Japan: matinspeksjoner

In Japan the app follows the Food Sanitation Act (fully in force in its revised form since 1 June 2021), its Cabinet Order and Enforcement Regulation, with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare's (MHLW) guidance told apart from the law. Chef Hygiene keeps your daily records; it does not license you, and it is not approved by MHLW, any public health centre or any Japanese authority.

Inspeksjonsorgan

Your public health centre (保健所), for the prefecture, health-centre city or special ward that licenses the restaurant

Every restaurant needs a licence (飲食店営業許可) from its prefecture, or its health-centre city or special ward (Food Sanitation Act, Arts 54 and 55), valid for at least 5 years as the prefecture sets. The public health centre (保健所) inspects, with food sanitation inspectors (食品衛生監視員). Prefectures may add their own rules by ordinance.

The inspector can order improvements, and the prefecture can suspend the business or revoke the licence: a missing hygiene plan or records has no fine of its own, but can lead to that. Fines: up to ¥3,000,000 or up to 3 years in prison for selling unsafe food, ignoring an order or running while suspended; up to ¥2,000,000 for breaking food or storage standards, running without a licence or labelling breaches; up to ¥1,000,000 for breaking facility standards or an improvement order; up to ¥500,000 for refusing an inspection. A company can be fined up to ¥100,000,000. After a conviction or revocation a licence can be refused for 2 years.

Hygienevurdering

Japan has no national public hygiene grade and no grade on the door.