Japanese Industrial Standards (JIS) (日本産業規格) are the standards used for industrial activities in Japan, coordinated by the Japanese Industrial Standards Committee (JISC) and published by the Japanese Standards Association (JSA). The JISC is composed of many nationwide committees and plays a vital role in standardizing activities across Japan.

History

In the Meiji era, private enterprises were responsible for making standards, although the Japanese government too had standards and specification documents for procurement purposes for certain articles, such as munitions. These were summarized to form an official standard, the Japanese Engineering Standard, in 1921. During World War II, simplified standards were established to increase matériel output. The present Japanese Standards Association was established in 1946, a year after Japan's defeat in World War II. The Japanese Industrial Standards Committee regulations were promulgated in 1946, and new standards were formed. The Industrial Standardization Law was enacted in 1949, which forms the legal foundation for the present Japanese Industrial Standards.

New JIS mark

The Industrial Standardization Law was revised in 2004 and the JIS product certification mark was changed; since October 1, 2005, the new JIS mark has been used upon re-certification. Use of the old mark was allowed during a three-year transition period ending on September 30, 2008, and every manufacturer was able to use the new JIS mark. Therefore all JIS-certified Japanese products manufactured since October 1, 2008, have had the new JIS mark.

Standards classification and numbering

Standards are named in the format "JIS X 0208:1997", where X denotes area division, followed by four digits designating the area (five digits for ISO-corresponding standards), and four final digits designating the revision year. Divisions of JIS and significant standards are:

A

B

C

D

E

F

G

H

K

L

M

P

Q

R

S

T

W

X

Z