Prohibited Product Claims

Note: You must comply with all applicable laws, regulations and guidelines when listing and selling products on Amazon.

General Rule on Prohibited Product Claims

We want to make it easy for buyers to find, discover, and buy products on Amazon. However, it is also important to provide buyers with information about those products that is accurate and trustworthy, and that is not misleading about the qualities or characteristics of a product.

Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan (CAA) prohibits misleading representations regarding transactions goods or services in order to prevent the inducement of customers by misleading representations by the Act against Unjustifiable Premium and Misleading Representations. And it also prohibits advertising or describing false or exaggerated statements in order to enable customers to choose foods based on accurate information by the Health Promotion Act.

The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare (MHLW) prohibits advertising or describing false or exaggerated statements in order to assure proper use of pharmaceuticals, quasi-drugs, cosmetics and medical devices by customers by the Law on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Products Including Pharmaceuticals and Medical devices.

You should review these laws, relevant regulations and guidelines, as you remain responsible for ensuring that the claims made about your products are fully complaint.

Amazon policy prohibits the sale of products that are misleading about the qualities or characteristics of the product. Misstatements and partially correct statements are misleading because they do not disclose something the consumer should know.

Prohibited Product Claims for Diseases

A product that is claimed it has medical efficacy and effects (intended to be used for diagnosis, treatment or prevention of disease in humans or animals) unless the claim is approved as a pharmaceutical or a medical device in Japan is prohibited to be sold on Amazon. The following are some example of diseases and efficacy that foods, supplements or miscellaneous goods cannot claim to cure, mitigate, treat, or prevent(Except for some of the Health-promoting foods):

Cancer
Cancroid
Chlamydia
Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Gonorrhea (‘The Clap’)
Hepatitis (A, B & C)
Herpes Simplex Virus 1 and 2 (HSV1 & HSV2)
Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)
Lymphogranuloma Venereum (LGV)
Mononucleosis (‘Mono’)
Mycoplasma Genitalium
Nongonococcal Urethritis (NGU)
Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID)
Pubic Lice (‘Crabs’)
Scabies
Syphilis
Trichomoniasis (‘Trich’)
Liver disease
Multiple sclerosis
Kidney cirrhosis or disease
Alzheimer’s disease
Dementia
Stroke
Parkinson’s/ Parkinson
Diabetes/ Diabetic/Diabetic Neuropathy
Flu
Influenza
Meningitis
Glaucoma
Cataract
Attention Deficit Disorder Drugs (also known as ADD or ADHD)
Brain concussion
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
Anti-Bacterial
Anti-Microbial
Anti-Fungal
Tumor
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Depression
Cystic Fibrosis
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma
Lupus
Muscular Dystrophy
Multiple Sclerosis
ALS (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or Lou Gehrig's disease)
Gout
Crohn’s
Celiac
Epilepsy
Seizures
Obesity
Autism

Sexual Enhancement
Breast Enhancement
Heart disease
Memory Deteriorates
Arteriosclerosis
Blood Pressure/ Thrombus/ Blood Sugar
Aging/ Anti-Aging/ Rejuvenation
Metabolic Syndrome/ Lifestyle Related Disease
Analeptic
Pollinosis
Constipation
Osteoporosis
Atopic Dermatitis
Cholesterol
Rheumatism
Arthralgia
Mental Disease
Urologic Disease
Sedation/ Pain Relief
Pregnancy/ Sterility
Allergic
Menopausal Syndrome
Hormone Secretion
Immunity to Disease
Rash, Eczema, Itching
Sneezing, Cough, Cold
Diet, Slimming
Detox
Acne Vulgaris
Low Back Pain/ Stiff neck and shoulder
Anemia
Hangover Symptom
Muscle-Building
Healthy blood
Blood circulation/ Blood flow
Antioxidative effect
Cell regeneration
Cavity, Periodontal disease, Gingivitis
Eyesight, Hearing ability
Scars
Metabolism
Sleeping disorder
Constitutional improvement
Hair growth
Hair growth suppressing
Swelling
Snoring
Hallux valgus
Sleep apnea syndrome (SAS)
Sterilization
Effect on specific bacteria, virus
Fatigue recovery

Regarding Foods and Dietary Supplements, please also see the following Help Page :

Prohibited Claims for Environmental Products

To sell products that are marketed with environmental claims on Amazon, you must ensure that the environmental claims you make about your product are not misleading about the qualities or characteristics of a product. For more information, please see the MOE site (Japanese)