Do Not Call refers to systems where consumers express their intent to not receive sales or solicitation calls, requiring businesses to respect that intent. Some countries have legally established national registries, such as the US Do Not Call Registry and the UK Telephone Preference Service.
Japan does not have a unified Do Not Call system, but the Specified Commercial Transactions Act's re-solicitation prohibition (Article 17) legally prohibits further solicitation after a consumer has declined. Clearly stating "No thank you" or "I'm not interested" constitutes a legal expression of refusal, making any subsequent solicitation illegal. Vague responses ("I'm busy right now," "I'll think about it") may not be considered refusals, so clear rejection is important.
Practical methods to reduce solicitation calls include carrier nuisance call blocking services, phone call blocking features, and spam call filter apps. For landlines, using Number Display to avoid answering unknown numbers is also effective.
For persistent solicitation calls, record the business name, phone number, date/time, and solicitation content, and consult the consumer hotline (188). Serious cases may result in Specified Commercial Transactions Act violations leading to administrative penalties (business suspension orders). In the US, registering your phone number with the FTC's Do Not Call Registry legally prohibits telemarketing calls. Japan does not yet have such a nationwide registry, but the Ministry of Internal Affairs is considering its introduction. Review specific countermeasures in how to decline telemarketing.