The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare (MHLW), Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) and Ministry of Environment (MOE) published on the Mar 26th gazette the updated List of Substances Exempted from Notification. So far 2,295 substances have been included in this list.
Chemicals exempt from notification are designated by ministers of the 3 competent authorities. Notification here refers to the annual notification of the production/import quantity (> 1 ton), manufacturing sites, etc. according to Article 8, Chapter III of Chemical Substances Control Law (CSCL).
If the substance of your concern is not listed in the exempt substance list, you may still avail of exemption from annual notification provided that:
The general chemical substance was manufactured or imported for the purpose of testing and research;
The production/import quantity of the general chemical substance in the previous fiscal year did not exceed the quantity limit specified by the Cabinet Order (i.e. 1 ton);
The manufactured general chemical substance was entirely consumed within the manufacturer company. (This exemption is not applicable to importers.)
