JP Japan JSIC Rev. 14 Official JSIC Rev. 14 reference site

Rev.13 → Rev.14

The 14th revision of the Japan Standard Industrial Classification was the first revision in 10 years (October 2013 – July 2023) and took effect on 1 April 2024.

Official source

Statistics Commission Report – Inquiry No. 172

General Rules

Establishment definition

Added Item (9): corporations without exclusive facilities may be deemed to have an establishment at their registered address, depending on the statistical survey purpose.

Classification criteria

Order of descriptions changed: supply-side standards now listed first, clarifying JSIC positioning from the supply viewpoint. This reorganisation does not change the classification system.

Composition

Item counts removed from General Rules (Section 4). Published separately for reference. Main text simplified to describe four-level hierarchy only.

Applicable unit

Clarified that JSIC may be applied to enterprises (not just establishments) in economic censuses and to individuals in national censuses.

Classification item changes

Power generation

New classification items established for power generation businesses in response to legal revisions. Note: future consideration of industries by power source type (solar, wind, etc.) remains a challenge for the 15th revision.

Supermarket naming (Major Group 56)

"Food supers" renamed to "Food supermarkets". "General merchandise supers" renamed to "General merchandise supermarkets". "One-price stores" renamed to "Uniform-price stores". All changes align with official terminology.

Digital industries

Internet-related services (Major Group G37) refined with clarified content. Further consideration of digital industries and DX positioning remains for the 15th revision.

Nonstore retailers

Division I (Wholesale and Retail Trade) Major Group "Nonstore Retailers" remains under continued consideration. Current JSIC cannot properly capture businesses engaged in both internet and nonstore sales.

Statistical standards & process

Inquiry

Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications submitted Inquiry No. 172 to the Statistics Commission on 23 March 2023.

Report

Statistics Commission reported approval on 16 June 2023 with supplementary amendments (supermarket naming, composition description).

Notification & effective date

Notified 27 July 2023. Effective 1 April 2024. First census application: 2024 Economic Census for Business Frame.

Future challenges (15th revision)

The Statistics Commission identified several areas for the next revision:

  • Continuous periodic review — grasp economic structure changes in a timely manner
  • International comparability — align with ISIC and NAICS where practical
  • Industry granularity balance — retail/restaurant industries are set too minutely
  • Supply-side technology viewpoint — reorganise manufacturing and other industries by production technology similarity
  • Administrative/ancillary establishments — review "head office" classification items for international consistency
  • Power generation by source — set industries by power source type (solar, wind, etc.)
  • 3PL (third-party logistics) — define positioning as a particular industry
  • Fabless enterprises — consider classification as manufacturing if IP rights held