Health Foods and Supplements

Although health foods (foods for specified health uses, foods with nutrient function claims, foods with functional claims, etc.) and supplements are considered foods rather than pharmaceuticals in Japan, compliance with strict advertising and labeling regulations is still required, and recent years have seen an increase in regulatory oversight of the industry.

 

Our team provides comprehensive legal support to the health foods industry, including on:

• Advertising and labeling
• Compliance audits
• Compliance training
• Import regulations
• Sales promotions
• Registration, licensing, and protection of intellectual property rights
• Disputes including consumer and medical negligence disputes

When advising foreign clients, our firm can field a team of expert Japanese lawyers and foreign lawyers who have relevant experience and bi-cultural sensitivity. Our team can do business and draft documents in Japanese, English, German, Mandarin, Hindi, Korean, and Marathi,& and provides services around the clock through our global affiliated offices.

 

 

Related Practices

Related Publications

• Corporate Legal Practice for Product Accidents and Corporate Scandals - Learning from Actual Cases and Preparing Security Guidelines, Civil Law Institute (edited by Ryo Yamazaki) (2015) [Co-author]
• "Case Study: Dealing with Consumer Trouble (loose leaf)," Shin-Nippon Hoki Publishing Co., Ltd. (2011) [Co-author] 

 

Related Newsletters

• “건강식품의 수입·판매와 법규제 실무 대응【전편】－식품·의약품 구분 및 수입절차·안전관리 규제” (August 7, 2026) [Co-author]

• “Importing and Selling Health Foods in Japan: Practical Regulatory Considerations [Part I] - Food-Drug Classification and Import Procedures • Safety Management Regulations” (August 7, 2026) [Co-author]

 

Related Seminars

• "Healthcare: Issues and Latest Trends in the Healthcare Industry, and Entry into the Healthcare Industry by Non-medical Operators," at a syposium "Insights into the New Era of Industrial Innovation and related Legal Issues," hosted by Westlaw Japan K.K. and Jiji Press, Ltd., January 30, 2020​​​​​​​

 

Related Professionals