JAB’s mission is to:

① preserve the global environment and protect and maintain the natural environment;

② stabilize and improve the lives of citizens by promoting fair and free economic activities; and ③ protect and enhance consumer interests.

JAB works to achieve these goals. Since its establishment as an accreditation body in 1993, JAB has accredited laboratories, calibration laboratories, inspection bodies, reference material producers, proficiency testing providers, medical laboratories, and certification bodies that comply with international standards, while promoting mutual recognition with overseas accreditation bodies.

In recent years, JAB has launched biobank accreditation and currently accredits five biobanks. To further enhance the value of accreditation at JAB, it aims to expand the MRA for biobank accreditation through the 2025 APAC Peer Evaluation.

To promote international standardization and the accreditation system in Japan, JAB is focusing on promotion through face-to-face seminar and webinars. We will introduce some recent initiatives as follows.

JAB hosted JAB Platform in Tokyo

JAB holds an annual lecture series called the JAB Platform to promote the conformity assessment system. This year, it was held on October 14, 2025, with the following objectives:

1. a) Share the latest developments regarding the positioning of conformity assessment within the government’s “Japan Standard Acceleration Model 2025” and “New International Standards Strategy,” as well as the personnel responsible for it. Simultaneously, foster momentum toward “strengthening domestic certification and testing bodies” and “developing the next generation of personnel.”
2. b) Establish venues for clearly explaining systems and standards, as well as for introducing the work of assessors, to promote understanding and interest among a wide range of stakeholders.

Here are some of the program highlights.

1) Authorized Assessor Roundtable: “JAB Authorized Assessors Discuss the Reality of Assessing and Career Paths”

To promote recruitment of authorized assessors, we invited active authorized assessors to participate in a panel discussion. They introduced the rewards, challenges, and social significance of the authorized assessor profession. They shared information, including real-world experiences from the assessing field, intended to be useful for those aspiring to become authorized assessors in the future or interested in career paths.

2) Special Lecture: “Case Studies of ISO/IEC 17025 Utilization in Local Governments”

A laboratory from a local government accredited by JAB presented on the theme of “Ensuring Test Reliability.” Based on their laboratory’s initiatives, they discussed the benefits of ISO accreditation utilization within local governments.

3) Standard Explanation Session: “Key Points for Meeting ISO 15189 Requirements”

JAB explained the essential points needed to meet the standard requirements. This included the status of transition assessments to ISO 15189:2022, insights into the impact of the standard revision, and its benefits.

4) Standard Explanation Session: “Key Points for Meeting ISO/IEC 17025 Requirements”

By introducing actual examples of JAB accreditation assessments, the session highlighted that JAB’s ISO/IEC 17025 accredited laboratories ensure reliability through appropriate operation and assessing. It encouraged stakeholders to utilize JAB accredited laboratories. Additionally, it explained the use of flexible scope accreditation to laboratory and calibration service personnel, emphasizing how it can lead to business opportunities.

Supporting the quality of medical testing for 20 years

In Japan, The ISO 15189 accreditation program for medical laboratories was launched in 2005 by the Japan Accreditation Board (JAB), and reached a major milestone in 2025, its 20th anniversary.

The fact that it has been adopted as a requirement for medical institutions conducting clinical trials and clinical research, and cancer genome medical institutions, and that it was approved for medical fee incentives in 2016, means that the government has recognized that this accreditation system guarantees the quality of medical laboratories. These are great achievements of JAB.

The risk based approach strengthened by ISO 15189:2022 is essential in medical testing, and by effectively incorporating it into medical laboratory management systems, the ISO 15189 accreditation program is expected to further contribute to patient safety and security.

At present, the number of accredited medical laboratories is only about 300, which is fewer than in other countries. JAB believes it has a mission to continue to appeal to the public to further popularize this program.

In December 2025, JAB plans to hold a commemorative event, inviting all those involved who have contributed greatly to the past 20 years, including accredited laboratories and assessors.

JAB ISO 20387 Event, 20387 Accreditation Briefing Session,

  “Deepening the Potential of Biobanks through the Utilization of ISO 20387,”

JAB began ISO 20387 accreditation program on April 1, 2024, and has now accredited five biobanks.

 The accredited biobanks include one integrated biobank facility (Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University (RBB00010)) and three clinical biobanks (National Center for Geriatrics and Gerontology (NCGG) Biobank (RBB00020), National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry (NCNP) Biobank (RBB00030), Clinical Bio-Resource Center / Kyoto University Hospital / National University Corporation, Kyoto University (RBB00040)), and one on-demand biobank (National University Corporation Kobe University Hospital Bioresource Center (RBB00050)). The legal entities of these five biobanks are universities and national research and development corporations; no private biobanks have been accredited.

 Therefore, to promote broader societal understanding of the ISO 20387 accreditation system and to further advance the utilization of accredited biobanks, the first online ISO 20387 Accreditation Briefing Session, titled “Deepening the Potential of Biobanks through the Utilization of ISO 20387,” was held on October 24, 2025.

 The briefing featured the following four presentations:

1. The International Status of ISO 20387 Accreditation and Its Benefits
2. Implementation, Auditing, and Effects of ISO 20387 at the NCNP Biobank
3. Overview of ISO 20387: Purpose, Suitability and ‘Critical’
4. Introduction to the Biobank Accreditation Scheme: Application Documents and the Cycle from Initial assessment to Reassessment

 Participants included 20 from accredited biobanks, 9 from non-accredited biobanks, 27 from related organizations and biobank users, 1 from a relevant government ministry, and 2 from the media. We believe the briefing achieved its objectives.

Metrological Traceability Seminar

Every year, the National Institute of Technology and Evaluation (NITE), the Japan Quality Assurance Organization (JQA), and JAB come together to host an important event called the “Metrological Traceability Seminar for Management Systems.” This seminar is designed for a wide range of people, including auditors who check management systems, quality assurance professionals working in manufacturing companies, and those in charge of quality control in laboratories.

At the seminar, attendees learn about Japan’s current state of measurement traceability, including how the system for registering calibration laboratories works, based on the Measurement Act. The seminar also explains the laboratory accreditation system under ISO/IEC 17025, how national measurement standards are aligned with international agreements like the CIPM MRA, and why it’s so important to connect measurement traceability to the international SI units. Additionally, there is useful information on how to properly manage measuring instruments.

The main goal of the seminar is to equip participants with accurate, up-to-date knowledge on metrological traceability. It also encourages the use of calibration certificates that carry the ILAC MRA combined symbol, which helps ensure reliability and trust in measurements across borders.

JAB participated in ifia JAPAN 2025

JAB participated in ifia JAPAN 2025, held from May 21 to 23, 2025. The ifia has a 29-year history as a specialized exhibition for food ingredients and additives, and JAB delivers a presentation on ISO/IEC 17025 at this exhibition every year. At this year’s Safety Assessment and Precision Management session, JAB presented “ISO/IEC 17025 Accreditation to Ensure the Reliability of Test Results.” The presentation focused on food microbiology laboratories, using case studies to explain facility and environmental conditions, verification and validation, and ensuring the validity of results. The session attracted many attendees, including government officials, food analysis institution personnel, and food manufacturing professionals.

Additionally, JAB exhibited an information booth at the venue, providing accreditation information to many visitors. We intend to continue explaining the necessity and usefulness of accreditation to the food industry, which underpins the public’s livelihood, and contribute to fostering a quality foundation.

Going forward, JAB will continue to contribute to the government’s “Japan Standard Acceleration Model 2025” and “New International Standards Strategy” to promote Japan’s international standardization and accreditation systems, while focusing on marketing efforts.