How many bowls does the kitchen sink need? Do you need a hand basin separate from the one in the toilet? How far up do the floors and walls have to be water-resistant? If you leave it all to the contractor, you may only find out at the health centre’s on-site inspection that something is missing.
In Japan, the health centre’s facility standards are the conditions a restaurant’s structure and equipment must meet to obtain a restaurant business permit. The national government sets a common standard by ministerial ordinance (Appended Table 19 of the Ordinance for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act), and prefectures set their own standards by ordinance with reference to it (Food Sanitation Act, Article 54). The national standard contains almost no specific figures, such as the number of sink bowls or the size of hand basins, so you check those with the public health centre where your restaurant is located.
In this article, Tenpos Kawaguchi Interior Materials (Kawaguchi, Saitama; 1,254 m²) uses the text of Appended Table 19 to set out what the standards say about sinks, hand basins, floors and walls, and ventilation and lighting, and how to check your local standard.
Who sets the facility standards, and where are they written?
The facility standards are set in two stages. The national government sets a common standard in Appended Table 19, and prefectures set their own standards by ordinance with reference to it (Food Sanitation Act, Article 54). Permits are issued by the prefectural governor, or, in a city with its own public health centre such as Kawaguchi, by the mayor (Articles 55 and 76). The on-site inspection checks your restaurant against the local standard and the health centre’s guidance based on it.
Appended Table 19 is a common standard for all businesses that need a permit, not just restaurants, and is divided into items such as the structure and facilities of the premises and machinery and equipment. The main points relevant to a restaurant fit-out are as follows.
| Item | What the national standard says | What it doesn’t say |
|---|---|---|
| Sinks (washing facilities) | Washing facilities of a size and number suited to their purpose, able to supply hot water or steam where needed, for washing food and other items | Number of bowls, size of each bowl |
| Hand-washing facilities | The necessary number of running-water hand-washing facilities with a device for staff to wash and disinfect their hands. Taps must be built so washed hands are not re-contaminated | Size of the hand basin, where it goes |
| Toilets | Provided according to the number of staff. Built so they don’t contaminate the work area, with their own running-water hand-washing facility | Distance from the work area, number of doors |
| Floors | Materials and construction that are easy to clean, wash and disinfect. Where floors and walls are washed with water, the floor must be impermeable and drain well | Type of floor material, drainage gradient |
| Walls and ceilings | Materials and construction that are easy to clean, wash and disinfect. Where walls are washed with water, they must be lined with impermeable material from the floor up to the height that is easily soiled | Height of the lining in figures |
| Ventilation | A structure or equipment that ventilates properly so the area directly above where food is handled resists condensation, and mould or drips from condensation don’t contaminate food | Size of the hood or extractor fan, ventilation rate |
| Lighting | Able to provide enough light for work, inspection and cleaning | Illuminance in figures |
| Equipment | Machinery and equipment that touch food directly must be made of water-resistant material, easy to wash, and able to be disinfected with hot water, steam or a sanitiser | Any distinction between new and used |
* If the table is cut off, scroll sideways to see it all.
Sources: Food Sanitation Act, Articles 54, 55 and 76; Ordinance for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act, Appended Table 19 (e-Gov Laws, checked 9 November 2026; in Japanese)
The “what it doesn’t say” column covers points that local ordinances or health centre guidance may set in specific terms. That is why the same equipment can be treated differently from one area to another. Appended Table 19 also has items on water supply, refrigeration and freezing, keeping out rodents and insects, changing areas, waste containers, and storing detergents and other chemicals separately from food.
What should you base your choice of sink on?
For sinks, the national standard asks for washing facilities of a size and number suited to their purpose, able to supply hot water or steam where needed, for washing food and other items. It doesn’t give the number of bowls, so you check how many you need with your local health centre.
When you ask about the number of bowls, telling the health centre these three things gets you a clearer answer.
- What you will wash: whether food, dishes and cooking utensils share one sink or are washed separately
- How much: the number of seats and the expected number of meals a day
- Whether you will have a dishwasher: if so, the model and where it will go
If you buy a used sink, check before you buy that it is made of a water-resistant material such as stainless steel, that wear or rust hasn’t made it hard to clean, and that its drain outlet lines up with the drain in your unit. If the outlet doesn’t line up, there will be more plumbing work.
Where do hand-washing facilities go, and how many do you need?
The national standard sets out two separate conditions for hand-washing facilities.
- For staff: the necessary number of running-water hand-washing facilities with a device for washing and disinfecting hands
- In the toilet: a running-water hand-washing facility for the toilet’s own use
The staff hand-washing facility must use running water rather than standing water, have a disinfecting device, and have a tap built so washed hands aren’t re-contaminated. A tap you turn off by hand easily dirties clean hands, so check the type of tap at the plan review too.
Leaving out the hand basin because you think staff can wash their hands in the cooking sink is a common reason for being flagged at the on-site inspection. The national standard doesn’t give the size of the hand basin or where in the kitchen it should go, so mark its position on the floor plan and confirm it at the plan review.
How far do floors, walls and ceilings need to be water-resistant?
For floors, walls and ceilings, the national standard asks that all of them use materials and construction that are easy to clean, wash and disinfect. On top of that, premises whose floors and walls are washed with water have extra conditions on materials and drainage.
| Area | National standard | What to check at the plan review |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen floor washed with water | Impermeable and drains well. Drainage must be installed in the floor of areas washed with water | Floor material, position of drain channels and outlets |
| Kitchen walls washed with water | Lined with impermeable material from the floor up to the height that is easily soiled | Height of the lining, material used |
| Ceiling | Materials and construction that are easy to clean | Finish directly above where food is handled |
| Dining-area floors and walls | Materials and construction that are easy to clean. The impermeable-material condition applies to “premises washed with water”; there is no separate rule for the dining area | Dining-area floor material, where the dining area meets the kitchen |
Source: Ordinance for Enforcement of the Food Sanitation Act, Appended Table 19 (e-Gov Laws, checked 9 November 2026; in Japanese)
For places such as coffee shops that do only simple preparation, the standard allows floors and walls of materials other than impermeable ones, and no floor drainage, if it is judged that there is no food-hygiene problem given the food handled and the type of business. Whether that is accepted is up to the health centre, so even for a coffee shop, check at the plan review before construction.
The standard is the same if you paint the floor or finish the walls yourself. What is checked is not who did the work but the finished materials and the state of the drainage. Installing drain channels and outlets is plumbing work, so ask a licensed tradesperson. How floors and walls differ by type of restaurant is covered in “How does the fit-out differ by restaurant type?”.
What is required for ventilation and lighting?
For ventilation, the national standard asks for a structure or equipment that ventilates properly so the area directly above where food is handled resists condensation, and mould or drips from condensation don’t contaminate food. The facility standards give no figures for the size of the hood or extractor fan or for the ventilation rate.
Separately from the facility standards, a kitchen hood is also covered by fire rules as part of equipment that uses fire. Mark the position of the hood and the exhaust outlet on the floor plan before the plan review. How to approach the advance consultation with the fire station is covered in our article on advance consultations with the health centre and fire station.
Lighting must be able to provide enough light for work, inspection and cleaning. No illuminance figure is given, but if you use the same dim lighting in the kitchen that suits the mood of the dining area, there may not be enough light for work and cleaning. Plan the kitchen and dining-area lighting separately.
How do you check your local standard?
Checking your local standard in this order means you are less likely to miss something.
- Look on the health centre’s website for the facility standards for restaurants or a guide for new owners
- Look in the local government’s collection of ordinances for the ordinance that sets facility standards under the Food Sanitation Act
- Take your floor plan to the health centre’s plan review and check the sinks, hand basins, floors and walls, and ventilation item by item
In its guidance on the permit process, Kawaguchi City’s public health centre asks you to bring a floor plan of the premises and have a plan review at the health centre counter before construction starts. Getting specific comments on your floor plan makes it clearer what to fix than reading the text of the ordinance.
Source: Kawaguchi City, “Steps to apply for a business permit” (checked 9 November 2026; in Japanese)
Writing these items on the floor plan before the plan review makes it easier to get an answer on each one.
- The number and size of sink bowls, and the position of drain outlets
- The position of the staff hand basin and the toilet hand basin
- The kitchen floor material, the position of drain channels and outlets, and the height of the wall lining
- The position of the hood and extractor fan, and the exhaust outlet
- Where the kitchen meets the dining area, and the partition that keeps out people other than staff
The steps from the plan review to the issue of the permit, and the documents you need to apply, are set out in “How do you get a restaurant business permit in Japan?”. The facilities you can’t leave out even in a small restaurant of about 5 tsubo are covered in “Can you open a restaurant in about 5 tsubo?”.
How we can help you prepare for the facility standards
Tenpos Kawaguchi Interior Materials helps owners open by cutting purchase costs with used materials, doing what they can themselves, and bringing in licensed tradespeople only for the work that needs them. Of the preparations involved in the facility standards, these are the four we can help with.
- Choose a hood by seeing it: Our online store’s stock (406 items as of 10 November 2026) includes 5 used kitchen hoods (3 stainless steel and 2 tinplate, 27,500–60,500 yen, shipping quoted separately). The product name says whether the exhaust opening is on the back, side or top, so you can choose one that matches the exhaust outlet in your unit.
- Choose kitchen and dining-area lighting separately: At the same date we had 14 light fittings (2,475–9,900 yen). You can think about lighting that suits the dining area separately from the brightness the kitchen needs.
- Check the layout in a 3D plan: You can make a 3D plan free of charge in store with our staff (by appointment; it is shown on the in-store screen, and no data or printouts are provided. It is not an official drawing for health centre applications).
- Bring in tradespeople only for plumbing and electrical work: We introduce tradespeople only for work that needs a licence, such as drain channels, water and drain pipework, and wiring for extractor fans (no introduction fee for you, free quotes, and you contract and pay the tradesperson directly).
At the same date, our stock had no commercial stainless-steel sinks or hand basins. We can order sinks and hand basins for you or tell you about stock at other Tenpos stores. If you get in touch once the plan review has settled the number and size of bowls, it’s easier to find items that fit.
Tenpos Kawaguchi Interior Materials
3-32-24 Sakashita-cho, Kawaguchi, Saitama / Open 10:00–19:00 every day (closed over the New Year holidays)
Tel +81-48-285-2027 / Parking available (trucks up to 4 tonnes, loading on site) / Payment: cash, card or PayPay
First, mark the positions of the sink, hand basins, toilet and hood, and the area where the floor will be washed with water, on your unit’s measurement notes, and book a plan review with the health centre for your area. The points raised at the review will decide which finishes you can do yourself and which work goes to tradespeople.
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