If you want to do cosmetic business in Japan, you need Sales & Manufacturing license and/or Manufacturing license permitted by prefectural government.
<Sales & Manufacturing License>
This license is for the company who is responsible for ensuring the quality and safety of the cosmetics products to sell. The license is issued by prefectural governor to the company who sell cosmetics under its own brand.
<Manufacturing License>
This license is for manufacturing the cosmetics. There are two category of permit, one of which is for all manufacturing process or part of manufacturing, the other is packaging, labeling and storage only.
Regulating Law
Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices
<Article 2 of the Act>
The term “cosmetic” as used in this Act refers to items which are intended to be used on the human body by rubbing, sprinkling or other similar means, aiming to clean, beautify and increase the attractiveness, alter the appearance or to keep the skin or hair in good condition, and which have mild effects on the human body; provided, however, that these items exclude those intended at the same time, beyond those purposes of use, for the uses provided in paragraph (1), item (ii) or item (iii), and quasi-pharmaceutical products.
Ministerial Ordinance on Standards Quality Assurance for Drugs, Quasi-Drugs, Cosmetics and Medical Devices (GQP Ordinance)
Ministerial Ordinance on Standards for Post-marketing Safety Control of Pharmaceuticals, Quasi-pharmaceuticals, Cosmetics, Medical Devices, and Regenerative Medicine Products (GVP Ordinance)
Things to be aware of
FD Software
The application has to be submitted via FD software provided by Ministry of health, Labour and Welfare. The supporting language of the software is Japanese only. Please contact us if you need any assistance.
Examples
<You manufacture or import cosmetics, then you sell them under own brand>
You need both of Sales & Manufacturing license and Manufacturing license.
<The other company manufacture or import cosmetics, then you sell them under own brand>
You need Sales & Manufacturing license
<You manufacture or import cosmetics, then the other company sell them under the brand other than yours.
You need Manufacturing license