With the expansion of cross-border e-commerce, imports of mail-order shipments have increased, and many cases of smuggling of illicit drugs and intellectual property infringing goods have been uncovered. In response to such circumstances, the Japanese Customs has amended the system to continue to ensure smooth imports, to ensure the effectiveness of border control, and to achieve appropriate taxation. Most recently, as of October 1, 2023, “the address and name of the person who intends to import the goods”, which is required to be stated at the time of import declaration, will be added to the import declaration items under the Order for Enforcement of the Customs Act. For more details on the amendment to import declaration items, please refer to the English version of the leaflet published by the Japanese Customs here.
