In the past few months,
Interpower Connections has been focusing on designing for countries worldwide. To date we have covered Germany, the United Kingdom, Denmark, France and Belgium, India and South Africa, Israel, and Italy. You can find previous
Interpower Connections articles on our
website. This month, we will take a look at Japan.The Japanese plug and socket, on first glance, is identical to the North American NEMA 5-15 standard. However, the Japanese system, which is specified in JIS 8303, incorporates tighter dimensional requirements, different marking requirements and mandatory testing and approval by a Japanese testing agency. The cords have a maximum output rating of 15A/125VAC. The cable must meet JIS C3306. Japanese wire sizes and current ratings are different than those used elsewhere in the world.The voltage used throughout Japan is uniformly 100 volts, which is different from North America (120V), Central Europe (220V) and most other regions of the world. Two kinds of frequencies are used in the country; 50 Hertz in eastern Japan (Tokyo, Kawasaki, Sapporo, Yokohama, and Sendai) and 60 Hertz in western Japan (Okinawa, Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nagoya, Hiroshima); however this frequency difference typically affects only sensitive equipment.
See map for Hz detail. It would be advisable to check the frequency before shipping your equipment to Japan.It is also important to note that Japanese mains frequently do not provide for grounding; grounding is made to the wall socket by use of an adapter. Because of this, Class I grounded sockets are not used as often as they would be in the US and Canada. Most appliances sold in Japan use a Class II ungrounded plug. Class I grounded appliances should be sold with a ground wire adapter. This can be accomplished by either the use of a two pin plug with a grounding wire attached, see Interpower part
86589030, or by using a grounding adapter that has PSE approvals, such as Interpower part
88100011.Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), formerly called the Electrical Appliance and Material Control Law (DENTORI), administers a mandatory national law known as DENAN which took effect in April 2001. For power cords and cord sets exported to Japan, the DENAN requires “PSE” approval for both plugs and connectors.
Below is the link for the Japanese testing and marking agency.
http://homepage3.nifty.com/tsato/You will be able to find out from the testing agency to which standards your equipment will need to conform. The standards contain the information you need to design your equipment and gain the appropriate approvals to export to Japan. To purchase Japanese standards, you can go to JSA at
http://www.jsa.or.jp/default_english.asp.Japan does have a medical grade standard JIS T1021; however, individual hospitals are allowed to make the final decision on whether or not they want to use a medical grade plug.You can view our National Power Mains
webcast and
white paper on our website for more information on the Japanese power main. You can also find information for Japan and other countries worldwide on our
InfoPower blog and in
InterPower Source. To receive weekly informational articles, be sure to
subscribe to the
InfoPower blog, or
join our mailing list to receive your quarterly magazine,
InterPower Source.
Plug-in to Japan
Interpower Corporation offers molded power cords and cord sets for
Japan. Japanese plugs are rated at 3, 7, 12 and 15A/125VAC. Interpower Japanese cord sets carry PSE approval. Interpower carries Japanese cord sets with IEC 60320 straight C5, C7, and straight or right angled C13 connectors.
Value-added options such as custom labeling, and packaging are available upon request. From 1 to 1,000 pieces or more, we offer no minimum order requirements and same day shipments are available for stock cords. Contact our Customer Service Department from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. CST at (800) 662-2290, email
info@interpower.com, or order online at
www.interpower.com.
Complimentary Guide to Worldwide Plug/Socket Patterns & Power Mains
Here is your chance to request your complimentary copy of our Interpower
Guide to Worldwide Plug/Socket Patterns & Power Mains. This handy chart lists specifications for plug patterns used worldwide. Click on the chart to download your copy or join our
mailing list and enter “Guide to Worldwide Plug/Socket Patterns” along with your mailing address to request a copy to be sent to you.
