Chapter I General Provisions

The purpose of this Act is to provide for the Prime Minister's formulation of a basic policy so as to prevent Consumers from suffering harm in their lives as consumers and to ensure their safety, and this Act also aims to contribute to bringing about a society in which Consumers are assured of leading safe and fulfilling lives as consumers by providing for measures such as prefectural and municipal governments' implementation of consumer affairs consultations and other administrative processes, these governments' establishment of Consumer Affairs Centers, and the consolidation of information about Actual and Potential Consumer-Related Incidents; the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission's investigations with regard to Actual and Potential Consumer-Related Incidents; and measures to prevent instances of Harm to Consumers from Occurring or Increasing, together with measures provided for under other relevant laws.

①The term "Consumer" as used in this Act means an individual (other than an individual engaging in a commercial, industrial, financial, or other business undertaking).

②The term "Enterprise" as used in this Act means a person engaged in a commercial, industrial, financial, or other business undertaking (and is applicable to an individual only when the individual is engaging in such a business undertaking).

③The term "Ensuring Consumer Safety" as used in this Act means preventing Consumers from suffering harm in their lives as consumers and ensuring their safety.

④The term "Safe to Use" as used in this Act means the level of safety that a good or product (meaning a good or product that it is the business of an Enterprise to supply; an object, facility, or structure that an Enterprise provides or allows Consumers to use in order to further its business; an object, facility, or structure used in a service that it is the business of an Enterprise to provide; or an object, facility, or structure used in a service that an Enterprise provides in order to further its business; hereinafter the same applies) or a service (limited to a service that it is the business of an Enterprise to provide or one that it provides in order to further its business; hereinafter the same applies) should normally have when a Consumer uses that good or product (including eating or drinking it) or makes use of that service (hereinafter these activities are referred to as "Use"), given the characteristics of the good or product or the service, the normal and foreseeable ways in which Consumers will Use it, and other circumstances attending the good or product or the service.

⑤The term "Actual or Potential Consumer-Related Incident" as used in this Act means an accident or circumstance as set forth in one of the following items:

⑥The term "Actual or Potential Accident Involving Bodily Harm" as used in this Act means an accident set forth in item (i) of the preceding paragraph or a circumstance set forth in item (ii) of that paragraph.

⑦The term "Actual or Potential Serious Accident" as used in this Act means an accident or circumstance set forth in one of the following items:

⑧The term "Circumstances Financially Damaging to a Great Number of Consumers" as used in this Act means circumstances as set forth in paragraph (5), item (iii), in which dealings as follows that involve an action as set forth in paragraph (5), item (iii) are taken by an Enterprise, and this damages or is likely to damage the finances of a great number of Consumers:

①Policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety must be advanced through the prompt and efficient implementation of measures that are found to be necessary based on expert knowledge, with a view to preventing Actual and Potential Consumer-Related Incidents from occurring and preventing instances of harm from Actual and Potential Consumer-Related Incidents from increasing.

②Policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety must be advanced with a view to contributing to enhancing convenience for the Consumer while taking care to ensure appropriate business conduct by Enterprises and responding correctly to the growing sophistication and diversification of Consumer needs and other changes in socioeconomic conditions.

③Policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety must be advanced under the close cooperation of the national and local governments, in a way that allows local governments to fully exercise their autonomy and independence.

①The national and local governments have a responsibility to formulate and implement policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety comprehensively, in conformity with the basic principles provided for in the preceding Article (hereinafter referred to as "the Basic Principles" in this Article).

②In advancing policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety, the national and local governments must endeavor to leverage the abilities of persons with expertise, skills or experience in consumer affairs, in conformity with the Basic Principles.

③In advancing policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety, the national and local governments must endeavor to take the necessary measures to disclose information about Actual and Potential Consumer-Related Incidents, the necessary measures to incorporate Consumer opinions, and other measures, thereby ensuring the transparency of the process, in conformity with the Basic Principles.

④In advancing policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety, the national and local governments must endeavor to assess policy effects (meaning the effects that a series of administrative actions that the government implements or seeks to implement based on those policies, have or are likely to have on Consumers' lives as consumers, on social and economic conditions, and on administrative management; the same applies in Article 6, paragraph (2), item (iv)), evaluate those effects based on their assessment, consider them in a timely and appropriate manner, and then take the necessary measures based on these considerations, in conformity with the Basic Principles.

⑤In advancing policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety, the national and local governments must take care to ensure close cooperation among the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, IAA (hereinafter referred to as "the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan"); the Consumer Affairs Centers as provided in Article 10-2, paragraph (1), item (i); prefectural police; fire departments (meaning the bodies set forth in the items of Article 9 of the Fire and Disaster Management Organization Act (Act No. 226 of 1947)); healthcare centers; hospitals; educational institutions; consumer affairs support groups and consumer affairs supporters defined in Article 11-7, paragraph (1); consumer groups; and other relevant parties, in conformity with the Basic Principles.

⑥The national and local governments must endeavor to deepen public understanding and gain their cooperation for Ensuring Consumer Safety, by promoting consumer education and conducting public relations activities, along with other relevant activities.

①Enterprises and trade associations must make their own efforts to Ensure Consumer Safety, as well as endeavoring to cooperate with policies for Ensuring Consumer Safety that are implemented by the national and local governments.

②In consideration of the fact that it is important for Consumers themselves to act independently and rationally in order to have a sense of security and lead safe and fulfilling lives as consumers, Consumers must endeavor to acquire the necessary knowledge and collect the necessary information about the quality or performance of the goods or products an Enterprise supplies or the services it provides, the contracts they must conclude with an Enterprise, and other information pertinent to their lives as consumers.