Consumer Affairs Agency's activities to date
Part 1 : [Feature] 10 Years of the Consumer Affairs Agency and Consumer Commission - Consumer Policy's Development and Future Prospects-
Chapter 2 : 10 years of the Consumer Affairs Agency and Consumer Commission
Section 2 : Consumer Affairs Agency's activities to date
- Since the Consumer Affairs Agency and Consumer Commission celebrate their 10th anniversary in September 2019, we review the activities during the past decade from the six perspectives below.
- (1) Unified consumer administration
- (2) Enhancing local consumer administration and establishing a consumer affairs consultation system
- (3) Unified promotion of consumer policies across ministries and agencies
- (4) Activities for realizing consumer citizenship
- (5) System for reflecting consumer opinions in consumer policies
- (6) Revitalizing industry activities as well as consumption activities
![[Figure 25] Basic framework for consumer administration](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_25.jpg "[Figure 25] Basic framework for consumer administration")
Unified consumer administration: Establishing systems
- Securing necessary budget for consumer administration's operation in severe financial situations.
- The number of regular staff members has become 1.8 times larger than it was in FY2009.
![[Figure 26] Transition of the Consumer Affairs Agency's budget](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_26.jpg "[Figure 26] Transition of the Consumer Affairs Agency's budget")
![[Figure 27] Transition of the number of regular staff members in the Consumer Affairs Agency](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_27.jpg "[Figure 27] Transition of the number of regular staff members in the Consumer Affairs Agency")
Unified consumer administration: Taking charge of related laws and regulations
- The Consumer Affairs Agency takes charge of laws that handle issues close to consumers.
- It reviews laws based on social/economic situations and enforces laws in accordance with the laws it takes charge of.
![[Figure 28] Establishment and revision of major laws after the Consumer Affairs Agency was established](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_28.jpg "[Figure 28] Establishment and revision of major laws after the Consumer Affairs Agency was established")
![[Figure 29] Enforcement status of major laws](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_29.jpg "[Figure 29] Enforcement status of major laws")
Unified consumer administration: The Office of Consumer Policy Frontier
- In July 2017, "the Office of Consumer Policy Frontier" was established in Tokushima Prefecture as a base for developing/creating consumer administration based on policy analysis/research functions founded on demonstrations.
- The specific features of the office will be under consideration and review around FY2019.
![[Figure 30] Functions and overview of the Office of Consumer Policy Frontier](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_30.jpg "[Figure 30] Functions and overview of the Office of Consumer Policy Frontier")
Enhancing local consumer administration
- Strongly promoting the enhancement of local consumer administration, the front line of consumer administration.
- About ¥60 billion has been granted in total as grants to promote and strengthen local consumer administration.
![[Figure 31] Progress status of](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_31.jpg "[Figure 31] Progress status of")
![[Figure 32] Transition of budgets in the local consumer administration](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_32.jpg "[Figure 32] Transition of budgets in the local consumer administration")
![Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety visiting Nagano Prefecture [Caravan for enhancing and strengthening local consumer administration] (February 2019)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_white_paper_02.jpg "Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety visiting Nagano Prefecture [Caravan for enhancing and strengthening local consumer administration] (February 2019)")
Establishing consumer affairs consultation systems
- Achieved 0 areas in FY2015 where consultation systems do not exist
- Started a consumer hotline from 2010, and the telephone number became 3 digits in 2015 (188 (I-ya-ya!)). The challenge is to increase public recognition.
- The hotline has been widely promoted and spread with the mascot "IYAYAN" from July 2018.
![[Figure 33] Status of local governments without consumer affairs consultation offices](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_33.jpg "[Figure 33] Status of local governments without consumer affairs consultation offices")
![[Figure 34] Public recognition of consumer hotline 188 (by age group)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_34.jpg "[Figure 34] Public recognition of consumer hotline 188 (by age group)")
Unified promotion of consumer policy across ministries and agencies: Consolidation, analysis and spreading of accident information
- Establish systems for consolidating and analyzing information on consumer accidents and using them for spreading information and enforcing laws.
![[Figure 35] Gathering information on life or health-related accidents](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_35.jpg "[Figure 35] Gathering information on life or health-related accidents")
![[Figure 36] Example of awareness raising based on the provisions in the Consumer Safety Act (serious injuries related to life and health)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_36.jpg "[Figure 36] Example of awareness raising based on the provisions in the Consumer Safety Act (serious injuries related to life and health)")
- In 2012, the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission was established to analyze accident causes and state opinions to relevant ministries.
The commission has started investigating 16 cases and reported the final results on 14 cases.
![[Figure 37] Flow of investigation into the causes of accidents by the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_37.jpg "[Figure 37] Flow of investigation into the causes of accidents by the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission")
![[Figure 38] List of cases investigated by the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission (as of the end of March 2019)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_38.jpg "[Figure 38] List of cases investigated by the Consumer Safety Investigation Commission (as of the end of March 2019)")
Unified promotion of the consumer policy across ministries and agencies: Exhibiting adjustment functions
- Summarizing the integrated governmental consumer policy as the Basic Plan for Consumers and strongly promoting it in accordance with the PDCA cycle.
- Cooperating with relevant government institutes and promoting the consumer policy as a team.
![[Figure 39] Overview of the 3rd Basic Plan for Consumers (from FY2015 to FY2019)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_39.jpg "[Figure 39] Overview of the 3rd Basic Plan for Consumers (from FY2015 to FY2019)")
![[Figure 40] Example of main activities conducted under cooperation with various ministries and agencies](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_40.jpg "[Figure 40] Example of main activities conducted under cooperation with various ministries and agencies")
Unified promotion of consumer policy across ministries and agencies: Unifying food labelling systems
- The Food Labelling Act was established in 2013 to create a comprehensive and unified system on food labelling.
- Providing consumers with nutrient declarations to support them in making proper food choices.
![[Figure 41] Unifying food labelling systems](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_41.jpg "[Figure 41] Unifying food labelling systems")
![[Figure 42] Overview of food labelling systems on health and nutrition](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_42.jpg "[Figure 42] Overview of food labelling systems on health and nutrition")
Activities for achieving consumer citizenship: Promotion of consumer education
- Promoting consumer education in order to support consumer's independence and develop consumers who actively participate in the development of a better society.
- Consumer education for young people is important, because the adult age will be younger from 2022.
- Consultations from young people are mainly about troubles related to "rented apartments" and the use of the Internet. For men in their 20s, consultations regarding "multi-purpose loans/consumer loans" are also high.
![[Figure 43] Goals in](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_43.jpg "[Figure 43] Goals in")
![[Figure 44] The number of most frequent consultations on products and services from young people (2018)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_44.jpg "[Figure 44] The number of most frequent consultations on products and services from young people (2018)")
Activities for achieving consumer citizenship: Activities for reducing food loss and waste
- From 2015, the "NO-FOODLOSS PROJECT" has been carried out as one of the "ethical consumption" actions and the national campaign for reducing food loss and waste.
- The Act on Promotion of Food Loss and Waste Reduction was established in May 2019.
![[Figure 45] The national campaign](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_45.jpg "[Figure 45] The national campaign")
Activities for achieving consumer citizenship: Spreading and providing information and education for consumers, etc.
- Using various communication tools to effectively provide information and education for consumers.
- Implementing risk communication for spreading appropriate knowledge on food safety.
![[Figure 46] Tools for communication with consumers](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_46.jpg "[Figure 46] Tools for communication with consumers")
![[Figure 47] Regions from which people sensitive to producing regions hesitate to buy food](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_47.jpg "[Figure 47] Regions from which people sensitive to producing regions hesitate to buy food")
![[Figure 48] Records of risk communication carried out by the Consumer Affairs Agency](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_48.jpg "[Figure 48] Records of risk communication carried out by the Consumer Affairs Agency")
System for reflecting consumer opinions in consumer policies: Collaboration with and support for consumer groups
- Holding "Local Consumer Forum" and "Information Exchange Meeting with Consumer Groups" on a periodic basis.
- Supporting activities by Qualified Consumer Organizations in accordance with the Consumer Organization Litigation System.
![[Figure 49] Record on Local Consumer Forums (Places of the forums and number of participants)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_49.jpg "[Figure 49] Record on Local Consumer Forums (Places of the forums and number of participants)")
![[Figure 50] Qualified Consumer Organizations and Specified Qualified Consumer Organizations in Japan](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_50.jpg "[Figure 50] Qualified Consumer Organizations and Specified Qualified Consumer Organizations in Japan")
Revitalizing industrial activities as well as consumption activities
- Consumer policy revitalizes industrial activities by ensuring consumer safety and peace of mind and improving transparency of rules and predictability of administrative actions. This contributes to a sound market and virtuous circle of economy.
- In October 2016, trade associations, consumer groups and government institutes formed the Consumer-oriented Management Promotion Organization in order to promote consumer-oriented management (sustainable management) by actively promoting "Voluntary Declaration of Consumer Orientation / follow-up activities" and "Award for good practices of consumer-oriented management."
![[Figure 51] Consumer policy and virtuous circle of economy](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_51.jpg "[Figure 51] Consumer policy and virtuous circle of economy")
![[Figure 52] Consumer-oriented management (sustainable management)](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_52.jpg "[Figure 52] Consumer-oriented management (sustainable management)")
![[Figure 53] Award for good practices of consumer-oriented management](/en/publication/annual_report/2019/img/img_figure_53.jpg "[Figure 53] Award for good practices of consumer-oriented management")
