Advertising & Competition

— Latest update: May 2025 —

Japanese advertising and competition laws have been subject to government reform and restructuring in the past few years. The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) is one of the world's oldest fair trade commissions. In the past, the JFTC was responsible for all aspects of advertising and competition law; however the newer Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) now handles laws relating to advertising, while the JFTC focuses primarily on competition law, in particular the Antimonopoly Act.

Table of Contents

• Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC)
  • Antimonopoly Act (AMA)
  • Cartels
  • Intellectual Property Rights
• Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA)
  • Specified Commercial Transactions
  • Unjustifiable Premiums and Misleading Representations
  • Advertising of Pharmaceuticals
• Expert Report
• Further Reading
• Relevant Organisations

> For information on legislation against unfair competition, visit our section on Unfair Competition Prevention

> For information on marketing issues, visit our section on Marketing and advertising