. /.   WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  G/TBT/N/JPN/256 
6 June 2008 
 (08-2643) 
Committee on Technical Barriers to Trade Original:   English 
  
 
NOTIFICATION 
 
The following notification is being circ ulated in accordance with Article 10.6. 
 
1. Member to Agreement notifying:   JAPAN
 
If applicable, name of local government involved (Articles 3.2 and 7.2):         
2. Agency responsible:   Business Transaction Advisory Section, Consumer Affairs Division, 
Bureau of Citizens, Culture and S ports, Tokyo Metropolitan Government 
Name and address (including telephone and fax numbers, e-mail and web-site 
addresses, if available) of  agency or authority designated to handle comments 
regarding the notification shall be  indicated if different from above:         
3. Notified under Article 2.9.2 [  X ], 2.10.1 [   ], 5.6.2 [   ], 5.7.1 [   ], other:         
4. Products covered (HS or CCCN where applicable, otherwise national tariff heading. 
ICS numbers may be provided in  addition, where applicable):   Frozen processed foods 
manufactured in Japan and distributed in the Tokyo metropolitan area. 
5. Title, number of pages and language(s) of the notified document:   Partial revision of 
labeling guidelines (for frozen processed foods ) based on regulations contained in the 
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Consumer Prot ection Ordinance (available in English, 2 
pages). 
6. Description of content:   Labels shall indicate the origin of the following ingredients in 
frozen processed foods manufactured in  Japan and distributed in the Tokyo metropolitan 
area. 
Types of ingredients that must be indicated on labels: 
(a) Perishable foods (as prescribed under Quality  Labeling Standard for Perishable Foods in 
Article 2 of the Law concerning Standardiza tion and Proper Labeling of Agricultural and 
Forestry Products (hereinafter referred to as “JAS Law”)); 
(b) Processed foods (as prescribed under Quality Labeling Standard for Processed Foods in  
Article 3, Paragraph 5, under the JAS Law); 
(c) Four items regulated under the JAS Law for specific labeling of quality standards: 
Frozen vegetable products, processed eel prod ucts, dried bonito flakes, and pickled  
agricultural products.  Range of ingredients requiring disclosure on labels: 
(a) The top three ingredients by weight and an y ingredient constituting five percent or more 
of the product by weight; 
(b) Ingredients used, in whole or in part, in the name of the product. G/TBT/N/JPN/256 
Page 2  
 
  Labeling methods: 
(a) Visible labeling in print or stamped, affixed as a label, or of other methods; 
(b) These restrictions do not apply in cases wher e package labeling is extremely difficult. 
7. Objective and rationale, including the na ture of urgent problems where applicable:  
To ensure an appropriate choice of food products for consumers 
8. Relevant documents:   The revision to appear in the Tokyo Metropolitan Government 
Report (Tokyo Metropolitan Government Gazette) when adopted. 
9. Proposed date of adoption:   
Proposed date of entry into force:   }To be officially announced in the Tokyo 
Metropolitan Government Gazette after a fixed period of time following a period for public 
comment and to be enforced upon 
announcement 
10. Final date for comments:   5 August 2008 
11. Texts available from:  National enquiry point [  X ] or address, telephone and fax 
numbers, e-mail and web-site addresses, if available of the other body:   
Japan Enquiry Point 
International Trade Division Economic Affairs Bureau  Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
Fax: (+81) 3 5501 8343 
E-mail: enquiry@mofa.go.jp