September 16, 2026
Japan Fair Trade Commission
Online Training Session on Antimonopoly Act Compliance Programs
Today, I would like to talk about an online training session on Antimonopoly Act compliance programs for business operators.
To promote fair and free competition, the Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has been working to eliminate violations of the Antimonopoly Act (AMA) through strict enforcement of the AMA, while also supporting business operators in their efforts to promote AMA compliance, with the aim of creating an environment in which competitive business activities are carried out autonomously.
More recently, in June 2025, we published a revised version of the “Guide for the Design and Implementation of an Effective Antimonopoly Act Compliance Program,” which we refer to as the “AMA Compliance Guide.” The Guide sets out best practices that individual companies can refer to when designing and implementing effective AMA compliance programs. In March this year, we also published a Mini Guide summarizing the key points of the AMA Compliance Guide, as well as a leaflet for top management, making it easier for people who may not have been familiar with AMA compliance to learn about the content presented in the Guide.
As the next step in these efforts, the JFTC has decided to offer an online training session starting in October this year, entitled “Understanding Antimonopoly Act Compliance in 30 Minutes,” with the aim of encouraging business operators to introduce AMA compliance programs.
This training session is designed as an introductory course on AMA compliance programs. It is intended for business owners and personnel responsible for legal affairs and compliance throughout Japan, regardless of the size of their businesses. The session will explain, for example, how to conduct in-house training, establish internal rules, and operate AMA compliance programs in practice. The session will take 30 minutes and is designed so that even busy participants can easily take part.
At the regular press conference held earlier this month, on September 2, I noted that even at a time when raising selling prices has become an important management issue for many business operators amid rising prices, they should once again be careful not to engage in cartel conduct under any circumstances.
I believe that most business operators understand that they must not engage in cartels. However, to prevent cartels before they occur, it is important not to rely solely on the awareness of individual employees, but to establish and operate mechanisms within the organization to prevent cartel conduct. An AMA compliance program is a systematic framework for putting such mechanisms in place.
More specifically, top management should clearly demonstrate a strong commitment to compliance with laws and regulations throughout the company. Each company should also analyze and assess its own compliance risks and, in light of its particular circumstances, put in place various measures, such as rules governing contact with competitors and consultation systems for employees who are unsure whether certain conduct may pose a risk of violating the AMA. By combining these measures in an integrated manner, companies can more effectively prevent cartels and establish stronger safeguards against them.
As various costs continue to rise, there may be a greater risk that businesses will seek to align their conduct with that of competitors. For this reason, we believe that establishing effective internal compliance systems is becoming increasingly important.
We encourage business operators to take advantage of this training session as a first step toward designing and implementing an AMA compliance program.
To apply, please see the announcement posted today on the JFTC’s official website or official social media accounts and submit your application by email.
The General Affairs Division of the Economic Affairs Bureau is in charge of this matter.
（Tentative translation）
