- The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
- The Ministry of the Environment
- Local governmental agencies
- The Air Pollution Prevention Law
- The Water Quality Pollution Prevention Law
- The Soil Pollution Prevention Law
- The Waste Management and Public Cleaning Law
- The Special Measurement Law Concerning Polychlorobiphenyl
- Noise Regulation Law
- Vibration Regulation Law
A construction confirmation document (kenchiku kakunin), similar to a building permit, and the certificate of inspection (kensazumi sho), similar to a certificate of occupancy, from the local government agency are required.
Yes, the government can, under applicable environmental laws, order an environmental cleanup.
The Building Energy Efficiency Law sets certain energy efficiency standards requiring any large-scale construction of non-residential buildings to comply with the standards at the time of its construction confirmation, and other construction of non-residential buildings and residential buildings to comply with the standards through notifications. The amendment law is scheduled to come into force in April 1, 2025, and, in principle, this standard will apply to all building construction (meaning new construction, expansion or reconstruction) and will be checked in the process of construction confirmation.
No, but a number of voluntary standards for environmentally sustainable buildings are becoming more popular among some developers and tenants that seek certifications from third-party programs such as the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) and the Comprehensive Assessment System for Built Environment Efficiency (CASBEE).