When the Prime Minister finds it to be necessary and appropriate in the public interest or for the protection of investors, the Prime Minister may order a certified association or the person that a certified association has entrusted with its business (including a person that has received entrustment from the person (including entrustment at two or more degrees of separation from the original entrustment); hereinafter the same applies in this Article), to submit reports or materials that should serve as a reference with regard to the business or assets of the certified association or person, and may have the relevant officials enter the office of a certified association or the person that a certified association has entrusted with its business to inspect the state of its business or assets or its books, documents, and any other articles (but may only have the relevant officials inspect the person that a certified association has entrusted with its business as is necessary in connection with the business or assets of the certified association) or to question the relevant persons (but may only have the relevant officials question the person that a certified Association has entrusted with its business as is necessary in connection with the business or assets of the certified association).

For the purpose of promoting the smooth implementation of the provisions of this Section, the Prime Minister, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Office Order, may have a certified association submit materials or make notifications as prescribed in the relevant provisions of this Section, or provide cooperation with regard to other necessary particulars.

①If the Prime Minister finds that improvement is needed in connection with the business operations of a certified association, the Prime Minister, within the scope that is necessary for the implementation of the provisions of this Section, may order the certified association to take measures that are necessary for this improvement.

②If the Prime Minister finds a certified association's business operations to be in violation of this Act, an order that is based on this Act, or a disposition that is based on this Act or on such an order, the Prime Minister may rescind its recognition or order the suspension of all or part of the business during a fixed period of no longer than six months.

①A corporation (including an organization without legal personality for which a representative or administrator has been designated, and excluding an authorized association or a certified association; hereinafter the same applies in item (iii), (b) of the following Article) that seeks to provide the services set forth in each of the following items with the aim of ensuring fair and smooth purchase and sales and other transactions of securities and of ensuring fair and smooth derivatives transactions, etc. as well as contributing to the sound development of the financial instruments business and to the protection of investors, may obtain the certification of the Prime Minister:

②A person seeking to obtain the certification referred to in the preceding paragraph must file an application with the Prime Minister pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.

③Upon granting the certification referred to in paragraph (1), the Prime Minister must issue public notice of this.

A person that falls under any of the following items may not obtain the certification referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article:

The Prime Minister must not grant a certification unless the Prime Minister finds that an application under Article 79-7, paragraph (2) conforms to all of the following items:

①If a person that has received the certification referred to in Article 79-7, paragraph (1) (hereinafter referred to as the "certified investor protection organization" in paragraph (1) of the following Article) seeks to discontinue the services to which that certification pertains (hereinafter referred to as "certified services" in this Section), that person must notify the Prime Minister of this in advance, pursuant to the provisions of Cabinet Order.

②If a notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph is filed, the Prime Minister must issue public notice of this.

①A certified investor protection organization (hereinafter referred to as a "certified organization" in this Section) must have the financial instruments business operators and financial instruments intermediary service providers that are its constituent members, as well as financial instruments business operators and financial instruments intermediary service providers that agree to be covered by its certified services and any other person specified by Cabinet Office Order, as its covered business operators (meaning financial instruments business operators, financial instruments intermediary service providers, and any other person specified by Cabinet Office Order, that are covered by the services of the certified organization; hereinafter the same applies in this Section).

②A certified organization must make a list of the covered business operators available for public inspection.

The provisions of Article 77 apply mutatis mutandis when a certified organization works to resolve complaints from investors (limited complaints involving covered operators). In this case, in that Article, the term "association member or financial instruments intermediary service provider" is deemed to be replaced with "covered operators prescribed in Article 79-11, paragraph (1)".

The provisions of Article 77-2, paragraphs (1) through (3) and paragraphs (5) through (9) apply mutatis when a certified organization engages in mediation (limited to mediation involving covered operators). In this case, in paragraph (1) of that Article, the phrase "association member or financial instruments intermediary service provider" is deemed to be replaced with "covered operator as prescribed in Article 79-11, paragraph (1)" and the term "derivatives transactions, etc." is deemed to be replaced with "derivatives transactions, etc. (including transactions incidental to these and any other transactions specified by Cabinet Office Order)"; and in paragraph (5) of that Article, the phrase "association member or financial instruments intermediary service provider" is deemed to be replaced with "covered operator as prescribed in Article 79-11, paragraph (1)".

The provisions of Article 72 apply mutatis mutandis to the officers and employees of a certified organization, and to any person that has held any of these positions.

A person that is not a certified organization must not use a name that refers to it as a certified investor protection organization, and must not use any other name that is confusingly similar to this.

The Prime Minister may have a certified organization submit a report about its certified services, within the scope that this is necessary for implementing the provisions in this Section.

①A certified organization must endeavor to prepare and publish guidelines that are in line with the purport of the provisions of this Act, with regard to the content of contracts for financial instruments transactions by covered operators, the nature of asset management by covered operators, and particulars that are otherwise necessary for ensuring the protection of investors (hereinafter referred to as "investor protection guidelines"), in order to ensure the sound development of the financial instruments business and the protection of investors.

②Once a certified organization publishes investor protection guidelines pursuant to the preceding paragraph, it must endeavor to provide the covered operators with the necessary guidance and recommendations, and take other measures for having the covered operators comply with the investor protection guidelines.

③A certified organization must endeavor to further the sound development of the financial instruments business and the protection of investors through the dissemination of financial knowledge and through educational and publicity campaigns.

The Prime Minister may order a certified organization to improve the implementation methods of its certified services, to change the investor protection guidelines, and to take any other necessary measures, within the scope that this is necessary for implementing the provisions in this Section.

①If a certified organization falls under any of the following items, the Prime Minister may rescind its certification:

②Upon rescinding a certification pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the Prime Minister must issue public notice of this.