When the Prime Minister intends to issue a payment order for administrative monetary penalty, the Prime Minister must grant the person that is to be the addressee of the payment order for administrative monetary penalty an opportunity for explanation.

①The explanation is to be made by submitting a written statement of explanation (referred to as the "written explanation" in paragraph (1) of the following Article), excluding the case in which the Prime Minister has approved the explanation to be made orally.

②When making an explanation, documentary evidence or an article of evidence may be submitted.

①The Prime Minister must notify the following matters to the person that is to be the addressee of a payment order for administrative monetary penalty, by giving a considerable period of time before the deadline for the submission of a written explanation (if an opportunity for an oral explanation is to be granted, the date and time of the oral explanation):

②If the whereabouts of the person who is to be the addressee of a payment order for administrative monetary penalty is unknown, the Prime Minister may give a notice under the provisions of the preceding paragraph by taking the measures of keeping a document stating the name of that person (if the person is a corporation, its name and the name of its representative), the matters stated in item (iii) of that paragraph, and the matters stated in the items of that paragraph entered by the Prime Minister (referred to as "public notice matters" below in this paragraph), readily available for inspection by a large number of unspecified persons by a method prescribed by Cabinet Office Order, and also taking the measures of posting the document stating the public notice matters on the bulletin board at the Consumer Affairs Agency, or displaying the public notice matters on the visual screen of a computer installed in the office of the Consumer Affairs Agency. In such a case, the notice is deemed to have reached the person two weeks after the date on which the measures have been taken.

①A person who has received the notice under the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (including a person who is deemed to have received the notice pursuant to the provisions of the second sentence of paragraph (2) of that Article; referred to as the "person concerned" in the following paragraph and paragraph (4)) may appoint an agent.

②Each agent may perform any and all acts relating to the explanation on behalf of the person concerned.

③The qualifications of an agent must be proved in writing.

④When an agent loses their qualifications, the person concerned who has appointed that agent must give a written notice to that effect to the Prime Minister.

①A payment order for administrative monetary penalty must be given in writing, and must state the amount of administrative monetary penalty required to be paid, the basis for calculating the administrative monetary penalty, and the act subject to administrative monetary penalty for the administrative monetary penalty, and the payment deadline.

②A payment order for administrative monetary penalty takes effect when a certified copy of the written payment order for administrative monetary penalty has been served on the addressee.

③The payment deadline of the administrative monetary penalty referred to in paragraph (1) is the day on which seven months has passed from the date of issuance of the written payment order for administrative monetary penalty.

①If a person has failed to pay administrative monetary penalty by the payment deadline, the Prime Minister must make a demand for payment by specifying a deadline in a written demand.

②If the Prime Minister has made a demand under the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister may collect a delinquent charge calculated based on the number of days from the day after the payment deadline to the day on which the administrative monetary penalty is paid, at a rate of 14.5 percent per annum on the amount of the administrative monetary penalty concerning the demand; provided, however, that this does not apply if the delinquent charge amounts to less than one thousand yen.

③If the amount of delinquent charge calculated pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph has a fraction of less than one hundred yen, the amount is rounded down to the nearest hundred yen.

①If a person who has received a demand pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article fails to pay the amount they are required to pay by the designated deadline, a payment order for administrative monetary penalty is executed by order of the Prime Minister. This order has the same effect as an enforceable title of obligation.

②A payment order for administrative monetary penalty is executed in accordance with the provisions of the Civil Execution Act (Act No. 4 of 1979) and other laws and regulations on compulsory execution procedures.

③If the Prime Minister finds it necessary for the execution of a payment order for administrative monetary penalty, the Prime Minister may make inquiries to public offices or public and private organizations, and request those offices and organizations to report necessary matters.

In applying the provisions of the Bankruptcy Act (Act No. 75 of 2004), Civil Rehabilitation Act (Act No. 225 of 1999), Corporate Reorganization Act (Act No. 154 of 2002), and Act on Special Treatment of Corporate Reorganization Proceedings and Other Insolvency Proceedings of Financial Institutions (Act No. 95 of 1996), the right to claim administrative monetary penalty for payment orders for administrative monetary penalty and the right to claim delinquent charges under the provisions of Article 18, paragraph (2) are deemed to be the right to claim civil fine.

The provisions of Chapter III of the Administrative Procedure Act (Act No. 88 of 1993) do not apply to payment orders for administrative monetary penalty issued by the Prime Minister and other dispositions under the provisions of this Section; provided, however, that this does not apply to the application of the provisions of Article 12 and Article 14 of that Act related to the provisions of Article 10, paragraph (8).

①Business operators must develop necessary systems for properly administering the maximum amount and total amount of the premiums, and other matters on provision of premiums, and matters on representations related to the quality, standard, and other content of goods or services, in order to prevent unfairly inducing customers and hindering voluntary and rational choice-making by general consumers, by providing premiums or making representations for transactions of goods or services the business operators supply.

②The Prime Minister is to establish necessary guidelines for appropriately and effectively implementing the measures business operators should take based on the provisions of the preceding paragraph (simply referred to as "the guidelines" below in this Article).

③When establishing the guidelines, the Prime Minister must deliberate with the minister who has jurisdiction over the business of the business operator and the Fair Trade Commission, and hear the opinion of the Consumer Commission, in advance.

④When the Prime Minister establishes the guidelines, the Prime Minister is to publish the guidelines without delay.

⑤The provisions of the preceding two paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis to changes made to the guidelines.

If the Prime Minister finds it necessary for appropriately and effectively implementing the measures required to be taken by business operators, the Prime Minister may provide necessary guidance and advice on those measures to the business operators, based on the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article.

①If the Prime Minister finds that a business operator has failed to take the measures that should be taken without legitimate grounds, the Prime Minister may issue a recommendation that the business operator should take the measures necessary for administering the provision of the premiums, or making the representations, based on the provisions of Article 22, paragraph (1).

②If the Prime Minister has issued a recommendation under the provisions of the preceding paragraph and the business operator does not comply with the recommendation, the Prime Minister may publicize that fact.

①When the Prime Minister finds it necessary for enforcing this Act, the Prime Minister may have the business operator or other business operators who have a business relationship with that business operator make a report on their business or property, or order them to submit books and documents and other objects, or may have officials enter offices or other places of business of the business operator, or of other business operators who have a business relationship with that business operator, and inspect their books, documents, and other articles, or ask question to the persons concerned.

②An official conducting an on-site inspection pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph must carry an identification card and present it to the persons concerned.

③The authority under the provisions of paragraph (1) must not be construed as being granted for the purpose of a criminal investigation.

When there are sufficient facts to suspect the existence of an act in violation of the restriction or prohibition under the provisions of Article 4 or the provisions of Article 5, the Prime Minister may give notice using a document stating the following matters to the person who is performing the acts that caused the suspicion, for ensuring the voluntary and rational choice-making of goods and services by general consumers; provided, however, that this does not apply after giving a notice under the provisions of Article 30 of the Administrative Procedure Act related to order for measures or a notice under the provisions of Article 15, paragraph (1):