Japan Eyes Third-Party Checks for Mobile Batteries; Tighter Regulations Prompted by Spate of Fires
Due to a series of fires involving mobile batteries, the government plans to fundamentally strength safety regulations, primarily by requiring third-party inspections, it has been learned.
A government initiative aims to enhance the safety of mobile batteries by imposing third-party inspections and stricter regulations. The policy, which is anticipated to be announced this month, seeks to tighten safety measures following a series of battery-related fires. The government plans to amend ministerial ordinances under the Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Law to enforce more rigorous technical standards and quality control measures on mobile battery manufacturers.
This initiative, unique in its scope, has not been adopted in Europe or the United States. Mobile batteries have been subject to the law since 2018, and products without a PSE mark, indicating compliance with safety standards, are prohibited from being sold. However, safety checks are currently voluntary. The government aims to establish a system where only products certified by third parties meeting high safety standards can circulate in the market.
This move is prompted by a significant increase in incidents involving mobile batteries, with the number of incidents rising from 51 in 2021 to 192 in 2025. A fire on the Midosuji Line in Osaka City recently led to the suspension of train services. Many of the mobile batteries in Japan are manufactured in China, and issues such as misalignment of electrodes or foreign objects in the manufacturing process have been identified as causes.
The government aims to present its policy to a subcommittee of the Industrial Structure Council by the end of August and enact amended ministerial ordinances by the end of the fiscal year, with transitional measures to be implemented for a year.
Written by urgent.news from The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
