For electrical products entering Japan, “METI notification” and “PSE” should not be treated as a single generic certificate. Start by checking whether the product is designated under Japan’s Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act, then map the product category, business operator and applicable technical requirements.
1. Confirm whether the product is within PSE scope
METI distinguishes Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials from non-specified Electrical Appliances and Materials. Its official overview describes 457 designated items, including 116 specified items; examples include power supply units, extension cords, plugs and certain electrical equipment. Product lists and figures can change with legislation, Cabinet Orders or official guidance, so a product name or HS code alone is not a substitute for classification.
For each SKU, keep the product image and model number, rated input and output, intended use and power source, key components and battery information, Japanese sales route, manufacturer/importer relationship, and the matching electrical-appliance category and type classification. If the product also involves batteries, radio functions, chargers or another regulatory track, check those requirements separately instead of assuming that PSE answers every question.
2. Identify the operator behind the METI notification
A business that manufactures or imports electrical appliances generally has to notify the competent authority when starting the business. For imported products, the importer is the central operator responsible for these obligations. A business that only sells products, without manufacturing or importing them, should confirm the required markings rather than treating the importer’s notification as its own.
An overseas business selling PS-marked products directly to consumers in Japan should separately check the product-safety amendments effective 25 December 2025. Depending on the facts, the business may fall within the “Specified Importing Business Operator” framework and may need a domestic administrator in Japan. This is conditional; it should not be stated as one universal process for every cross-border seller or electrical product.
3. Build four evidence groups for each product
1. Entity and scope: the manufacturer, importer and seller relationship; contracts and authorizations; business-notification information; factory or site information; SKU, model and type classification.
2. Technical file: specifications, ratings, BOM, critical-component information, construction or circuit documents, instructions, label artwork and Japanese warnings. Version-control the file against the model actually sold.
3. Testing and self-inspection: map the test items, sample representation, conditions and coverage to the applicable technical requirements; retain the self-inspection method, results, date, basis and reviewer. Do not assume a universal “24-month report validity” rule for every product.
4. Marking and distribution records: check the required PSE mark form and notifying-supplier name on the product. For specified products, also check the registered conformity-assessment body name or prescribed abbreviation/trademark and other required information. Archive product, package, manual and web versions separately.
4. Four page-language checks
① Do the model, ratings and critical components match the tested sample? ② Do the importer or Japanese responsible parties match the notification, marking and transaction records? ③ Are self-inspection, conformity assessment where applicable, marking and instructions supported by their own evidence rather than one report standing in for everything? ④ Does the page describe only verified product attributes and document status, without turning “records prepared” into “approved” or “guaranteed to pass”?
A change to the model, ratings, critical components, manufacturing site, importer or marking should trigger a new assessment. This page is a documentation framework, not legal advice for a specific product or a substitute for the competent authority or a registered conformity-assessment body. 绿色方舟（深圳）认证有限公司 can help organize the SKU–responsible party–technical file–page wording relationship from client-provided product and entity records.
Sources and review note
This reference is based on official METI pages covering the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act, procedures for business operators, and the product-safety rules for overseas businesses. Official lists, Cabinet Orders, technical requirements and notification procedures may change, so confirm the current official materials before filing or sale.
