Noise Regulations in Japan

Abstract

For noise regulations in Japan, environmental quality standards as noise-related administrative targets are provided under the Basic Environment Law and various measures are put in place under the Noise Regulation Law which was legislated as a law for the implementation of the Basic Environment Law. Environmental quality standards for general ambient noise are established by certain land-use types and time divisions, while separate environmental quality standards are specifically set for aircraft and Shinkansen Superexpress Railway noise. The Noise Regulation Law controls noise from factories and business that have specified facilities and sit in designated areas as well as noise from specified types of construction operations, with proper demarcation of regulation roles among national and local governments. Also, rationalization of Noise Regulation Low and Vibration Regulation Low were considered from 2021 to 2022. In recent years, new types of noise problems that are not well controlled by the Noise Regulation Law or the application of environmental quality standards, including complaints against noise from facilities not regulated under the Noise Regulation Law and against low-frequency noise, calling for responses to these problems.