Japan’s Multi-Law PFAS Regulatory Framework
Japan regulates PFAS through several overlapping legal frameworks rather than a single comprehensive PFAS law. The Act on Regulation of Manufacture and Evaluation of Chemical Substances (Chemical Substances Control Law) controls PFAS manufacture and import. PFOS was designated as a Class I Specified Chemical Substance — the most restricted category — in 2010, followed by PFOA in 2021, effectively banning their manufacture, import, and use except for specified essential applications.
The Water Pollution Prevention Act governs industrial PFAS discharges to water bodies, setting permissible effluent limits for PFOS and PFOA. The Act on Prevention of Marine Pollution and Maritime Disaster addresses PFAS-containing wastes at sea.
Drinking Water and Environmental Quality Standards
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment established provisional target values for PFOS and PFOA in drinking water of 50 nanograms per liter (50 ppt) combined — stricter than the WHO provisional guideline values but less stringent than U.S. EPA’s 2024 MCLs. Water utilities conduct routine monitoring and are required to notify prefectural governments when values exceed targets.
Soil and groundwater environmental quality standards for PFOS and PFOA have been established under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act, requiring site investigation and remediation when thresholds are exceeded. Military base sites and former industrial areas are prioritized for investigation.
U.S. Military Base Contamination Issues
Contamination from AFFF use at U.S. military bases in Japan — including Kadena Air Base in Okinawa and Iwakuni Marine Corps Air Station — has caused significant diplomatic and environmental management challenges. Japanese groundwater near these bases has exceeded PFAS standards, but American military installations are governed by Status of Forces Agreements that complicate Japanese regulatory enforcement.
The contamination has energized community advocacy groups in Okinawa and elsewhere, pressuring both the Japanese government and U.S. military to accelerate AFFF transition and provide clean water to affected communities. Ongoing negotiations over base environmental responsibility continue.