ISO/IEC 27701 certification in Japan

ISO 27701 certification in Japan at a glance

Which privacy credential will a customer in Japan recognise: PrivacyMark or ISO/IEC 27701? The answer depends on who is asking. JIPDEC has operated the PrivacyMark System since 1998 and grants it only to Japanese companies that handle personal information appropriately, so it carries weight with domestic consumers and buyers. ISO/IEC 27701 extends an information security management system into privacy, and ISMS-AC operates it in Japan as ISMS-PIMS certification, which makes it the natural choice for processors serving overseas clients and for groups that already hold ISO/IEC 27001. Neither is required by the APPI, whose duties on security measures, supervision of entrusted persons and leak reporting still have to be met directly. Certification is granted by an accredited certification body after audits of the privacy controls and records of processing. Sterling's Tokyo office builds the privacy information management system on the existing ISMS, with Effivity and Sterling Academy included.

Who needs ISO 27701 in Japan, and what happens without it

In Japan the question rarely comes from a law. It comes from the buyer, the regulator or the partner that wants proof before it signs. These are the organisations that get asked.

• Businesses handling large volumes of personal dataAPPI security, supervision and leak-reporting duties need demonstrable controls.
• Processors serving overseas clients from JapanClients want an international privacy credential rather than a domestic mark.
• Organisations already holding ISO/IEC 27001ISMS-AC operates ISMS-PIMS certification as an extension of ISMS.

ISO 27701 requirements in Japan

Strip away the vocabulary and ISO/IEC 27701 requires a company to prove six things about how it handles personal data.

In Japan these six sit alongside the local laws and regulations listed under drivers below; one system can evidence both. The detail is on the global hub: ISO/IEC 27701 explained →

• ISO 27701 requirements, clause by clause in plain language

How to get ISO 27701 certified in Japan

One team from the Tokyo office carries the work from scoping to certificate. Nationwide from the Tokyo office, on-site where the scope requires; remote delivery for distributed teams.

1. Discovery call and scopeEntities, locations, regulators and target date, agreed before any proposal.
2. Gap assessment against ISO/IEC 27701 and the Japanese requirements that apply to youControls you already run for your regulators and customers are reused, not rebuilt.
3. Your system built with your team in EffivityRisks, controls, evidence, incidents and reviews in one live system the auditor can see.
4. Internal audit, management review and corrective actionsYour internal auditors trained by Sterling; the evidence proven before the certification body arrives.
5. Certification body stage 1 and stage 2, then surveillanceAn accredited body audits and decides. Sterling supports the audits and the three-year cycle.

The Sterling Promise: 100% on-time completion, 100% success, 8,100+ client engagements.Sterling does not certify. Certification decisions stay with independent bodies.

• The ISO 27701 certification process, step by step
• ISO 27701 internal audit

How long does ISO 27701 certification take in Japan?

There is no standard duration: it depends on your scope and on how much of the system already runs. In Japan these are the factors that set the timeline.

• Whether an ISO/IEC 27001 certificate already exists
• Controller and processor roles to map
• APPI and overseas privacy-law requirements to reflect
• Certification body scheduling around Japanese holiday periods

Sterling agrees a dated plan with you on the discovery call, once the scope is known.

• Scope and timeline estimator

How much does ISO 27701 certification cost in Japan?

The cost has two parts: the consulting work to build and prove the system, and the certification body’s audit fees, which are quoted separately. In Japan these factors move both.

• Scope of the ISMS and the processing in scope
• Certification body audit fees quoted separately from consulting
• Number of vendors and cross-border transfers
• Reuse of existing PrivacyMark documentation

Sterling gives one customised, all-inclusive proposal after the discovery call, never before the scope is agreed.

• What makes up the cost of ISO 27701

ISO 27701 consultants and certification bodies in Japan

Two different organisations are involved. A consultant helps you build the system and prove it works; an accredited certification body then audits or assesses it and decides. Keeping the two separate is what makes the result credible to buyers and regulators.

• Check that the body’s accreditation or approval covers ISO 27701 and your sector, and that its certificates can be verified online.
• Ask the consultant how the local requirements in Japan are mapped into the same system, so nothing runs twice.
• Ask for client references in your sector; Sterling’s client letters are available on request.
• Agree who owns the evidence and the tool after the engagement; with Sterling the system stays yours, in Effivity.

ISO 27701 in Japan: questions clients ask

More on ISO 27701 for Japanese organisations

• ISO/IEC 27701: the complete guide
• Watch: How to implement ISO/IEC 27701
• Sterling in Tokyo
• ISO 27701 certification in Japan and every other standard Sterling delivers there

Other standards Japanese businesses ask Sterling for

Organisations in Japan often combine ISO/IEC 27701 with one of these, under one management system where the scopes allow.

All 21 standards Sterling delivers in Japan →