Article 1Unless specifically provided in this Ministerial Order, the terms used in this Order shall follow the definitions in the Act on Improving Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms (Act No. 38 of 2020; hereinafter referred to as "Act") and the Cabinet Order on the Classification and Scale of Businesses referred to in Article 4, paragraph (1) of the Act on Improving Transparency and Fairness of Digital Platforms (Cabinet Order No. 17 of 2021; hereinafter referred to as the "Order").

Article 2(1)The businesses specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as prescribed in (b) in the lower column of item (i) of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order shall be businesses provided to General Users (limited to those that use the Digital Platform; hereinafter the same applies in the following paragraph and paragraph (4) of the following Article) as a part of a Digital Platform for which notification was provided pursuant to Article 4, paragraph (2) of the Act (hereinafter the same applies in this Article and paragraph (3) of the following Article) that bears the cost required to repair goods provided by User Providers of Goods, etc. (limited to those that use the Digital Platform; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph) in the event that goods are damaged or other business relating to the provision of services or granting of rights incidental to the provision of Goods, etc. by User Providers of Goods, etc.

(2)The businesses specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry as prescribed in (b) in the lower column of item (ii) of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order shall be businesses provided to General Users as a part of a Digital Platform that provide software that provides a forum relating to the business prescribed in the middle column of that item and businesses selling rights to such software.

Article 3(1)In cases where the total amount in the lower columns of item (i), (ii), or (iv) of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order or the domestic sales amount in the lower column of item (iii) of said table is to be converted into Japanese currency, the conversion is to be made by using the Exchange Rate (meaning the basic exchange rate or the arbitrated exchange rate of a foreign currency set forth in Article 7, paragraph (1) of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (Act No. 228 of 1949)) at the time of the notification.

(2)The calculation of the total amount in the lower column of items (i) or (ii) of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order shall be made by deducting the amount specified in each of the following items according to the classification in the cases set forth in the respective items.

(3)The scope of domestic sales in (a) of the lower column of item (i) of the table, (a) of the lower column of item (ii) of the table, the lower column of item (iii) of the table, and the lower column of item (iv) of the table referred to in paragraph (1) of the Order is the sales amount relating to business conducted primarily for domestic users (limited to those that use the Digital Platform).

(4)The scope of domestic sales in (b) of the lower column of item (i) of the table and (b) of the lower column item (ii) of the of table referred to in paragraph (1) of the Order is the sales amount relating to business conducted primarily for domestic Genera Users.

Article 4(1)The notification under the provisions of Article 4, paragraph (2) of the Act shall be made for each business classification specified in the middle column of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order by submitting a written notice prepared by using form 1 by the last day of April of every fiscal year.

(2)When any changes occur to the information set forth in a notification specified in the preceding paragraph, a Specified Digital Platform Provider must promptly provide notice of the changed information.

(3)Submission of notification specified in paragraph (1) and notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph must be made by in accordance with Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Act on the Promotion of Administration Using Information and Communications Technology (Act No. 151 of 2002) by a method using an electronic data processing system specified in that paragraph.

Article 5(1)When disclosing the conditions of provision pursuant to Article 5, paragraph (1) of the Act, a Specified Digital Platform Provider must do so by the methods set forth below. In this case, if the relevant conditions of provision have not been prepared in Japanese, a Japanese translation shall be attached thereto.

(2)When disclosing the conditions of provision pursuant to Article 5, paragraph (1) of the Act, if attaching a Japanese translation specified in the preceding paragraph is unavoidably not possible, it shall suffice if a time limit is specified at the time of disclosure and the translation is attached by the time limit.

Article 6The matters to be specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry prescribed in Article 5, paragraph (2), item (i)(g) of the Act are the matters set forth in the bottom column of the following table according to the business classifications in the top column of the same table:

Article 7In the case where a business pertaining to the provision of a forum by a Specified Digital Platform is a business prescribed in the middle column of item (iv) of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order, the matters to be specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry prescribed in Article 5, paragraph (2), item (ii)(c) of the Act are the matters set forth below.

Article 8(1)When a Specified Digital Platform Provider discloses the matters specified in any of the items of paragraph (3) or any of the items of paragraph (4) of Article 5 of the Act pursuant to the provisions of Article 5, paragraph (3) or paragraph (4) of the Act, such matters must be stated using language that is clear and plain to the other party to the disclosure.

(2)In the case prescribed in the preceding paragraph, upon request by the relevant counterparty, the relevant Specified Digital Platform Provider must without delay disclose the details of the relevant matters translated into Japanese.

Article 9(1)The cases to be specified by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Order as provided in the proviso to Article 5, paragraph (3) of the Act, when engaging in the acts set forth in item (ii) of that paragraph or the acts set forth in the following Article (hereinafter referred to in this paragraph as "such acts"), are as follows; provided, however, that in the case of the acts set forth in that item, the details thereof specified in that item must be disclosed, and in the case of acts set forth in that Article, the details thereof (including amounts and time limits; hereinafter the same applies in the following Article) must be disclosed.

(2)In addition to the cases set forth in the preceding paragraph, in the cases prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry specified in the proviso of Article 5, paragraph (3) of the Act in the case where a business pertaining to a forum provided by a Specified Digital Platform is a business prescribed in the middle column of item (iii) or item (iv) of the table of paragraph (1) of the Order, in the case of the acts set forth in item (ii) of that paragraph (hereinafter referred to in this paragraph as "item (ii) acts"), the case where a finding is made that there is a risk of harm to the legitimate interests of Specified Digital Platform Providers, General Users, or any other person by engaging in the item (ii) acts and disclosing the details thereof in order to investigate whether the User Provider of Goods, etc. who is the counterparty to the item (ii) act (limited to acts that may limit the number of times an advertisement may be displayed on the relevant forum) has committed an act that violates the conditions of provision or whether the following cases apply:

Article 10When a business pertaining to a forum provided by a Specified Digital Platform is a business prescribed in the middle column of item (i) or item (ii) of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order, the act to be prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry referred to in Article 5, paragraph (3), item (iii) of the Act shall be withholding payment of all or part of the amount payable by the Specified Digital Platform Provider to the User Provider of Goods, etc. as consideration for the Goods, etc. provided by the relevant User Provider of Goods, etc., and the matters to be prescribed by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry referred to in that item shall be the details and reasons thereof.

Article 11(1)The day specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry referred to in Article 5, paragraph (4) of the Act is the day specified in each of the following items for the category of act listed in the relevant item:

(2)In the case of performing the acts set forth in item (ii) of the preceding paragraph, when a User Provider of Goods, etc. consents to the details of the relevant changes, the number of days set forth in that item shall be deemed to have elapsed.

Article 12(1)The cases to be specified by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Order as provided in the proviso to Article 5, paragraph (4) of the Act, when engaging in the acts set forth in item (i) of that paragraph (hereinafter referred to in this paragraph as "item (i) acts"), are as follows; provided, however, that when performing item (i) acts, the details specified in that item and reasons thereof must be disclosed without delay.

(2)The cases to be specified by Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Order as provided in the proviso to Article 5, paragraph (4) of the Act, when performing the acts set forth in item (ii) of that paragraph (hereinafter referred to in this paragraph as "item (ii) acts"), are as follows; provided, however, that in the cases of item (i) and item (ii), if an item (ii) act is performed, notice to that effect as provided in item (ii) of that paragraph shall be provided without delay; in the case of item (iii), if an item (ii) act is performed, notice to that effect as provided in Article 5, paragraph (4), item (ii) of the Act shall be provided by the date specified in paragraph (1), item (iii) of the preceding Article before the day the item (ii) act is performed; and in the cases of item (iv) and item (v), if an item (ii) act is performed, notice to that effect and the reasons as provided in item (ii) of that paragraph must be disclosed without delay.

Article 13(1)A report under the provisions of Article 9, paragraph (1) of the Act must be prepared and submitted for each business classification specified in the middle column of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order using form 2 within two months after the last day of the fiscal year.

(2)A document containing the information set forth in paragraph (3), item (i) of the following Article must be attached to the report submitted under the preceding paragraph.

(3)Submission of a report specified in paragraph (1) and the document specified in the preceding paragraph must be made by in accordance with Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Act on the Promotion of Administration Using Information and Communications Technology by a method using an electronic data processing system specified in that paragraph.

Article 14(1)The matters set forth in Article 9, paragraph (1), item (i) of the Act must include the matters set forth below (with regard to the matters set forth in item (ii)(c), limited to cases where a business pertaining to the provision of a forum by a Specified Digital Platform is a business prescribed in the middle column of item (iv) of the table in paragraph (1) of the Order):

(2)The matters set forth in Article 9, paragraph (1), item (ii) of the Act must include the following matters:

(3)The matters set forth in Article 9, paragraph (1), item (iii) of the Act must include the following matters:

(4)The matters set forth in Article 9, paragraph (1), item (iv) of the Act must include the specific details of the measures taken and the reasons why those measures are believed to be appropriate and effective for achieving the relevant directions in order to achieve the respective directions indicated in the basic approaches set forth in 2.1 through 2.4 of the Guidelines on Measures to Be Taken by Specified Digital Platform Providers to Facilitate Mutual Understanding in Business Relationships with User Provider of Goods, etc. (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry Public Notice No. 16 of 2021).

(5)In the case where there are matters relating to measures taken with particular attention to transparency and fairness based on the actual operation of the business of a Specified Digital Platform, the matters set forth in Article 9, paragraph (1), item (v) of the Act must include those matters and their evaluation.

Article 15(1)A request specified in Article 11, paragraph (1) of the Act must be filed using the application form in accordance with appended form 3 with documentation evidencing that the grounds for cancellation fall any item of that paragraph attached.

(2)Submission of a request specified in the preceding paragraph must be made by in accordance with Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Act on the Promotion of Administration Using Information and Communications Technology by a method using an electronic data processing system specified in that paragraph.

Article 16The identification card stipulated in Article 12, paragraph (4) of the Act shall be as shown in appended form 4.

Article 17The documents specified by Order of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry referred to in Article 19, paragraph (1) of the Act are the documents specified in each of the following items for the category of exercise of authority listed in the respective item.

Article 18The Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry may publish in an official gazette or a newspaper the fact that service by publication has been carried out. With respect to service by publication in a foreign country, the Minister may provide notice that service by publication has been carried out, instead of publishing this in an official gazette or newspaper.

Article 19(1)The written notifications prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (1), notifications prescribed in Article 4, paragraph (2), written reports prescribed in Article 13, paragraph (1), and application forms prescribed in Article 15, paragraph (1) must be prepared in Japanese; provided, however, that addresses, names or titles, and contact information may be stated in a foreign language.

(2)In cases where it is not possible to submit a written report prepared in Japanese specified in the preceding paragraph by the deadline due to special circumstances, notwithstanding the provisions of that paragraph, a translation in English may be submitted by the relevant deadline and a written report prepared in Japanese may be submitted within one month of that deadline.