In Japan, unsolicited email communications are regulated by the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (ASCT) and the Act on the Regulation of Transmission of Specified Electronic Mail (Anti-Spam Act).
Emails are required to include the sender's email address or website to facilitate the opt-out option.
The ASCT requires email marketers to obtain consent from recipients before sending emails. Proof of consent must be kept for three years for email advertisements following the last email.
There is no clear time period for which opt-out or unsubscribe requests must be honoured. However, the legislation does stipulate that no other emails can be sent once the recipient has opted out.
For violating email regulations, Japan imposes a fine of up to 1 million JPY or 1 year of imprisonment with labour.