Japan Standard Labor Time: How Work Points Are Set and Used
Updated: 2026-10-06
A labor time guide helps a repair shop quote a job before the work starts. In Japan, the common reference for maintenance work is the standard work points (標準作業点数) published by the Japan Automobile Service Promotion Association (JASPA, 日本自動車整備振興会連合会). This guide explains Japan standard labor time: how the points are calculated, what they include, how they differ from accident repair times, and how shops and exporters can look them up.
What standard labor time in Japan is
JASPA publishes the Standard Work Points Table for automobile maintenance (自動車整備標準作業点数表). Each edition covers passenger cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles that were newly released or fully redesigned in the previous year. It lists standard work points for periodic inspection and general maintenance, by maker and by system of the vehicle.
The format has changed. The printed book ended with the 2022 edition. From the 2023 edition, JASPA provides the table through FAINES (its online information service) and other channels. A CD-R edition also exists, for example the 2025 edition.
| Item | Details (JASPA) |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Japan Automobile Service Promotion Association (JASPA, 日整連) |
| Vehicles covered per edition | Passenger cars, trucks, buses and motorcycles newly released or fully redesigned in the previous year |
| Work covered | Periodic inspection and general maintenance |
| Organization | By maker and by vehicle system |
| Format | Printed book until the 2022 edition; from 2023, via FAINES and others; CD-R edition available |
How Japan standard labor time points are calculated
JASPA explains the method on its FAINES page “How to read the points table”. The calculation has two steps. First, a standard work time is set. Then the time is multiplied by a conversion factor.
| Rule | What JASPA says |
|---|---|
| Standard worker | A third-grade mechanic (三級整備士) with about 3 years of practical experience, working alone |
| Work by two or more people | The total person-time is used |
| Tools | Machines and tools required by the certification standards, plus common equipment such as impact wrenches |
| Time unit | 6 minutes = 0.1 hour; less than 0.1 hour is rounded |
| Points | Standard work time × conversion factor = standard work points |
| Periodic inspection | Work time and work points are the same |
| Scope of a job | From the start of the work until all work is complete, including incidental work |
| Related jobs | When two or more jobs are related, the overlapping part is subtracted |
Only for periodic inspection are the points equal to the work time. For general maintenance, the points include a conversion factor. So do not read 1.0 point as exactly 1 hour for every job.
JASPA gives a reason for the periodic inspection rule. Periodic inspection includes many tasks of different difficulty, from hard to easy. So JASPA set the time and the points to the same value for this work.
Using a labor time guide in your shop
Standard points describe a typical job by a typical mechanic. Real jobs differ. A car with rusted bolts, extra equipment or earlier repairs may take longer. Shops use standard points as a common basis, and then apply their own judgment.
How a shop turns time into a price is the shop’s own decision. This guide does not give a formula for labor charges, and JASPA’s explanation quoted above does not set one either.
A practical order for a quotation:
- Identify the car. Read the chassis number and the variant numbers. See Japanese chassis number check.
- List the jobs. Remove overlap between related jobs, in line with JASPA’s rule.
- Look up the standard points for each job by vehicle and work category.
- Add the parts. See Japanese car parts prices.
- Explain to the customer which jobs are standard and which depend on the condition of the car.
The table covers vehicles by model release. For an older car, or a model sold only outside Japan, the Japanese table may not have an entry. In that case, use your own records.
Standard labor time vs accident repair times
Japan has a separate system for accident repair. Jiken Center Co., Ltd. (自研センター), a company linked to non-life insurers, publishes “indices” (指数) that show standard repair work time for accident repair. In English it calls them JKC Repair Times. They are prepared with a base table method.
| JASPA standard work points | JKC Repair Times (指数) | |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Periodic inspection and general maintenance | Accident repair |
| Publisher | JASPA (日整連) | Jiken Center (自研センター) |
| Types of work | By maker and vehicle system | Removal and replacement, repair painting, driver assistance system reset and adjustment, outer panel repair, inner panel and frame repair |
| Note | Periodic inspection: time = points | Actual time depends on the vehicle condition and tools used |
So for a brake service or an oil leak repair, the JASPA points are the reference. For body repair after a collision, the accident repair indices are the reference. Do not mix the two in one quotation without explaining it to the customer.
Who uses Japan standard labor time data
Repair shops in countries that import Japanese used cars can use the points as a reference when they plan and quote work on Japanese-market models. According to a JETRO report based on the Ministry of Finance’s trade statistics, Japan exported about 1.49 million used passenger cars in 2025. The UAE was the largest destination with about 220,000 cars, followed by Russia, Tanzania, Chile and Kenya.
Exporters in Japan also prepare cars before shipping. The points help them estimate the time for their own inspection and maintenance work.
How Carise helps
Carise (https://www.j-carnet.net/) is a data search system for the automotive industry, operated by JAPANCARNET CO., LTD. (日本カーネット株式会社). Its Labor-Time Search lets you search the standard labor-time schedule (work points), the units that represent a job from start to completion, by vehicle information or work category.
| Item | Labor-Time Search |
|---|---|
| Search by | Vehicle information or work category |
| Price | ¥10,000 / year excl. tax |
| Trial | Up to two months |
| Data use | Data can be retrieved in real time for use in Excel and similar tools (advanced feature). The published specification returns JSON, step by step from a maker code to a work model code. |
Carise also offers a Genuine Parts Price Search (¥4,000 / month excl. tax) and a Specifications Search. Both use the Specification No. and Classification No. found on the Export Certificate. See Japanese car parts prices, Japanese car specs by model and our Japan Export Certificate guide.
Conditions:
- The screens are in Japanese only. Use your browser’s translation feature.
- Contracts are only for companies in auto-related businesses, such as repair shops, body and paint shops, car dealers and gas stations.
- Simultaneous logins with one account are not allowed, and access from multiple global IP addresses is not permitted.
- Phone support is in Japanese only.
- Payment is by credit card (Stripe).
- Use the points for your own repair, quotation and inspection work. The Terms of Use prohibit commercial use of the information obtained, so do not resell, publish or pass it on.
Apply here: Carise application form.
Frequently asked questions
- Is 1 point equal to 1 hour?
- Only for periodic inspection, where JASPA sets the time and the points to the same value. For general maintenance, points are standard time multiplied by a conversion factor.
- What kind of mechanic is the standard?
- A third-grade mechanic with about 3 years of practical experience, working alone, with standard tools and common equipment such as impact wrenches.
- Are JASPA points the same as accident repair times?
- No. Accident repair uses separate indices from Jiken Center (JKC Repair Times).
- Is the printed book still sold?
- JASPA says the 2022 edition was the last printed book. From 2023, the table is available through FAINES and others.
- How much is the Carise Labor-Time Search?
- The Carise English page shows ¥10,000 / year excl. tax. You can try the service for up to two months.
Sources
- JASPA: 2025 Standard Work Points Table (CD-R)
https://www.jaspa.or.jp/association/publication/tensuu25.html - JASPA: 2022 Standard Work Points Table (book)
https://www.jaspa.or.jp/association/publication/book_tensuu22.html - JASPA FAINES: How to read the points table (点数表の見方)
https://faines.jaspa.or.jp/enduser/system/files/static/score/score_manual.html - Jiken Center: What are indices (指数とは)
https://jikencenter.co.jp/research/index/whats/ - Jiken Center: JKC Repair Times (English)
https://jikencenter.co.jp/en/services/services_index/ - JETRO Business Short News, 3 February 2026 (used car exports in 2025)
https://www.jetro.go.jp/biznews/2026/02/9c989b1359d1645f.html - Carise English page
https://www.j-carnet.net/wp01/en/
Checked on 6 October 2026. Figures and procedures may change; check the latest official information.
Carise is a data search system for businesses that repair, sell or export Japanese vehicles. Search genuine parts prices and specifications by model designation and category number. The screens are in Japanese; you can try it for up to two months.
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