PSE is not a universal certificate for every electronic product. It is the product-marking and compliance framework under Japan’s Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act (DENAN). Whether a product can carry the PSE mark depends on the specific model, ratings, intended use, import route, notifying supplier, and applicable technical requirements. A supplier’s generic report cannot answer all of those questions.
1. Confirm whether the product is covered
METI describes 457 designated Electrical Appliances and Materials: 116 Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials and 341 Non-Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials. The official lists also define categories and limits such as rated power. “It uses electricity,” “it includes an adapter,” or “it is sold in Japan” is not, by itself, enough to determine the classification.
- Record the intended use, supply type, AC/DC input and output, rated voltage, current, power, frequency, and whether a battery is included.
- List the finished product, external power supply, charger, cable, plug, and battery separately. Components and finished products may fall under different designated items.
- Compare the product with METI’s specified and non-specified item lists, including category definitions and rating ranges. Similar names do not establish the same scope.
- For borderline products, preserve the classification rationale, product photos, nameplate, and specification sheet, and record questions that still require confirmation.
2. Diamond PSE and circle PSE are different routes
| Category | Official scope | Evidence focus |
|---|---|---|
| Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials Diamond PSE | 116 items. METI defines the categories and rating ranges; examples include certain wires, wiring devices, and DC power supply units. | In addition to technical conformity and statutory inspection records, a conformity assessment by a METI-registered conformity assessment body is required. The marking area also needs the relevant notifying-supplier and registered-body information. |
| Non-Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials Circle PSE | 341 items. The official list likewise defines categories and rating ranges; examples include certain household appliances, lighting equipment, television receivers, and lithium-ion storage batteries. | Technical requirements, statutory inspection and record-retention duties, and marking requirements still need to be checked. Circle PSE does not remove the classification or supplier obligations. |
Diamond and circle are statutory marking forms tied to the product category; they are not quality tiers or universal marks. CE, UL, CB, or another market’s test report may support a technical review, but it does not automatically replace the Japanese classification, notification, inspection, or marking requirements.
3. Identify the notifying supplier and import responsibility
The Act places notification and compliance duties on businesses manufacturing or importing covered Electrical Appliances and Materials. For imported products, the importer generally has the relevant statutory responsibility. Brand owner, factory, importer, seller, and Japanese distributor roles should be mapped explicitly; one supplier certificate cannot replace that responsibility map.
From 25 December 2025, certain overseas businesses that sell covered products directly to consumers in Japan, including through digital platforms, may fall within the “Specified Import Business Operator” framework. The business may need to make the relevant notification and appoint a qualified domestic manager. This is conditional on the sales route, operator, and product scope; it should not be described as an automatic rule for every cross-border seller.
The evidence register should connect the brand or trademark owner, manufacturer, importer or specified import business operator, domestic manager where applicable, notification category, product model, and Japanese sales route. Any mismatch in legal name, address, model, or responsibility should be resolved before the file is used.
4. Build a traceable file for each SKU
- Product identity: model and variant, photographs, nameplate, intended use, input/output ratings, frequency, key components, and version number.
- Classification rationale: the relevant METI item, specified or non-specified category, rating threshold, and assessment date. Record external power supplies, plugs, cables, and batteries separately.
- Technical file: circuit and construction drawings, BOM, critical components, manual, label, and packaging artwork. Model, ratings, and manufacturer information must be consistent.
- Conformity and inspection: technical-requirement evidence, statutory inspection records, and retention arrangements. For specified items, file the registered-body conformity assessment separately; a generic “lab tested” statement is not a substitute.
- Supply and change control: retain manufacturing and purchasing records, importer information, label versions, shipment batches, and change approvals. Reassess when the model, ratings, critical parts, factory, or marking changes.
5. Review the physical mark and the online wording separately
METI states that covered Electrical Appliances and Materials require the legally required PSE marking when sold or displayed for sale. The required nearby information differs between specified and non-specified products and can include the notifying supplier name, ratings, and other technical-requirement items; specified products also involve the registered conformity assessment body. Check the product and applicable rule, rather than adding a PSE symbol only to a product page or promotional image.
Website and marketplace copy should identify the product scope, model, and evidence status. Avoid claims such as “approved by the Japanese government,” “one certificate covers every product,” “upload means approval,” or “delisting will not occur.” A PSE mark reflects statutory obligations for a covered electrical product; it is not a blanket approval for a brand, store, or every other market.
6. Six manual checks before submission or listing
- Do the actual use, ratings, and photographs match a defined METI item and rating range?
- Have the finished product, adapter, cable, plug, and battery been assessed separately?
- Are the manufacturer, importer, notifying supplier, and domestic manager where applicable consistent across the file?
- Does the diamond/circle route, inspection path, and required marking match the actual classification?
- Do the test or conformity documents identify the model, ratings, version, and applicable technical requirements instead of only a broad product family?
- Do the product mark, packaging, manual, listing page, and change record agree, with version evidence retained?
