Recent Activities

Development, revision and withdrawal of JIS

Based on JISC recommendations, 142 new standards were published, 316 standards were revised, 107 standards were withdrawn and 1.440 standards were confirmed in 2017. As of December 31, 2017, there are 10,622 active JIS.

Harmonization of JIS with international standards

Japan has stepped up efforts to harmonize JIS with international standards since the World Trade Organization (WTO)/Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT) came into force in January 1995.

Consistency between JIS and International Standards
Total number of JIS	10,622 standards
Number of JIS with corresponding international standards	5,855 standards
JIS identical to international standards (IDT)	39%
JIS modified from international standards (MOD)	59%
JIS not equivalent to international standards (NEQ)	2%

(Figures as of Dec. 31, 2017)
(Note 1)
The degree of correspondence of the standards with international standards (IDT, MOD, NEQ) is in accordance with the definition of ISO/IEC Guide 21-1.
(Note 2)
The rate of harmonization is measured based on the "percentage of JIS with corresponding international standards."

[ Harmonizing the washing care labels on clothes ]

In March 2012, the international standard governing the symbols used in washing care labels for clothes (ISO 3758: Textiles - Care labelling code using symbols) was revised based on a proposal from JISC. Following this, in October 2014, JISC introduced JIS L 0217, a new standard harmonized with the international standard. These revisions were made to eliminate differences between the original standards. Since December 1, 2016, Japan's apparel industry has been required to use identical care labels aligned with the international standard under the Household Goods Quality Labeling Law. The creation of universal care labels is set to end confusion about washing care for clothes, benefitting consumers and apparel makers worldwide.

[ Revision of JIS for website accessibility ]

In March 2016, JISC revised JIS X 8341-3, which ensures that all users, regardless of age or disability have access to information on the Internet. Consistency with the corresponding international standard, ISO/IEC 40500, will enable global companies to operate standardized websites in each country, which will improve universal accessibility.

References to JIS in technical regulations

As of December 31, 2017, there are 7,587 citations of JIS in 206 Japanese laws and regulations.

Major Japanese laws and regulations referencing JIS
Name of laws and regulations	Number of JIS References
Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products including Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices (former Pharmaceutical Affairs Act)	1,349
Fire Service Act	647
Building Standards Act	607
Industrial Safety and Health Act	455
Measurement Act	422
Act on Safety Assurance and Quality Improvement of Feeds	290

(Note) In addition to the above, there are approximately 370 references to JIS in notifications under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act.