approval by the Japan Fair Trade Commission, pursuant to the provisions of the Rules of the Japan Fair Trade Commission.

⑨The provisions of paragraphs (3) through (7) apply mutatis mutandis to approval for changes pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

The provisions of Article 7, paragraphs (1) and (2) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 8-2, paragraph (2) and Article 20, paragraph (2)), Article 7-2, paragraph (1) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 8-3 following the deemed replacement of terms), Article 7-9, paragraph (1) and (2), Article 8-2, paragraph (1) and (3), Article 17-2, Article 20, paragraph (1), and Article 20-2 through Article 20-6 do not apply for the act that was the reason for suspicion related to that approval and the act related to the cessation measures, if the Japan Fair Trade Commission gave the approval of paragraph (3) of the preceding Article (including approval for changes pursuant to Article 48-3, paragraph (8); the same applies in the following Article, Article 65, Article 68, paragraph (1), and Article 76, paragraph (2)) provided, however, that this does not apply if there is a decision pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the following Article.

①When either of the following items applies, the Japan Fair Trade Commission must render a decision to rescind the approval of Article 48-3, paragraph (3):

②The provisions of Article 48-3, paragraphs (4) and (5) apply mutatis mutandis to a decision pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph. In this case, the term "statement of approval" in Article 48-3, paragraphs (4) and (5) is deemed to be replaced with "statement of decision".

③When there has been rescission of the approval of Article 48-3, paragraph (3) pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), when that rescission was on or after the date two years before the expiration date of the period stipulated in proviso to Article 7, paragraph (2) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 8-2, paragraph (2) and Article 20, paragraph (2); the same applies hereinafter in this paragraph), an order pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (2) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 8-2, paragraph (2) and Article 20, paragraph (2)) or Article 8-2, paragraph (3) may be issued for the act that was the reason for the suspicion related to that approval, notwithstanding the provisions of proviso to Article 7, paragraph (2), also within the two-year period from the date of the decision for rescission.

④The provisions of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis to an order pursuant to the provisions of Article 7-2, paragraph (1) (including when applied mutatis mutandis following the deemed replacement of terms pursuant to Article 8-3), Article 7-9, paragraph (1) or (2), or Articles 20-2 through 20-6. In this case, the phrase "proviso to Article 7, paragraph (2) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 8-2, paragraph (2) and Article 20, paragraph (2)" in the preceding paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "Article 7-8, paragraph (6) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 7-9, paragraph (3) and Article 8-3 and when they are applied mutatis mutandis following the deemed replacement of terms pursuant to Article 7-9, paragraph (4) and Article 20-7", and the phrase "the provisions of proviso to Article 7, paragraph (2)" with "the provisions of Article 7-8, paragraph (6)".

When the Japan Fair Trade Commission finds it to be particularly necessary for promotion of fair and free competition, even if the act that was the reason for the suspicion of violation of the provisions of Article 3, Article 6, Article 8, or Article 19 has already ceased to exist, it may notify the party stated in item (i) of the matters in item (ii) in writing provided, however, that this does not apply after notice was made pursuant to the provisions of Article 50, paragraph (1) (including when these are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 62, paragraph (4) following the deemed replacement of terms).