Preparing a product brief for Japan
Japan ACP | Aplash G.K.

Working notes for your team. This is not a Customs application form.

Start with the item in the carton

Write the manufacturer, model reference and a plain description of the item. Keep the marketing name as a separate field. If the sales name covers several models, identify the model you intend to ship first. A link alone can leave the reviewer looking at the wrong size, specification or bundle after the seller changes the page.
Then describe its main function in ordinary language. Say what the user does with it and what it does in response. For an accessory, name the product it works with and explain whether the accessory can function on its own. For a kit, list the components and say which are packaged together. These details are more useful than adjectives such as premium or professional.

Your notes:


Ask for facts the photograph cannot show

Field | Useful detail
Identity | Manufacturer, model, variant and supplier reference
Composition | Materials or ingredients, with available proportions
Function | What the item does and how it operates
Features | Power source, battery, wireless capability or other relevant specification
Presentation | Individual item, set, refill, component or retail bundle

Your notes:


Make the evidence refer to the same model

Attach clear product and packaging photographs alongside the specification. A label close-up can connect the physical item to its model number. If the catalogue describes a family of products, point to the relevant page and explain which options apply. Keep an older document only when its relationship to the current product is clear.
Different records can disagree without anyone noticing: the invoice says one model, the listing shows another and the specification belongs to a previous version. Resolve that mismatch before asking for a conclusion. If a document is still being corrected, tell us which detail is disputed rather than quietly choosing the most convenient version.

Your notes:


Send a brief with a visible gap list

Include any existing HS code with the country where it was used. If there is no code, leave that field blank. Add the proposed importer, sales channel and planned first shipment so the review has a commercial context. Keep product facts separate from guesses about the answer.
Finish with a short list of missing details and who can obtain them. Submit the brief through HS code and ACP review (/hs-code-review). We can then identify what supports appointment review, what needs more evidence and which questions need to go to Customs or another relevant specialist.

Your notes:


The useful first submission
One identified model, a factual specification, matching photographs and a short gap list. A complete catalogue is less useful than a brief that lets the reviewer see exactly what is being proposed.

Sources
Japan Customs: tariff classification: https://www.customs.go.jp/english/c-answer_e/imtsukan/1201_e.htm
Japan Customs: import clearance and other-law approvals: https://www.customs.go.jp/english/c-answer_e/imtsukan/1101_e.htm