Handling complaints in the NCAC

We, in Japan, have no private consumer group dealing with consultation to a consumer like as the CAB in UK. Instead, the role is carried on by the National Consumer Affairs Centre[1], the independent administrative corporate body.

The centre was found in 1960 based on the National Consumer Centre Act. The aim of the centre is providing information regarding consumer issues, studying and analyzing the information. Current aim is as follows: providing consumer information, consultation to the consumer regarding consumer claims or disputes, distribution of information through mass-media, exercising the test for product safety, educating to officers carrying on a consultant to consumers, researching and studying the status quo of consumer issues.

The activities can be viewed in the annual report[2].

One of the important activities of the centre is gathering information regarding consumer consultation carried on nationwide consumer centres. The information is collected and made as a huge data base through named “Pio-Net”. The officers dealing with consumer consultant can access to the data base and refer the contents. In 2004, the number of data was over 1,600,000.

The centre sometimes reports the findings of research and study based on the data on the website, monthly magazine, “Kokumin Seikatus” and “Seikatsu Gyohsei Zyouho”.

These magazines are quite useful for us to recognize the status quo of consumer disputes in Japan. But except for above channels, we cannot know the particularity in each consultation issues. Moreover, “Kokumin Seikatus” is going to be stopped at the end of 2007[3].It was reported on May 15, 2007.

If we want to use the data in the litigation, it is necessary to ask through Bar Association based on the Attorney Law, art. 23. Notwithstanding, there are some to be rejected these proposals in virtue of privacy protection.

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[1] http://www.kokusen.go.jp/

[2] http://www.kokusen.go.jp/hello/pdf/g_gyoumu05.pdf

[3] http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/book/news/20070514bk12.htm

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