S/C/N/820  
 
31 July 2015  
(15-3994)  Page: 1/7  
Council for Trade in Services  Original: English  
 
NOTIFICATION OF JAPAN’S PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT TO SERVICES  
AND SERVICES SUPPLIERS OF LEAST-DEVELOPED COUNTRIES 
The following notification from the delegation of Japan, dated 31 July 2015, is being circulated to 
the Members of the Council for Trade in Services. 
 
_______________ 
 
 In accordance with the decision by Ministers at the WTO’s Eighth Ministerial Conference on Preferential Treatment to Services and Serv ice Suppliers of Least-Developed Countries 
(WT/L/847), and the decision by Ministers at the WTO’s Ninth Ministerial Conference on 
Operationalization of the Waiver Concerning Pr eferential Treatment to Services and Services 
Suppliers of Least-Developed Countries (WT/L/918), with effect from August 1, 2015, the 
Government of Japan wishes to inform the World Trade Organization Council for Trade in Services 
of the following.   
The following treatment is made in sectors and modes of supply that are of key interest to Least-
Developed Countries, as set out in The Collective Request Pursuant to the Bali Decision on the Operationalization of the LDC Services Waiver Co ncerning Preferential Treatment to Services and 
Service Suppliers of Least Developed Countries (S/C/W/356) in accordance with relevant laws and 
regulations of Japan.  Japan intends to maintain  these preferences for the period of the Waiver. 
 1  HORIZONTAL  
The treatment concerning the entry and temporary stay of natural persons in the following 
categories is made available in accordance with relevant laws and regulations of Japan: 
a. Investors 
 A natural person who will engage in one of the following activities in Japan for a period of up 
to five years, which may be extended, during its temporary stay in Japan:  
i. Activities to invest in business in Japan and manage such business; 
ii. Activities to manage business in Japan on behalf of a person other than that of Japan 
who has invested in such business; or 
iii. Conduct of business in Japan in which a person other than that of Japan has 
invested. 
b. Natural Persons Who Engage in Business Activities Which Require Technology or 
K n o w l e d g e  a t  a n  A d v a n c e d  L e v e l  o n  t h e  B a s i s  o f  a  C o n t r a c t  w i t h  P u b l i c  o r  P r i v a t e  Organizations in Japan 
A natural person who is engaged in one of the following activities during its temporary stay 
in Japan for a period of up to five years, wh ich may be extended, on the basis of a personal 
contract  with a public or private organization in the territory of Japan:  S/C/N/820  
 
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  i. Activities that require technology and/or knowledge at an advanced level pertinent to 
physical sciences, engineering or other natural sciences, or to human sciences, including jurisprudence, economics, business management and accounting; or  
ii. Activities that require ideas and sensitivity based on culture of a country other than 
Japan, 
under the status of residence of “Engineer/Specialist in Humanities/International 
Services”, whose scope is provided for in the Immigration Control and Refugee 
Recognition Act as amended by the Law for Partial Amendments to the Immigration 
Control and Refugee Recognition Act (Law No. 74 of 2014).  
The activities that require technology or knowledge at an advanced level pertinent to 
natural or human sciences referred to in subparagraph b.i. mean the activities in which 
the natural person may not be able to engage without the application of specialized 
technology or knowledge of natural or human sciences acquired by him or her by, in principle, completing college education (i.e. bachelor’s degree) or higher education.  
c. Accompanying Spouse and Children 
A spouse and children accompanying a natural person who is granted entry and temporary 
stay pursuant to subparagraph a. or b., in pr inciple for the same period as the period of 
temporary stay granted to the natural person, pr ovided that such spouse and children obtain 
maintenance from the natural person and engage  in daily activities recognized under the 
status of residence of “Dependents” provided for in the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act. 
2  SECTOR-SPECIFIC  
2.1. The following treatment is made available with respect to the application of measures 
described in Article XVI of the General Agreement on Trade in Services, subject to limitations set 
out the Horizontal Commitments section of Japan’s Schedule of Specific Commitments 
(GATS/SC/46) as well as the commitments se t out in 1 above (thereinafter "HORIZONTAL 
COMMITMENTS) and in accordance with relevant laws and regulations of Japan.  
 
2.2. Alphabets and numbers indicated in each sector-specific commitments are reference to Services Sectoral Classification List (WTO Secretariat's Documents MTN.GNS/W/120, dated 10 July 1991) and Provisional Central Product Classification (Statistical Papers Series M No. 77, 
Department of International Economic and Social Affairs, Statistical Office of the United Nations, 
New York, 1991).    
2.3. The entry “Unbound*” means unbound due to lack of technical feasibility. 
 2.4. The use of “**” against individual CPC codes indicates that the specific commitment for that 
code does not extend to the total range of services covered under that code. 
 S/C/N/820  
 
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  Sector or sub-sector  Limitations on market access 
Accounting, auditing and bookkeeping services 
(CPC 862) 1) None except that: provision of the 
services that must be supplied by an 
accountant qualified as “Koninkaikeishi” or an Audit Corporation under Japanese law is 
restricted to a natural person or an Audit 
Corporation; and commercial presence is 
required for an Audit Corporation.  
2) None except that: provision of the 
services that must be supplied by an 
accountant qualified as “Koninkaikeishi” or an 
Audit Corporation under Japanese law is restricted to a natural person or an Audit 
Corporation; and commercial presence is 
required for an Audit Corporation.  
3) None except that provision of the 
services that must be supplied by an accountant qualified as “Koninkaikeishi” or an 
Audit Corporation under Japanese law is 
restricted to a natural person or an Audit 
Corporation.  
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 
Convention services (CPC 87909**)  1) None 
2) None 3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. 
 
Entertainment services (CPC 9619) 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS.  
Franchising  (CPC 8929)  (b) These services related to petroleum and 
petroleum products 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound 
 
(c) These services related to alcoholic 
beverages 1) None  
2) None  
3) None except that the number of licenses conferred to service suppliers may be 
limited. 4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. In addition, the number of licenses conferred to service suppliers may be limited. 
 
(d) These services supplied at Public 
Wholesale Market 1) Unbound*  
2) Unbound*  
3) None except that:  
the number of licenses conferred to service suppliers may be limited; and a service 
supplier at Central Public Wholesale Market 
must be a juridical person established under Japanese law, in accordance with the Public Wholesale Market Law (Law No. 35 of 1971).  
 S/C/N/820  
 
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  Sector or sub-sector  Limitations on market access 
 4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. In addition, the 
number of licenses conferred to service suppliers may be limited; and a service 
supplier at Central Public Wholesale Market 
must be a juridical person established under Japanese law, in accordance with the Public Wholesale Market Law. 
 
Hotels and restaurants services (CPC 641-643) 1) None 
2) None 
3) None  4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 
Investigation Services 
(CPC 87301) 1) None  
2) None  
3) None  4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. 
 
Security guard services (CPC 873, except 87301)  1) None except that commercial presence 
is required.  2) None  
3) None  
4) Unbound  
Urban planning and landscape architectural services (CPC 8674) 
Excluding architectual services and civil 
engineering consulting services. 1) None 
2) None 3) None  
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS  
Mailing list compilation services (CPC 87906)  1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS.  
Medical and dental services  (CPC 9312) 1) Unbound*  
2) None  
3) Unbound except that there is no 
limitation on the participation of foreign capital. 
4) Unbound 
 
Rail Transport Services 
 
Passenger transportation (CPC 7111) 
 1) Unbound* 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 
Road Transport Services  Passenger transportation (CPC 71211, 71212, 71213, 71214, 71221) 
 1) Unbound*  
2) None  3) None except that limitations on the number of service suppliers, on the number of 
service operations or on the quantity of 
service output may be applied, on a temporary and non-discriminatory basis.  
 S/C/N/820  
 
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  Sector or sub-sector  Limitations on market access 
 4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. In addition, 
limitations on the number of service suppliers, on the number of service 
operations or on the quantity of service 
output may be applied, on a temporary and non-discriminatory basis; and commercial presence is required. 
 
Placement services of personnel within Japan except in the following occupations (limited to 
services to establish employment relationship between a job applicant and an employer 
seeking personnel on the basis of job 
applications and offers): (a) port transport services; (b) construction work; and 
(c) work which is stipulated in the Ministry of 
Health, Labor and Welfare Ordinance as having a possibility of hindering worker’s 
protection. 
(CPC 87201, 87202)  1) None except that commercial presence 
is required. 
2) Unbound* 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. In addition, that commercial presence is required. 
Rental/Leasing Services without Operators Relating to vessels  (CPC 83103) 
In the case that services are supplied through 
the use of vessel flying the flag of Japan, the vessel must be owned by: 
(a) a natural person having Japanese 
nationality; or 
(b) a juridical person established under 
Japanese law, with all representatives 
(“daihyosha”) and not less than two-thirds of executives administering the affairs of the juridical person (“gyomu-
wo-shikkosuru yakuin”) having Japanese 
nationality. 
 1) None 
2) None 3) None  
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
Rental of commercial vehicles with operator (CPC 7124) 
 1) None 
2) None 
3) None  
4) Unbound except as indicated in HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 
Services auxiliary to all modes of transport  
Cargo-handling services (excluding services related to maritime transport services) 
(CPC 741) 1) Unbound* 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated in HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 
Storage and warehouse services related to petroleum and petroleum products 
(CPC 742) 1) Unbound* 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound  S/C/N/820  
 
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  Sector or sub-sector  Limitations on market access 
Freight transport agency services (excluding 
services related to maritime freight forwarding 
services) (CPC 748) 
 1) None except that commercial presence 
is required. 
2) None 3) None  
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. In addition, commercial presence is required.  
Other Customs clearance agent services in Japan 1) None except that commercial presence 
is required.  
2) None except that commercial presence 
is required.  3) None  
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. In addition, commercial presence is required.  
Services incidental to agriculture, hunting and forestry 
(CPC 881) 1) Unbound* 
2) None 
3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated in HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 
Services provided by midwives, nurses, physiotherapists and para-medical personnel  
(CPC 93191 **)  1) Unbound* 
2) None 
3) Unbound except that there is no limitation on the participation of foreign capital. 
4) Unbound 
 
Sporting and other recreational services Other recreational services  (CPC 96499) 1) None 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS.  
Technical testing and analysis services  (a) for manufactured goods, excluding 
services covered by the Measurement 
Law (Law No. 51 of 1992) 
 (CPC 8676**) 
 1) None 
2) None 3) None  
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS  
(b) covered by the Measurement Law as 
follows: 
 (CPC 86763**) 
(i) periodic inspection of specified 
measuring instruments; 
(ii) verification of specified measuring 
instruments; 
(iii) measurement certification 
business, Including specified 
measurement certification 
business; 
(iv) inspection of specified measuring 
instruments used for the 
measurement certification;  
 1) None except that commercial presence 
is required. 2) None except that commercial presence 
is required. 
3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. In addition, 
commercial presence is required. S/C/N/820  
 
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  Sector or sub-sector  Limitations on market access 
(v) accreditation for a person engaged 
in specified measurement 
certification business; and  
(vi) calibration of the measuring 
instruments and other services. 
  
Telephone answering services 
(CPC 87903)  1) None 
2) None 
3) None 4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS. 
 
Tourist guides services (CPC 7472) 1) None 
2) None 3) None  4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS 
 
Veterinary services  (CPC 932) 1) Unbound* 
2) None 3) None 
4) Unbound except as indicated in 
HORIZONTAL COMMITMENTS  
 
 
__________