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Revised regulations related to children's toys in Japan

Time：

2023-06-06

The Japanese Cabinet has passed a partial amendment to the Implementation Order of the Consumer Life Product Safety Law, which includes some magnetic toys and toys made of absorbent synthetic resin as "specific products" under the Consumer Life Product Safety Law and prohibits the sale of products that do not meet technical standards.

On May 16, 2023, the Japanese Cabinet passed a partial amendment to the Implementation Order of the Consumer Life Product Safety Law, which includes some magnetic toys and toys made of absorbent synthetic resin as "specific products" under the Consumer Life Product Safety Law for supervision, and prohibits the sale of products that do not meet technical standards. After the regulations come into effect, magnetic toys (such as "Buck Ball") made of multiple magnets with strong magnetic force and absorbent toys made of absorbent resin (such as "Ocean Baby") will be prohibited from being sold on the market. The Ministry of Economy and Industry reminds consumers who have purchased products such as "Buckball" and "Ocean Baby" to ensure the safety of infants and young children, and reminds them not to purchase such products in the future

1. Background of Regulation Revision

Regarding magnet toys (such as "Buck Ball"), from 2017 to 2022, there have been 11 incidents in which children accidentally ingested multiple magnets. The strong adsorption of the magnets caused them to be sandwiched between the intestinal wall, leading to the need for open surgery to remove the magnets. In addition, About toys made of absorbent resin In 2022 alone, there have been four personal accidents in which young children accidentally ingested products that caused intestinal dilation and required open surgery to remove the products. If these products were accidentally ingested, the risk was extremely high and could cause serious damage. Therefore, Japan recently revised relevant regulations to designate these two products as specific products, strictly regulate them, and take away sales of products that do not meet technical standards Ban.

The Japanese Consumer Goods Safety Law defines "products that are considered to pose a special threat to the life or body of ordinary consumers in terms of structure, material, and usage," as "specific products," and specifies them in the Implementation Order of the Consumer Goods Safety Law to regulate the manufacturing and sales of specific products.

2. Summary of Regulatory Amendments

In this revision, the following products have been added as "specific products" in Annex 1 of the Implementation Order of the Consumer Goods Safety Law;

Magnet toys: products that are only used as toys or other entertainment products through the attraction interaction between magnets and other magnets, and the size of a single magnet composed of magnets or components that use a collision iron is less than the range specified by the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Technology. The new regulations refer to the requirements of ISO 8124-1, which require the magnetic flux index (the product of the square of the maximum magnetic flux density and the magnetic pole area) to be less than 50 kG2/mm2, so that even if accidentally swallowed by children, it can be naturally expelled from the body.

Toys made of absorbent synthetic resin: Only products made of synthetic resin that can absorb water and expand are allowed to be used, and the size before absorbing water is smaller than the range specified by the Ministry of Economic and Industrial Affairs. The new regulations refer to the requirements of ISO 8124-1, which require that the expansion rate of toys should not exceed 50% of their pre water absorption state, so that even if accidentally smelled, the toys can be naturally expelled from the body.

The regulations regarding product size refer to the dimensions specified in ISO 8124-1 that are smaller than those that can fit into small component cartridges.

The new laws and regulations were announced on May 19, 2023, and are expected to be officially implemented on June 19.

3. Expected effect

At present, toys such as Buckball and Ocean Baby sold in the market will exceed the magnetic and expansion requirements specified in the new technology standards, and are subject to regulatory regulations and are prohibited from being sold on the market.
It should be noted that in addition to being sold as toys, magnetic toys are sometimes sold through promotional methods such as "decompression accessories suitable for users over 14 years old". These non children oriented products will also be subject to new regulations and prohibited from being sold on the market.

4. Consumption warning

For consumers who have purchased toys such as Buckball and Ocean Baby, it is important to ensure that young children do not come into contact with these products. If children are suspected of ingesting, seek medical attention immediately. In addition, consumers are reminded not to purchase toys such as Buck Ball and Ocean Baby sold in the market.