Japan PSE Certification for Charger Importers: METI, Diamond vs Round, and Giteki

1. The short answer: PSE vs METI vs Giteki

PSE, METI notification, and Giteki are often used as if they were interchangeable. They are not.

For a mains-powered charger, PSE almost always applies. The METI notification is a separate obligation on the importer. Giteki depends on whether the product contains radio equipment and on the wireless power technology.

The practical rule is simple: PSE is a product-safety question, METI notification is an importer question, and Giteki is a radio question. Treat them as three checkboxes, not one.

2. What Japan PSE certification for charger importers covers

Japan's Electrical Appliances and Materials Safety Act regulates 457 designated items. METI divides them into two categories. For a DENAN charger, the first question is whether the product is Specified or Non-Specified. The answer determines the mark, the conformity route, and the records the importer must keep.

• 116 Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials (Category A) — higher-risk products, including AC adapters, DC power supplies, chargers, power cords, plugs, transformers, and certain batteries. These require conformity assessment by a METI-registered body and carry the diamond PSE mark.
• 341 Non-Specified Electrical Appliances and Materials (Category B) — lower-risk products. These require self-inspection and record-keeping and carry the round PSE mark.

The Act places five obligations on the notifying supplier:

1. Notify METI of the import business.
2. Comply with the technical standards, perform self-inspection, and keep records.
3. Obtain conformity assessment from a registered body for Specified items.
4. Affix the PSE mark only after the required steps are complete.
5. Do not sell or exhibit covered products without the PSE mark.

A common misunderstanding is that METI "certifies" a product. METI does not issue a product certificate. The conformity assessment for a Specified item is performed by a registered conformity assessment body, and the notifying supplier remains responsible for the declaration, labeling, and records.

Three myths are worth correcting up front:

• "PSE is optional for chargers." It is not. A mains-connected charger is in scope.
• "A CE or FCC report is enough for Japan." It is not. Japan applies its own technical standards and its own conformity process.
• "The factory's certificate covers the importer." It does not. Each Japanese importer must notify METI, put its name on the product, and keep its own records.

3. Diamond vs round PSE certification: which mark applies to a charger?

The mark type is not a marketing choice. It follows the product category and the conformity route.

Diamond PSE (Specified)

• Requires conformity assessment by a METI-registered body and a factory inspection.
• The certificate is valid for a fixed period — commonly 3, 5, or 7 years, depending on the product.
• The certificate holder must be the actual manufacturer (factory). A trading company or design house cannot hold the diamond certificate.
• If the same model is produced in multiple factories, each factory needs its own certificate.
• Power cords, attachment plugs, and connectors are certified as separate items; a "cord set" is not one collective category.

Round PSE (Non-Specified)

• Based on self-declaration and self-inspection against the technical standards. Testing can be outsourced, but the notifying supplier remains responsible.
• No factory inspection and no fixed certificate validity.
• Inspection records must be kept — typically for 3 years.
• The importer still must notify METI and label the product.

Round vs diamond PSE: the charger classification question

METI, JET, and TÜV SÜD classification material consistently places AC adapters, DC power supplies, and chargers in the Specified category. A wireless charging pad sold as a separate mains-powered appliance may be classified as Non-Specified. The classification depends on its construction. If the pad is supplied with an external AC adapter, that adapter is generally a Specified item.

Do not turn that into a universal rule. Product construction, rated input, and whether the adapter is sold separately can change the classification. Confirm the exact category — and whether the product is treated as one appliance or a combination — with a METI-registered conformity assessment body before printing a mark.

The table is a planning tool, not a legal ruling. The cost of guessing is a label reprint, a customs hold, or a marketplace delisting — all more expensive than a classification email to a registered body.

4. Does your wireless charger need Giteki too?

PSE and Giteki are separate regimes. PSE is about electrical safety; Giteki is about radio equipment under the Radio Law, administered by MIC and issued through registered certification bodies. TELEC is one such body, not the name of the certification itself.

PSE vs Giteki for wireless chargers

The applicability question depends on the charging technology:

• Basic Qi induction charging (around 110–205 kHz) is often treated as outside the Radio Law. That is a common industry position, but it is not a universal rule.
• 6.78 MHz or 920 MHz wireless power transfer systems are more likely to fall within MIC's radio equipment rules.
• Chargers with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or other data radios need the radio module certified; the host device must also follow the labeling rules for certified modules.

The Giteki mark includes the R symbol and the certification number. For a host device that contains a certified module, the label may include a statement that the equipment contains radio equipment certified under the Radio Law.

The practical answer is: PSE does not cover radio, and a Qi certificate does not cover either regime. Ask the factory which frequency band the product uses. Ask whether a radio module is present, and which certification number covers that module. Then confirm the scope with a registered certification body.

For the WPC process and how Qi certification differs from PSE and Giteki, see our Qi certification guide.

5. METI notification: who files, when, and what it is not

The Japanese importer — the "notifying supplier" — must file an Electrical Appliances Import Business Notification. The filing goes to the regional Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry within 30 days of starting the import business.

METI electrical appliances notification: who files

Key points:

• Notification is required per classification of electrical appliance. A change in the notifying supplier's name or address, the classification, or the factory requires a notification of change.
• Each importer must notify independently. One importer's notification does not cover another importer, even for the same factory and model.
• A domestic importer buying from an already-notified overseas business must itself notify.
• Only a Japan-resident individual or a Japan-incorporated company can be the notifying supplier. A foreign company without a Japanese office needs a registered representative in Japan.
• Filing is available through Hoan Net (online, with gBizID) or on paper to the regional bureau.

METI notification is not a product certificate, a test report, or a substitute for PSE conformity assessment. It is the importer's registration and acceptance of the DENAN obligations. A product can have a valid PSE certificate and still be non-compliant if the importer has not notified METI or has not put its name on the label.

6. The December 2025 change: overseas sellers as Specified Importers

The 2024 amendment to Japan's four product-safety laws took effect on December 25, 2025. It changes the route for overseas businesses that sell regulated products directly to Japanese consumers. That includes cross-border e-commerce marketplaces, their own websites, and fulfillment services, where there is no traditional domestic importer.

Under the amended rules, those overseas sellers are defined as Specified Importers (特定輸入事業者). They must:

1. Appoint a Domestic Administrator (国内管理人 / 日代) with a Japanese address and Japanese-language capability.
2. Register with METI as a Specified Importer and obtain a notification document.
3. Obtain conformity certification from a registered body.
4. Report to METI within 30 days of starting business.
5. Keep self-inspection records; the Domestic Administrator must retain them.

Marketplace and fulfillment providers also have obligations to delist non-compliant products. The practical effect is that the "I sell through Amazon Japan, so the platform is the importer" assumption no longer works for every model. The seller may itself be the regulated importer.

There are now two common routes:

If you sell through a Japanese distributor, confirm in writing which party is the notifying supplier and which party's name appears on the product. If you sell direct, plan for the Specified Importer route before your first shipment.

7. The April 2026 J62368-1 transition

METI published J62368-1(2023) — harmonized to IEC 62368-1:2018 (3rd edition) — on May 1, 2023, replacing J62368-1(2020). The transition period ends April 30, 2026.

The treatment differs by PSE category:

• Round PSE certificates must be upgraded to the 2023 standard before the deadline.
• Diamond PSE certificates generally remain valid until their stated expiry. New applications should use J62368-1(2023).

Most chargers are diamond PSE, so an existing certificate may not expire on April 30, 2026. That does not mean the date is irrelevant. Check three things:

1. Which standard edition the certificate cites.
2. The certificate's expiry date.
3. Whether the factory plans to renew on the 2023 edition.

Ask the factory and the registered body for a written answer. Do not rely on a supplier's one-line statement that "the certificate is still valid" without the standard edition and expiry date.

8. What Japan PSE certification for charger importers requires

The importer's checklist is broader than the product certificate. Use this as a pre-shipment review.

The label is where many otherwise compliant files fail. For a Specified item, the label must identify the notifying supplier and the registered conformity assessment body, in addition to the PSE mark and ratings. If the label shows only the factory name, or the importer name is missing, the file is incomplete.

Read the label as the importer will see it on the product, not only in the manual. Check the PSE mark, the notifying supplier's name, the rated input, and — for a Specified item — the registered conformity assessment body's name. If the product is sold under your brand, confirm how your importer name appears and whether the factory's certificate matches the model on the label. A label that shows only the factory name is not a complete Japanese importer file.

Keep the notification document, certificate copy, test records, and label artwork together. A future model change, factory change, or importer change can trigger a new notification or certificate; a file that is complete today can become incomplete after a production change.

9. How to verify a supplier's PSE claim

A supplier's "PSE certified" claim is a starting point, not a conclusion. Ask for the following:

1. Which PSE mark applies to this model — diamond or round — and why?
2. Who is the certificate holder? Is it the actual factory?
3. Which registered body issued the certificate, and what is the certificate number?
4. Which factory or factories are covered? Does each factory have its own certificate?
5. Which standard and edition: J62368-1(2020) or J62368-1(2023)?
6. Can you provide the duplicate certificate for our Japanese importer?
7. Does the label show our importer name and the registered body's name?
8. Does the product need Giteki? Which frequency band and radio module?
9. What test records will you provide, and for how long?
10. What changes trigger a new certificate or a change notification?

Red flags:

• A "PSE certificate" with no certificate number, no registered body, or no model/factory match.
• A certificate holder that is a trading company rather than the factory.
• One certificate presented as covering several factories.
• A CE or FCC report presented as if it were a PSE certificate.
• No standard edition or expiry date on the certificate.
• No duplicate certificate for the importer.
• A wireless charger with no answer on the radio band or Giteki scope.

Verification does not stop at the certificate PDF. Ask the registered body or check its public registry for the certificate number, the certificate holder, the factory, and the model. If the certificate covers a similar model, request the test report for the exact model and check the label artwork. A certificate that cannot be matched to the factory and the model is not a compliance file for your shipment.

For a step-by-step check of FCC, UL, and CE documents, see our guide to verifying charger certificates.

10. Cost and timeline: what drives the difference

PSE cost is not one number. It depends on the category, the number of models and factories, the certificate validity period, and whether the product also needs Giteki or a Domestic Administrator.

As a factory-side planning range, WOWOHCOOL's experience for a straightforward charger family is $1,000–2,500 and 3–5 weeks for the PSE work. That range is not a quote and not a universal benchmark. It can move when:

• the product is diamond rather than round;
• the factory inspection covers multiple factories;
• the certificate needs a longer validity period;
• the product needs radio testing or Giteki;
• the seller needs a Domestic Administrator and METI registration;
• the certificate must be upgraded to J62368-1(2023);
• retests are required after a design or component change.

Ask for a line-item quote that separates testing, factory inspection, certificate, duplicate certificate, radio testing, and the METI/JDR steps. A single "PSE price" hides the parts that determine whether the file is usable by the importer.