Japan: rules and approvals
Radio equipment falls under the Telec technical conformity scheme of the communications ministry, and a certified-products database can be searched to check a model.
Japan · hazardous area
Hazardous Area Smartphone Supplier in Japan
The IS-04Z1 is an intrinsically safe handset for people who cross into classified areas in Japan every shift: refinery and petrochemical-complex operators, LNG terminal crews, inspection engineers, and the HSE and telecoms teams who equip them. Buyers searching for a hazardous area smartphone supplier for Japan can take the datasheet and the certification schedule for the IS-04Z1 now; supply follows certification.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Marking targetEx ib IIC T4Intrinsic safety, Zone 1 / 21 design target · certification in progress
AvailabilityQ4 2026via authorised distributors
Search topichazardous area
DeviceSmartphone
RouteSupply
WhereJapan
Short answer. A hazardous area smartphone for Japan cannot be bought yet: the SAMS IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued), and the datasheet, certification schedule and safe-area evaluation units are available now.
Status: pre-launch. IECEx, ATEX, UKEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress and no certificate has been issued; launch is planned for Q4 2026. An operator's own vendor approval is a separate step. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · hazardous area
Checklist: hazardous area smartphone for Japan
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Japan: Sakai, Kashima, Mizushima | Classified by the site operator |
Product · Japan
The product behind this search: the SAMS IS-04Z1.
SAMS IS-04Z1
An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Japan. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
- IP68 sealed
- 4,000 mAh battery
- 50 MP camera
- Android 16
- Zone 1 / Zone 21 design target
The market · Japan
Where an Ex phone is used in Japan
Operators and classified areas drawn from the SAMS Japan market guide.
Operators, EPCs and contractors
- ENEOS
- Japan’s largest oil refiner and petroleum products company
- Idemitsu Kosan
- Major refiner and petrochemical producer
- Cosmo Oil
- Refining and petrochemical operations nationwide
- JAPEX
- Japan Petroleum Exploration — domestic upstream production
- Mitsubishi Chemical
- Major petrochemical producer with complexes including Kashima
- JERA
- Japan’s largest power generator, with major LNG and thermal assets
Industrial areas and sites
- Kashima
- Large integrated petrochemical complex in Ibaraki
- Mizushima
- Major refining and petrochemical complex in Okayama
- Chiba / Sodegaura
- Petrochemical and refining complex on Tokyo Bay
- Yokkaichi
- One of Japan’s oldest and largest petrochemical complexes, Mie prefecture
- Sakai
- Refining and petrochemical operations near Osaka
Field notes · Japan
More about Japan that matters for portable equipment
Japan: infrastructure
Small rivers, including the Edo River, supply water to the Keiyo industrial region, and the Port of Chiba serves the zone.
Japan: rules and approvals
Explosion-protected electrical equipment must pass type examination, called kentei, under Article 44-2 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and equipment without the pass mark may not be used.
Japan: rules and approvals
The type examination involves a sample for structural inspection, with no factory audit in law, and the applicant can be a Japanese or foreign manufacturer or an importer.
The term · hazardous area
What “hazardous area” means for a smartphone
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Japan. Japanese classified areas include refining and petrochemical complexes at Kashima, Mizushima, Chiba and Sodegaura, Yokkaichi and Sakai, plus LNG and thermal power assets. The operator classifies each area, not SAMS. The IS-04Z1 is designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21, in gas and dust areas.
The route · supply
Sourcing the IS-04Z1 for Japan
Nothing can be bought for Japan today: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch, and SAMS will supply end users through authorised distributors once certificates exist. What a buyer can do now is take the specification, ask for the written certification schedule and arrange a safe-area evaluation, so that the right local channel contacts you at launch.
- 01
Request the datasheet
The technical specification, marking target and conditions of use, sent by email.
- 02
Ask for the certification schedule
Which certificates are in progress, in what order, and what is still to be confirmed.
- 03
Evaluate in a safe area
Evaluation units can be used for connectivity, MDM enrolment and workflow testing outside classified areas.
- 04
Register for launch
Tell us the site, zone, gas group and quantity so the right authorised distributor can contact you.
Questions · Japan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy a hazardous area smartphone in Japan today?
Not today. Until the certificates are issued the IS-04Z1 stays out of classified areas, and until launch there is nothing to purchase. You can ask for the datasheet and the certification schedule, or book a safe-area evaluation unit.
What does a hazardous area smartphone in Japan cost?
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
Which hazardous areas is the IS-04Z1 designed for?
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Which sites in Japan does this cover?
The market guide for Japan covers Kashima, Mizushima, Chiba / Sodegaura, Yokkaichi, among others. Site-level pages are linked below.
How will SAMS supply Japan?
Through authorised distributors once certificates exist. Until then SAMS can send the datasheet and certification schedule and arrange safe-area evaluation units.
Is Japanese type examination required for Ex phones?
Explosion-protected electrical equipment must pass type examination under Article 44-2 of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, and equipment without the pass mark may not be used. Registered examination bodies, including some outside Japan, carry it out. Check the current process with one of them.
Where do hazardous-area sites sit in Japan?
Typically in coastal industrial zones such as the Keiyo zone along Tokyo Bay, which has refineries and chemical plants, and similar bayside complexes elsewhere. The operator issues the area classification, so request the zone drawing, gas group and temperature class before selecting equipment.
Is TIIS required for use in Japan?
The market guide lists TIIS and IECEx as in progress and neither has been granted. Whether a given site needs TIIS depends on the operator and the regulations it follows. Ask the site operator and check the current certification status before ordering.
Related guides
Keep exploring
More on Japan, and on other places in Japan.
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
IECEx Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
Industrial Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Japan market guideCertification route and regulators
All guides for JapanEvery route we cover
Certification statusWhat is in progress
Enquiry · Japan
Ask about the IS-04Z1 for Japan
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Enquiry · Japan
Launching Q4 2026
Planning for Japan?
Send the zone and gas group of your site and we will reply with the datasheet and schedule.