Japan Blocks over 31,000 Counterfeit Imports in 2025

Tokyo, March 6 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s customs authorities blocked 31,760 imports of counterfeit and other intellectual property-infringing goods in 2025, the Finance Ministry said Friday. The annual total marked the third-highest level since the ministry began publishing such data in 1987. The figure stood above 30,000 for a third straight year, although it fell 3.8 pct from the previous year. By origin, shipments from China accounted for 82.8 pct of all cases, followed by those from Vietnam and South Korea. The number of items seized fell 41.1 pct to 763,504. Among the confiscated goods were items seen imitating the popular “Bonbon Drop” collectible 3D stickers and counterfeit plush toys based on Myaku-Myaku, the official mascot of the 2025 World Exposition in the western Japan city of Osaka. In October 2022, import rules were revised to allow customs officials to block counterfeit products even when the imported goods are intended for personal use. “You should avoid buying items priced unusually low or products whose quality and warranty cannot be sufficiently verified,” a ministry official said, citing cases in which imitations are traded in cross-border online shopping services. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]