International Consumer Policy Research Center
International Consumer Policy Research Center promotes theoretical and empirical consumer policy research projects with research teams that include experts (visiting researchers) in order to address new policy issues such as changes in the consumer environment including digitization and the increase in the number of vulnerable consumers due to the aging of the population, etc.
Basic Policy
Basic Policy on Research, etc. at the ICPRC [PDF:231KB] (Available in Japanese only)
Consumer Policy Research
- Trend analysis of consumer issues using PIO-NET
- Research concerning the study of consumer problems and countermeasures according to the cognitive impairment of older people
- Research on changes in consumer behavior due to the spread of COVID-19
- Comparative legal research on consumer legislation in the digital society
- Research concerning the psychological and behavioral characteristics in special fraud and other consumer victimization
- International research on the civil laws that stipulate the compensation of the damage caused by product accidents
- Comparison of consumer affairs center operation in four prefectures of the Shikoku region
- Analysis of the enactment of ordinances on consumer administration in local governments and its background
- Survey and analysis of cashless payments by college students
Survey report
| No. | Title | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 3 |
|
In FY2020, a questionnaire survey was conducted among the members of Tokushima Co-op, a consumer cooperative, as part of the "Research on changes in consumer behavior due to the spread of COVID-19 " project. |
| 2 |
|
A web-based survey was conducted in FY2020 as part of the "Research on changes in consumer behavior due to the spread of COVID-19" project, and the results of the survey were summarized in this report. |
| 1 |
|
In FY2020, we conducted a questionnaire survey on cashless payment among college students. The results were analyzed and compiled into this report. |
Research Discussion Paper
| No. | Title | Author name | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 |
|
Tsuneo Matsumoto |
The research discussion paper on recent international trend to protect consumers in digitalized transactions. |
| 8 |
|
Hiroki Tanioka Kinya Tokunaga Miwako Tokunaga |
"Trend analysis of consumer issues using PIO-NET" project |
| 7 |
|
Ayako Matsuda |
Results of FY2020 questionnaire survey (survey data on consumer purchasing and stockpiling behavior among Tokushima Co-op members) conducted as part of the research project on changes in consumer behavior due to the spread of COVID-19. |
| 6 |
|
Tsuneo Matsumoto |
"Comparative legal research on consumer legislation in the digital society" project This is a research product that compares Japanese consumer legislation on digital content and digital services transactions with legislation in the United States and European countries, in collaboration with researchers in various countries. |
| 5 |
|
Daisuke Ueno |
"Research concerning the Psychological and behavioral characteristics in special fraud and other consumer victimization" project The project conducted a questionnaire survey on psychological and behavioral characteristics related to consumer damage and the situation of consumer damage, and analyzed the results by dividing the respondents into those who reported the damages and those who were detected, etc. The research product also examined more effective methods of disseminating information to prevent damage. |
| 4 |
|
Yuka Kato |
"Research concerning the study of consumer problems and countermeasures according to the cognitive impairment of older people" project Focusing on the relationship between cognitive dysfunction and consumer problems, the research analyzed consultation information on contracts for people with insufficient judgment aged 65 or older registered in the Practical Living Information Online Network System (PIO-NET) and conducted interview surveys of companies and industry groups that provided services and sales, etc. to the older. |
| 3 |
|
Hiroki Tanioka |
"Trend analysis of consumer issues using PIO-NET" project The project conducted trend analysis of consultation information received during the year 2020 and registered in the Practical Living Information Online Network System (PIO-NET), from which topics related to the COVID-19 were extracted. |
| 2 |
|
Yuka Sakamoto |
"Research on changes in consumer behavior due to the spread of COVID-19" project The research product using individual data from the "Research on changes in consumer behavior due to the spread of COVID-19" : FY2020 web survey results (Full version [PDF:1.3MB]). *The data was replaced on July 29, 2022, in accordance with the revision of Table 2 on P.8 of the full version. |
| 1 |
|
Chikara Watanabe |
"Econometric analysis of cashless payment by college students" project Research produced by using individual data from the econometric analysis of cashless payments by college students |
Progressive Report
| No. | Title | Author name | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 |
|
|
"Research concerning the study of consumer problems and countermeasures according to the cognitive impairment of older people" project, This is the result of a research project in which an online questionnaire was administered to medical and welfare workers. with the aim of clarifying the actual situation and background factors of consumer harm among elderly people with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or dementia. The project also examined the role of medical and welfare workers and the state of regional collaboration systems. |
| 9 |
|
|
An interim report on recent international trend to protect consumers in digitalized transactions. |
| 8 |
|
|
An interim report on some of the main legal issues in proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on liability for defective products published by the European Commission in September 2022, based on a literature review. |
| 7 |
|
|
Interviews were conducted with European experts on European developments regarding the Directive (EU) 2019/770 of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services and the Directive (EU) 2019/771 of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods, which were recently adopted by the EU, and a summary of these interviews is provided. |
| 6 |
|
|
Businesses located in Shikoku region that have been in business for 300 years or more were surveyed and various business activities from the past to the present were collected as case studies. By analyzing them from the perspective of consumer-oriented management, this report summarizes the results of a study of the factors that lead to consumer-oriented management in their business activities. |
| 5 |
|
|
"Research on changes in consumer behavior due to the spread of COVID-19"project Based on the web survey result (nationwide) conducted in March 2021, this research product analyzes the changes in consumers' lifestyles under the state of emergency declarations and the influenced this and the differences in consumer attributes and characteristics based on the information sources seen as important. |
| 4 |
|
|
The "research concerning the psychological and behavioral characteristics in communications fraud and other consumer harm" project This report is based on an analysis of a questionnaire survey of Tokushima Co-op members, which was conducted to analyze the psychosocial characteristics of people who are likely to become victims of special scams and other consumer damage, and to examine more effective ways of disseminating information to prevent consumer damage. |
| 3 |
|
|
Interviews were conducted with European experts on European developments regarding the Directive (EU) 2019/770 of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain aspects concerning contracts for the supply of digital content and digital services and the Directive (EU) 2019/771 of the European Parliament and of the Council on certain aspects concerning contracts for the sale of goods, which were recently adopted by the EU, and a summary of these interviews was provided. |
| 2 |
|
Yuka Kato |
"Research concerning the study of consumer problems and countermeasures according to the cognitive impairment of older people" project This is a research product in which those consumer consultations from the older that were judged to be contracts with insufficient judgment were extracted from the Practical Living Information Online Network System (PIO-NET) and trends were analyzed using natural language processing (word cloud). |
| 1 |
|
Kazumasa Mori |
"Measuring the effectiveness of consumer education in Tokushima prefecture using the results of the "Door to Society" questionnaire survey" project Research produced by using individual data from a three-year survey on the effectiveness of classes using "Door to Society". |
Policy Discussion Paper
| No. | Title | Author name | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 |
|
Kinya Tokunaga |
"Comparison of Consumer Affairs Center operation in four prefectures of the Shikoku region" project. The project examined the system in Kagawa Prefecture (Kagawa Model), where prefectural Consumer Affairs Centers play a central role with regard to the establishment of Consumer Affairs centers and consumer affairs consultation, and the consumer affairs consultation systems of the other three prefectures in the Shikoku region, by investigating the actual status of consumer administration, including prefectural and municipal consumer affairs consultation systems, and comparing the Kagawa Model with the systems in the other prefectures. The Kagawa Model and the systems of the other prefectures were compared and examined. |
| 1 |
|
Kentaro Hijikata |
This is a research product that surveyed and categorized ordinances related to consumer administration in municipalities across Japan using an ordinance search site, organized the number, contents, and enactment dates of these ordinances, and presents them in a listable format as reference material. |
Office in charge : Strategic Headquarters for Frontiers of Consumer Policy, CAA
