Published Sept 11, 2026 — electric kettle, rechargeable speaker, e-assist bicycle, cordless pressure washer
On September 11, 2026, Japan's Consumer Affairs Agency (CAA) published 27 serious product accidents reported by businesses under Article 35, Paragraph 1 of the Consumer Product Safety Act. The highlight this time is four cases in which fires or similar accidents occurred with products that had already been announced for recall: an electric kettle sold by Groupe SEB Japan (free replacement of the power plate), a rechargeable speaker imported by Anker Japan (collection and exchange), an electric-assist bicycle manufactured by Bridgestone Cycle (free exchange), and a cordless high-pressure washer imported by Sign House (collection and exchange). Under the Act, manufacturers and importers must report serious product accidents to the CAA, and the agency publishes the details on a rolling basis. No rule has changed here; the point is that accidents happened because owners kept using products without knowing they were subject to a recall. The same publication also lists accidents involving everyday appliances such as IH cooktops, washing machines, dehumidifiers, rice cookers, laptops, LCD TVs, air conditioner outdoor units, lithium-ion batteries, AC adapters, tablets, microwave ovens and extension cords.
For foreign residents in Japan, the hard part is that recall notices are mainly issued in Japanese. If you miss a manufacturer's web notice or an in-store poster, you can keep using an affected product without realizing it — and the four cases published this time are exactly that: accidents with products already under recall. The risk is higher if you bought appliances or a bicycle secondhand, through a flea-market app, or received them cheaply from a friend returning home, because your details never reach the manufacturer and recall letters never arrive. With something like an electric-assist bicycle used daily for commuting, school runs or carrying children, an accident while riding has serious consequences. Write down the model numbers of what you own and check the CAA recall information site from time to time. Travelers should stop using any device in their accommodation that overheats, smells odd or looks scorched, and tell the staff right away.
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Source:
Consumer Affairs Agency website (Serious product accidents: fires involving recalled products)This article was edited and written by freegent Inc. based on the source above.