Chapter I General Provisions

(Purpose of the Law) Article 1. The purpose of this Veterinary License Law is to attain and maintain the highest scientific standard of veterinary skill and talent, adjust the veterinary practice and contribute to the development of animal industry and, at the same time, to the promotion of the public health.

(Prohibition of Using the Title) Article 2. No one but a veterinarian who has obtained a license according to this Law shall use the title of veterinarian or others similar ones.

Chapter II License

(License) Article 3. Any person who desires to be a veterinarian shall pass the national examination, pay a fee not exceeding one thousand yen in accordance with the provisions of the Ministerial Ordinance and receive a license from the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

(Incapacity for License) Article 4. No license provided in the preceding Article shall be issued to any person who comes under any one of the following items: (1) A minor; (2) An incompetent or quasi-incompetent person.

Article 5. No license provided in Article 3 may be issued to any person who comes under any one of the following items: (1) A mentally-deranged person, or a narcotic or hemp addict; (2) A person suffering from physical incapacities that might interfere greatly with his normal functions as a veterinarian; (3) A person who has been sentenced to any punishment heavier than monetary penalty; (4) Any person, other than one who comes under the preceding item, who has committed a gross violation against established ethics of veterinary profession or committed a dishonest act regarding veterinary affairs or has proved to be a person to be of moral turpitude; (5) Any person whose license has been cancelled according to the provisions of Article 8 paragraph 2 item (4). 2 The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry shall decide, after consulting with the Council on Veterinary Licenses, whether a license shall be issued or not, in case an application for the license has been made by a person who comes under any one of the items of the preceding paragraph.

(List of Veterinarians) Article 6. The List of veterinarians shall be provided in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to register matters concerning the veterinary license.

(Registration and License) Article 7. The license provided in Article 3, shall be authorized after the registration to the list of veterinarians is made. 2 The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry shall, when he has authorized the license to a person in accordance with the provisions of Article 3, issue a veterinary license to the said person.

(Cancellation of License and Suspension of Practice) Article 8. The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry shall cancel a lincense of any veterinarian who comes under any one of the items of Article 4 or who has made an application for the cancellation of license. 2 The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry may, only after consulting with the Council on Veterinary Licenses, cancel the license or order the suspension of the veterinary practice for a certain period of time, in case a veterinarian comes under any one of the following items: (1) In case a veterinarian has refused the request for treatment in contravention of the provisions of Article 19 paragraph 1; (2) In case a veterinarian has failed to make a report prescribed in Article 21; (3) In a case veterinarian comes under any one of Article 5 paragraph 1 items (1) to (4) inclusive, Art.5, except the cases prescribed in the preceding two items; (4) In case a veterinarian has acted against the dignity of the veterinary profession. 3 The Council on Veterinary Licenses, when requested to express its opinion according to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, shall give the said veterinarian a written notice with reasons for the disposition mentioned in the preceding paragraph, and provide him or any person acting for him with opportunity to plead and present favorable evidences for him.

(Procedure of Application for License) Article 9. In addition to the provisions of the preceding six Articles, matters concerning application for the license, registration and amendment in and cancellation from the list of veterinarians, and issuance, issuance of renewal, reissuance and return of the license shall be regulated by the Ministerial Ordinance.

Chapter III Examination

(Purpose of Examination) Article 10. The national examination for veterinarians shall be conducted in veterinary science necessary for the veterinary practice and in knowledge and techniques pertaining to public health which are indispensable to the veterinarian.

(Execution of Examination) Article 11. The Council on Veterinary Licenses shall conduct the national examination for veterinarians at least once a year under the supervision of the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

(Qualification for Examination) Article 12. No person shall be qualified to take the national examination for veterinarians, unless he comes under any one of the following items: (1) A person who has finished a regular veterinary course lasting at least four years in an accredited university; (2) A person who has graduated from a foreign veterinary school or obtained a veterinary license in a foreign country and whom the Council on Venerinary Licenses deems to be equal to or surpass the person mentioned in the preceding item in scholarship and ability.

(Submission of the List of Successful Candidates) Article 13. The Council on Veterinary Licenses shall submit the names of all successful candidates of the national examination for veterinarians to the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry.

(Dealing with Dishonest Examinees) Article 14. In case any dishonest act has been done in the national examination for veterinarians, the Council on Veterinary Licenses may forbid parties concerned with such act to take the said examination, or make their examination invalid. In such case, the Council may forbid them to take further examination for a certain period of time.

(Examination Fee) Article 15. Any candidate for the national examination for veterinarians shall pay an examination fee not exceeding one thousand yen according to the provisions of the Ministerial Ordinance.

(Subjects of Examination and Others) Article 16. The Council on Veterinary Licenses shall determine the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry concerning all necessary details including:the subjects, place, date and time of examination, procedure for application and other necessary details and notify them to the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry at least four months prior to the date of the national examination. 2 The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry shall announce all the details concerning the examination mentioned in the preceding paragraph at least three months prior to the date of the national examination.

Chapter IV Practice

(Restrictions on Veterinary Practice) Article 17. No person except a veterinarian shall be engaged in animal (cattle, horse, sheep, goat, swine, dog, cat and fowl) treatment as practice.

(Issuance of Diagnosis and Others) Article 18. No veterinarian shall issue a diagnosis or give or prescribe powerful drugs or biological products, without examining an animal personally, or shall issue a parturition or still birth certificate, without attending the parturition, or otherwise an inspection certificate, without inspecting in person. However, an exception shall be made in case of a death certificate to be issued for an animal which died in the course of treatment.

(Obiligation of Making Examination and Issuing Diagnosis and Others) Article 19. In case a veterinarian in practice is requested to make examination and treatment, he shall not refuse it without good reason. 2 In case a veterinarian who examined or inspected an animal or assisted at the parturition is requested to issue a diagnosis, a parturition or still birth certificate or an inspection certificate, he shall not refuse the request without good reason.

(Patient Animal Book and Inspection Book) Article 20. In case a veterinarian made examination or inspection, he shall enter items pertaining to examination or inspection in his patient animal book or inspection book respectively without delay. 2 Any veterinarian shall keep his patient animal book and inspection book mentioned in the preceding paragraph in custody for three years. 3 The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry or the prefectural governor may make his subordinate official examine the patient animal book and the inspection book, when he deems it necessary to do so. 4 In case an official concerned performs his examination according to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, he shall bring his identification certificate with him and show it to any person concerned if requested.

(Obligation for Report) Article 21. Any veterinarian shall notify the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry through the prefectural governor of the place where he lives, of his name, address and other items prescribed by a Ministerial Ordinance as of the thirty-first day of December every year, not later than the thirty-first day of January of the next year.

Article 22. In case a person has established facilities of animal treatment he shall report it to the prefectural governor of the place where his facilities are located, within ten days. The same procedure shall be taken in case of the suspension or giving up of his operation and change of location of his facilities.

(Restrictions on Advertisement) Article 23. No veterinarian shall advertise his ability, method of treatment or personal history in connection with his practice, except his degree, title or speciality in veterinary medicine.

Chapter V The Veterinary Licenses Council

(Establishment) Article 24. Veterinary Licenses Council (hereinafter referred to as "the Council" ) shall be established in the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry to transact the affairs of the national examination for veterinarians and also other affairs placed under its power which become its business according to this Law.

(Membership) Article 25. The Council shall be composed of twenty-five members who are veterinarians coming under any one of the following items and commissioned by the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry: (1) Persons representing organizations composed of veterinarians (2) Persons of learning and experience (3) Officials of administrative organs concerned 2 The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry shall, when he commissions membership of the Council in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph hear the opinion of the organizations of veterinarians specified by the Ministerial Ordinance.

Article 26. The tenure of office, pay and travelling expenses of the membership and other matters necessary for the Council, except those provided in this Law, shall be determined by Cabinet Order.

Chapter VI Penalties

Article 27. Any person who comes under any one of the following items shall be liable to a servitude of less than two years or a fine of less than a hundred thousand yen or both: (1) A person who is not a veterinarian but engaged in the veterinary practice in contravention of the provisions of Article 17. (2) A person who has obtained a veterinary license by making a false or dishonest report.

Article 28. A person who is in contravention of the order of suspension of veterinary practice provided in Article 8 paragraph 2 shall be liable to a penal servitude of less than one year or a fine of less than fifty thousand yen or both.

Article 29. Any person who comes under any one of the following items shall be liable to a fine of less than fifty thousand yen: (1) A person who used the title of veterinarian or other similar ones in contravention of the provisions of Article 2. (2) A person who issued a diagnosis, parturition or still birth certificate or inspection certificate, or otherwise gave or prescribed powerful drugs or biclogical products in contravention of the provisions of Article 18. (3) A person who refused to issue a diagnosis, parturition or still birth certificate or inspection certificate in contravention of the provisions of Article 19 paragraph 2. (4) A person who neglected to make an entry in the patient animal book or inspection book in contravention of the provisions of Article 20 paragraph 1. (5) A person who failed to keep in custody the patient animal book or inspection book for three years in contravention of the provisions of Article 20 paragraph 2. (6) A person who refused, hindered or evaded the inspection prescribed in Article 20 paragraph 3. (7) A person who failed to make report the establishment, suspension, giving up or change of location of facilities of animal treatment in contravention of the provisions of Article 22, or paragraph 3 of the Supplementary Provisions. (8) A person who advertised in contravention of the provisions of Article 23.