What is the Consumer Affairs Agency all about?

Supporting the field of local consumer administration

the safet an peace of min in people s li es hich therefore surface as signi cant

mono i e poisoning acci ents cause gas re ater heaters an ele ator acci ents

a flurr of foo misla eling cases an rampant occurrences of scams targeting senior

an staffe ith suf cient personnel as eli erate ith the aim of eliminating the

 The latter half of 2000s saw a large number of serious consumer issues come about in

Japan, epitomizing the times that can aptly be called a historical milestone triggering a

rethinking of the way how the public administration had been managing the nation. In

those days, there was a successive stream of issues coming to light that posed a threat to

the safet an peace of min in people s li es hich therefore surface as signi cant

social problems - for example, accidents involving general consumers, such as carbon

mono i e poisoning acci ents cause gas re ater heaters an ele ator acci ents

a flurr of foo misla eling cases an rampant occurrences of scams targeting senior

people, etc..

 What formed part of the background for such a turn of events was the fact that each

government agency and department had been working to achieve growth of the nation's

economy by protecting and fostering businesses in their respective jurisdictions, while

addressing consumer protection on a section-by-section basis strictly as a theme indirect

and incidental to industrial development.

 However, as a result of market-focused measures that had been driven in recent years,

including deregulation, a "safe and secure market" or a "market with quality" had been

called for. This generated the need to proactively review - from the standpoint of

consumers - the way policy measures and public administration had been handled in the

past and to make a shift to a public administration that would deliver a society where every

consumer as a leading player can enjoy a safe and prosperous life with peace of mind.

 Thus, an idea of creating a brand new organization equipped with powerful authority

an staffe ith suf cient personnel as eli erate ith the aim of eliminating the

section-by-section approach of the past and achieving the "integration" of the consumer

agencies and departments in the administration, which then led to the establishment of

the "Consumer Affairs Agency" on September 1, 2009. Always adhering to the

philosophy that dates back to its founding, the Consumer Affairs Agency is carrying on the

mission to make conspicuous achievements and work hard to meet the expectations of

the people.

To deliver a society

where every consumer

as a leading player can enjoy

a safe and prosperous

life with peace of mind

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What is the Consumer Affairs Agency all about?

What is the Consumer

Affairs Agency all about?

Main functions of the Consumer Affairs Agency

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onsumer ffairs enters etc hen the solution is if cult to

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an consumer ispute of hich solution is signi cant

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※Organizations associated with the Consumer Affairs Agency

Prime Minister

Minister of State for Consumer Affairs

Senior Vice-Minister

Parliamentary Secretary of abinet ffice

Consumer Safety Investigation Commission

Consumer Education Promotion Council

C A A

(Consumer Affairs Agency) Councils

・Personnel, accounting, bill screening, Diet-related matters, general affairs.

・Public relations.

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Division Main Administrative Work

Number of Staff 301

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Developing basic plans for consumer policies and scrutinizing and assessing them

System for Collective Redress for Consumer Damage

Addressing education and edification for consumers

Monitoring commodity price movements and providing the information

Supporting local governments for consumer affairs

Other tasks, including protecting personal information, protecting whistleblowers

Preventing harm to consumers from occurring and spreading

Setting in place an environment where consumers can make a right choice

Organization of Consumer Affairs Agency

Secretary General Deputy Secretary-General

4 Counselor

General Affairs Division

Policy Planning Division

Legal System Planning Division

Consumer Education and Local Cooperation Division

Consumer Research Division

Consumer Safety Division

Consumer Transaction Division

Representation Division

Food Labeling Division

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Developing basic plans for consumer policies and scrutinizing and assessing them

System for Collective Redress for Consumer Damage

Addressing education and edification for consumers

Monitoring commodity price movements and providing the information

Supporting local governments for consumer affairs

Other tasks, including protecting personal information, protecting whistleblowers

Preventing harm to consumers from occurring and spreading

Setting in place an environment where consumers can make a right choice

4

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onsumer ffairs enters etc hen the solution is if cult to

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pla a part an a ministrating uali cation s stem of the

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an consumer ispute of hich solution is signi cant

※Organizations associated with the Consumer Affairs Agency

abinet ffice

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Developing basic plans for consumer policies and scrutinizing and assessing them

System for Collective Redress for Consumer Damage

Addressing education and edification for consumers

Monitoring commodity price movements and providing the information

Supporting local governments for consumer affairs

Other tasks, including protecting personal information, protecting whistleblowers

Preventing harm to consumers from occurring and spreading

Setting in place an environment where consumers can make a right choice

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04

What is the Consumer Affairs Agency all about?

[Consumer Commission]

The Consumer Commission was established on September 1, 2009 together with the Consumer Affairs Agency. Having a highly transparent structure that allows voices of consumers to reach it directly, it operates as an independent, third-party organization with the function to monitor the overall consumer affairs administration by the respective ministries and agencies, including the Consumer Affairs Agency.

[National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan]

T h e N a t i o n a l C o n s u m e r A f f a i r s C e n t e r o f J a p a n i s a n i n c o r p o r a t e d a d m i n i s t r a t i v e a g e n c y s u p e r v i s e d b y t h e Consumer Affairs Agency and plays the role, in cooperation with the national government, Consumer Affairs Centers nationwide and others, as a core organization for consumer affairs administration purposes. Its main activities include the following:

・Advising on things like how to handle cases brought through

onsumer ffairs enters etc hen the solution is if cult to achieve.

・Receiving consultation from consumers who were unable to reach the nearest Consumer Affairs Center, etc.

・Collecting information on cases of consumer affairs consultation via the PIO-NET (Practical Living Information Online Network System).

・Educating and raising awareness of consumers, and issuing requests and supplying information to governmental bodies, trade associations, etc.

・Providing training sessions for personnel in consumer affairs administration in order to develop higher skills in persons who pla a part an a ministrating uali cation s stem of the Expert Consultant for consumer affairs.

・Implementing extrajudicial dispute resolution procedures for an consumer ispute of hich solution is signi cant nationwide.

※Organizations associated with the Consumer Affairs Agency

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Prime Minister

Consumer Affairs Agency

Minister of State for Consumer Affairs

Consumer Safety Investigation Commission

Consumer Education Promotion Council

Independent administrative agency The National Consumer Affairs Center Recommendation

Recommendation/Order

Consumer Commission

Consumer counseling, Product testing, Education and training, etc. Information

Consultation

Support

Ministries

& Agencies

Publication , Warning Local governments Local Consumer

Affairs Centers

Easy-access to consumer consultation service

Recommendation

Recommendation/Order

Request measures

Businesses

Consumers

Developing basic plans for consumer policies and scrutinizing and assessing them

System for Collective Redress for Consumer Damage

Addressing education and edification for consumers

Monitoring commodity price movements and providing the information

Supporting local governments for consumer affairs

Other tasks, including protecting personal information, protecting whistleblowers

Preventing harm to consumers from occurring and spreading

Setting in place an environment where consumers can make a right choice

Consumer Affairs Agency & its Partners

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Gathering and analyzing information Information to consumers

Overseeing relevant ministries including handling 　the consumer problems which do not fall into other 　ministries’ responsibility

Information Information

Information

Information Advice ,

Mediation Education

Request Order/ Recommendation