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Useful information on subsidies, visas, company formation, and other legal topics.
Delivered in an easy-to-understand manner from the perspective of an administrative scrivener.
Turning farmland into residential land: the flow of conversion permission under Articles 4 and 5 of the Agricultural Land Act
Converting farmland to residential land, a car park or the like requires permission or notification under the Agricultural Land Act. Self-conversion is Article 4; conversion involving a transfer of rights is Article 5. This article explains the difference, the permission-or-notification split by area, the documents, the timeline and who to refer registration, sale and tax to.
What does an administrative scrivener do in a family trust? The division of roles with the notary and the trust registration
A family trust (civil trust) lets a person entrust the management and disposition of assets to a trusted family member for a designated beneficiary. This article explains the mechanism, the scope in which an administrative scrivener can be involved in drafting the trust deed, why a notarial deed is used, who does the trust registration, and how it differs from a will and a voluntary guardianship.
What can a post-death affairs mandate contract entrust?
A post-death affairs mandate contract entrusts, in your lifetime, the affairs that arise after you die — funeral, interment, administrative procedures, cancelling contracts. This article organises what it can entrust, how it differs from a will and a voluntary guardianship, the notarial deed and cost deposit, and the division of roles.
Starting a minpaku: what do you need? The notification vs. the hotel permit
To run a minpaku (residential accommodation business) in your own or an owned home, you file a notification under Article 3, paragraph 1 of the Housing Accommodation Business Act. This article organises the difference from the hotel-business permit, the 180-day cap, the fire-compliance notice, and the management rules and lease you must check.
Obtaining a secondhand-goods dealer permit: what the premises need
To trade in secondhand goods as a business, you need a public safety commission permit under Article 3 of the Secondhand Goods Business Act. This article organises the premises requirements, the documents for a leased property, the manager, the URL notification and who handles each part.
Serving alcohol after midnight: what notification do you need?
To serve alcohol as your main business between midnight and 6 a.m., you must notify the public safety commission under Article 33 of the Entertainment Business Act. This article organises the notification, land-use zoning, premises standards and how it divides from the restaurant permit and the lease.
Property still in a grandparent's name: how to write the estate division agreement in a sequential inheritance
Property left registered in a grandparent's name is treated as a 'sequential inheritance.' This article organises who signs the estate division agreement, whether the middle inheritance can be omitted in registration, how far back to gather family registers, and what changes for registration and inheritance tax.
How do you obtain a permit for industrial waste collection and transport? Disqualifications, the course and depot requirements
To collect and transport another party's industrial waste as a business, you need a prefectural governor's permit under Article 14 of the Waste Management Act. This article organises the requirements, disqualifications, the JW Center course, transfer-storage sites, per-prefecture permits and renewal.
Whom do you consult after a funeral? The division of roles between the funeral company, the ward office and the administrative scrivener, and the 7-day, 14-day and 2-year deadlines
After a funeral the counters are divided. Funeral arrangements belong to the funeral company; death notification, the cremation permit, the household change notification and funeral benefits belong to the municipal counter; preparation of inheritance documents belongs to an administrative scrivener. This article separates who to consult, and distinguishes procedures that have a statutory deadline from those that do not.
When can a deceased person's bank account be accessed? The pre-division withdrawal system and how bank procedures work
Once a financial institution confirms that a depositor has died, deposits and withdrawals on that account are generally suspended. Since 1 July 2019, however, each co-heir may withdraw a limited amount alone before estate division (Civil Code, Article 909-2). This article explains the calculation, the 1.5 million yen limit, the Family Court route and the division of work among specialists.
Designation for daily-life care (disability welfare): what the premises must meet
Daily-life care is a disability welfare service under the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act, and starting one requires designation as a designated disability welfare service provider (Article 36). This article organises the designation standards, the premises requirements, and who to ask for building, labour and tax.
Inheritance when an heir lives overseas or is a foreign national: required documents, signature certification and what an administrative scrivener can handle
Living overseas and holding foreign nationality are not the same problem. Overseas residence mainly raises issues of a seal certificate, signature certification, address proof and document delivery; foreign nationality adds proof of family relationships and, if the deceased was foreign, the applicable law (national law and renvoi). This article explains the difference between mainland China and Taiwan and the scope of an administrative scrivener.
Is an inheritance tax return required? The basic exemption, the ten-month deadline and how to think about filing
Not everyone who inherits must file a Japanese inheritance tax return. The first point to check is the basic exemption of 30 million yen plus 6 million yen per statutory heir. This article explains the basic materials and issues to organise before consulting a tax accountant, without calculating or judging tax.
A guide to inheritance procedure deadlines: three months, four months, ten months, three years and ten years
Inheritance procedures involve several deadlines, including renunciation or qualified acceptance, the final income tax return for the deceased, inheritance tax, inheritance registration and a claim for the legally reserved portion. This article explains each deadline, its starting point and what an administrative scrivener can handle.
What to do when heirs cannot agree: the flow of estate division conciliation and adjudication, and when to consult an attorney
If co-heirs cannot reach an estate division agreement, estate division conciliation or adjudication at the Family Court can be used. Estate division conciliation aims at agreement through discussion. If conciliation fails, estate division adjudication proceedings automatically begin. This article explains the flow and the division of work among specialists.
Costs and duration of reversion of inherited land to the national treasury: review fee, burden charge and the standard processing period of eight months
Reversion of inherited land to the national treasury involves a review fee and a burden charge. The review fee is 14,000 yen per parcel. The burden charge is 200,000 yen as a basis but may exceed that depending on the type and area of the land. This article explains the costs, the standard processing period of eight months and the timing of payment.
What to do when a will is found: probate, execution of the will, real estate registration and what an administrative scrivener can do
If a will is found, first check the type and whether it is sealed. A sealed will must not be opened outside the Family Court. A self-written will kept at home generally requires probate, but a notarised will or a self-written will kept at the Legal Affairs Bureau does not. This article explains the procedure, executors and the division of work among specialists.
What is the certified list of statutory heirs? A system usable in place of a bundle of family registers, and how to apply
The certified list of statutory heirs lists the statutory heirs identified from the family registers. Under the statutory inheritance information certification system, an application to the Legal Affairs Bureau yields a certified copy. This article explains how it differs from a diagram of the inheritance relationship, how to apply, the five-year retention and re-issue, and what an administrative scrivener can handle.
A checklist of what to do when an inheritance occurs: deadlines, change of title, cancellation and notification in order
Inheritance procedures are divided into administrative procedures after death and procedures for the inherited estate. First check the deadline and whether renunciation or qualified acceptance is being considered. This article organises what to do, by when, in what order, where to apply and which column to read.
Holograph wills vs notarised wills: the differences, procedures and what an administrative scrivener can handle
A holograph will and a notarised will differ in form, whether probate is required, and cost. Under current law a holograph will must be entirely handwritten and sealed. This article also covers the Legal Affairs Bureau custody system begun in 2020, the digitalisation of notarial practice in 2025, and the 2026 amendments that are promulgated but not yet in force.
Designation application for after-school day service and child development support: the flow and required documents
After-school day service and child development support are disability children day services under the Child Welfare Act, and starting one requires designation as a designated day-service business (Article 21-5-3). This article explains the flow of the designation application, the required documents, and who to ask for premises, labour and tax.
Where to start with an inheritance: gathering family registers and identifying heirs in Bunkyo
In the early stages of an inheritance procedure in Japan, the key is to confirm who the heirs are and what assets exist. This article explains how to proceed with heir identification and asset investigation, the wide-area family register certificate delivery that began in 2024, and what an administrative scrivener can handle.
Investigating inherited assets and preparing an asset list: what and how to investigate, and what an administrative scrivener can handle
Inherited assets include both positive and negative items. Before estate division, renunciation or inheritance tax, it is important to grasp the whole picture of the assets and debts. This article explains the real estate ownership record certification system, how to investigate deposits and debts, and how to prepare an asset list.
How to proceed with inheritance registration: the three-year rule, required documents, filing yourself and using a judicial scrivener
Inheritance registration can be filed by an heir personally. Acting for another person as an agent for real estate registration, preparing registration applications or giving registration advice is the work of a judicial scrivener or attorney. This article explains the 2024 obligation, the three-year rule, required documents and the application flow.
Can you prepare an estate division agreement yourself? Required documents, key drafting points and what an administrative scrivener can handle
An estate division agreement documents what all the heirs have agreed about how to divide the estate. This article explains how it differs from a certified list of statutory heirs, how to use a registered seal and a seal certificate, and what an administrative scrivener can and cannot do.
Statutory heirs and statutory shares: inheritance order, inheritance by representation and the basic shares
The range of heirs and their order of priority are fixed by the Civil Code, and the spouse is always an heir apart from the order. This article explains the order of succession, inheritance by representation and further representation, the shares of half-blood siblings, the spouse and de facto spouse, and the basic statutory shares.
What to do with unwanted inherited land: the system for reversion of inherited land to the national treasury and the difference from renunciation of inheritance
The system for reversion of inherited land to the national treasury allows certain land acquired by inheritance to be reverted to the national treasury if the requirements are met. Renunciation of inheritance, by contrast, treats the person as never having been an heir for that inheritance. This article explains the difference, eligibility, excluded land, costs and the procedure.
What is the legally reserved portion? Eligible heirs, shares, the one-year period and a claim for the legally reserved portion
The legally reserved portion is the minimum benefit guaranteed by law for certain heirs other than siblings. For inheritances commencing on or after 1 July 2019, a claim can be made for payment of money equivalent to the infringed amount. This article explains the basics, eligible heirs, shares and the one-year period.
Inherited farmland requires a notification to the agricultural committee: the procedure under Article 3-3 of the Agricultural Land Act
When you acquire farmland by inheritance, a notification to the agricultural committee is required separately from the ordinary inheritance procedure. Under Article 3-3 of the Agricultural Land Act, notify within roughly ten months. This article explains the deadline, documents, penalties and the order relative to registration, tax and sale.
What if an heir has dementia, is missing, or is a minor? Choosing between adult guardianship, an administrator for an absentee and a special representative
Estate division discussion is a procedure in which the co-heirs are the parties. If an heir lacks sufficient capacity, is missing or is a minor, the discussion cannot proceed without them, and the Family Court procedures come first. This article organises adult guardianship, the administrator of an absentee's property, adjudication of disappearance and the special representative, with statutory bases, costs and the division of work among specialists.
What to know before considering renunciation of inheritance or qualified acceptance: three months, estate investigation and the procedure
There are three choices for an inheritance: unconditional acceptance, renunciation and qualified acceptance. The period for renunciation or qualified acceptance is in principle three months from when the heir became aware that inheritance had commenced for him or her. This article explains the differences, the effect of renunciation, the continuing liquidation procedure of qualified acceptance and the division of work among specialists.
An estate division agreement when an heir lives in Taiwan: Taiwan has a seal registration system
When one of the heirs lives in Taiwan, the practical point that matters for an estate division agreement is that Taiwan has a seal registration system. A Taiwanese heir can use a seal certificate issued by a household registration office, and within the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau's jurisdiction, since 24 March 2015, such certificates can in principle be used for registration without the former three-step authentication if a Japanese translation is attached (treatment may differ by jurisdiction). A Japanese national living in Taiwan uses the signature certification route at the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association.
Where to Obtain a Taiwanese Household Registration Record for a Japanese Inheritance
Taiwanese household registration records (koseki / chu-hu tang-ben) are issued only by household registration offices in Taiwan; the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan cannot issue them. This guide covers the three ways heirs in Japan can obtain them, the order of succession and spousal share under Articles 1138 and 1144 of the Taiwan Civil Code, translation and authentication, and the three-year deadline for inheritance registration in Japan.
What Happens When You Hire an Administrative Scrivener and a Real Estate Agent Separately
Inheritance procedures and the eventual sale of inherited property are, in practice, one continuous process. This article explains, from an administrative scrivener's perspective, what happens when providers are split apart -- and why a single point of contact matters, especially given the registration deadline.
How Much Does an Inheritance Procedure Actually Cost? We Researched Administrative Scriveners' Going Rates
We break down the cost of inheritance procedures into three layers—professional fees such as those of administrative scriveners, out-of-pocket costs such as family registers, and fees for other professionals such as registration and tax work—and explain the going rates as ranges, based on the Japan Federation of Certified Administrative Procedures Legal Specialists' Associations' remuneration statistics and statutory law. From what an administrative scrivener charges for what, to how costs differ from those of judicial scriveners and certified tax accountants, to a comparison with doing it yourself, and a guide to 四葉行政書士事務所's fees, we transparently lay out the full cost picture.
For Foreigners Who Want to Work in Japan: A Bunkyo Ward Administrative Scrivener Explains the "Three Pillars" of Housing, Employment, and Visa Status
Joji Uramatsu, representative of Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office (former China Bureau Chief of Mainichi Newspaper), shares the "three pillars for sustaining work in Japan" from Bunkyo Ward. The preparation of documents for residence status is handled by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office and housing referrals by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., each under a separate contract. Available in four languages.
Let's start by sorting out your situation.
Yotsuba Gyoseishoshi Office (Kohinata, Bunkyo-ku; a 5-minute walk from Myogadani Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line) supports you from organizing the requirements through document preparation and application.
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5 min walk from Myogadani Sta. (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line)｜Tue & Wed 10:00–19:00 / Mon, Thu–Sun 18:00–19:00