Japan: rules and approvals
Since a January 2017 notice an IECEx test report can be submitted as the applicant's prior test results, and a certificate is valid for three years.
Japan · IECEx
IECEx Cell Phone Distributor 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. 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. An IECEx cell phone distributor in Japan would carry the IS-04Z1 to these buyers once certification completes.
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 topicIECEx
DeviceCell Phone
RouteDistribution
WhereJapan
Short answer. Japan has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
For the record, no certificate exists for the IS-04Z1 today. The programme is under way ahead of a Q4 2026 launch. Operator approval runs on its own timeline. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
At a glance · IECEx
Checklist: IECEx cell phone for Japan
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Certificate of conformity | Number checkable on the IECEx online register | In progress; not issued |
| Standards edition | The IEC 60079 edition the certificate cites | Stated on the certificate when issued |
| Schedule of conditions | Limits of use, batteries and accessories | Published with the certificate |
| Where it applies | Japan: Yokkaichi, Sakai, Kashima | 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: logistics and access
The Port of Nagoya in Ise Bay is described as Japan's largest and busiest trading port, handling about 10% of the country's trade by value, and has been run by the Nagoya Port Authority since 1951.
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.
The term · IECEx
What “IECEx” means for a smartphone
IECEx is the international scheme for certifying equipment used in explosive atmospheres. A certificate of conformity is issued by an accredited certification body against a specific edition of the IEC 60079 standards and carries a schedule of conditions of safe use. It is not a legal requirement in most countries on its own, but many national schemes accept it as the technical basis.
The IECEx certificate for the IS-04Z1 is in progress and has not been issued. The marking target is Ex ib IIC T4, the intrinsic safety concept for Zone 1 gas with the hardest gas group (IIC) and a 135 °C temperature class.
In Japan. Japan's large complexes at Kashima, Mizushima and Yokkaichi work with global suppliers and contractors who know the IECEx scheme. A certificate of conformity names the equipment, and its schedule of conditions sets the conditions of use. IECEx certification for the IS-04Z1 is in progress, with TIIS also in progress.
The route · distribution
Distributing the IS-04Z1 in Japan
A distributor for Japan would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
What SAMS looks for in a partner
- Operator relationships
- Existing supplier registrations or a clear route to them with the main operators and contractors in Japan.
- Ex-competent staff
- People who understand zone classification, markings and the conditions of a certificate.
And equally important
- Local-language support
- Documentation, training and helpdesk in the languages the workforce uses.
- Service capability
- Spares, battery replacement and repair routed through SAMS-approved channels.
Questions · Japan
Frequently asked questions
Can we buy an IECEx cell phone in Japan today?
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
What does an IECEx cell phone in Japan cost?
There is no list price yet. SAMS gives indicative pre-launch pricing in writing, against a stated quantity and site, and does not commit to a lead time before certification completes.
Does the IS-04Z1 hold an IECEx certificate?
No. The IECEx certificate is in progress and has not been issued. SAMS will publish the number when it exists.
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 do I become a SAMS distributor for Japan?
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Japan.
What radio approval does a phone need in Japan?
Radio equipment is covered by the Telec technical conformity scheme, and the certified-products database can be searched to check a model. Requirements depend on the radio technologies in the device, so confirm with a registered certification body before importing.
Can an IECEx report speed up approval in Japan?
Since 2017 an IECEx test report can be submitted as the applicant's prior test results, which can reduce testing, but the Japanese type examination certificate is still required, and it is valid for three years. Confirm the reports accepted with the chosen examination body.
Will a handset cope with typhoon-season humidity and salt air?
The IS-04Z1 has IP68 sealing, which helps with water, dust and salt-laden air. That is an ingress rating only. Ask for the datasheet's operating ranges and test a unit during a humid season round at a coastal site.
Related guides
Keep exploring
Related guides for Japan and for Japan.
Hazardous Area Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Ex-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Intrinsically Safe Mobile Phone Distributor in JapanSame place, different guide
Explosion-Proof Mobile Phone Supplier in JapanSame place, different guide
Rugged Mobile Phone in JapanSame place, different guide
ATEX and IECEx 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
Send the site, zone and gas group and roughly how many handsets. We reply by email with the datasheet and the certification schedule.
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.