Introduction to the Consumer Affairs Agency and the White Paper on Consumer Affairs

The Japanese government established the Consumer Affairs Agency in September 2009 to integrate together operations for consumer administration conducted at different ministries. As the government's "control tower" for consumer administration, the Agency carries out consumer administration by performing two primary functions: sharing information and working with related ministries and, if necessary, urging the officials concerned to take necessary actions (planning and coordination function); and enforcing laws in the fields of labeling, trading and safety that fall under its jurisdiction by taking actions such as punishing dishonest businesses and alerting consumers (enforcement function).

This "White Paper on Consumer Affairs" is the first statutory white paper issued under the Basic Consumer Act revised in August 2012. It is intended to comprehensively and systematically summarize the implementation of consumer policies since the establishment of the Consumer Affairs Agency, especially in FY 2012, and to report recent trends in consumer issues based on data on accidents and consultations, as well as consumer surveys. The present edition includes features on consumer accidents and problems involving the elderly, which are growing as the Japanese population ages at a fast pace. It also highlights consumer issues in connection with the Great East Japan Earthquake and the nuclear accident in 2011, which still seriously affect the Japanese society. This document is written plainly and provides many columns on associated topics so that as many consumers as possible will find it readable.