How does the self-written will deposit system change the procedures after inheritance begins?

In short: when you use the system for depositing self-written wills based on the Act on Deposit, etc. of Wills at Legal Affairs Bureaus (Act No. 73 of 2018), the procedures after inheritance begins change greatly. The biggest difference is that, for a deposited will, the probate under Article 1004, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code becomes unnecessary (Article 11, paragraph 1 of the Act), and that when one heir confirms the content, the Legal Affairs Bureau sends all other heirs a "notice of deposit of a related will." An heir first checks whether a will is deposited by a "will-deposit-fact certificate," then confirms the content by requesting a "will-information certificate." The information certificate can be used directly for procedures such as inheritance registration, without probate. This article is general information organising the flow after inheritance begins when the deposit system is used; it does not judge individual legal matters such as the validity of a will.

What is the self-written will deposit system?

The self-written will deposit system lets you deposit a will you wrote yourself (a self-written will) at a Legal Affairs Bureau (will deposit office) anywhere in the country. It began on 10 July 2020. A self-written will kept at home risks loss, alteration or concealment, or not being found after death; depositing it at a Legal Affairs Bureau avoids these.

Article 4, paragraph 1 of the Act provides that "the testator may apply to the will deposit officer for the deposit of a will." The main features of the application are as follows.

Item	Content
Who can apply	The testator in person only (an application by an agent is not allowed)
Place of procedure	The will deposit office with jurisdiction over the testator's address, domicile of origin, or location of owned real estate
Fee	3,900 yen per application for the deposit (paid by revenue stamp)
Reservation	A reservation is required for all procedures at the will deposit office

A formal check is available, but the Legal Affairs Bureau does not guarantee that the content of the will is valid. How to choose the method of drafting itself (the difference between a self-written will and a notarised will) is organised in Self-written will or notarised will: which to choose?.

How do you confirm a deposited will after inheritance begins?

After the testator dies, heirs, devisees and others use two certificates to confirm whether a will exists and its content.

Certificate	What it shows	Fee	Basis
Will-deposit-fact certificate	Whether a will relating to you is deposited (existence)	800 yen per copy	Act Art. 10
Will-information certificate	The content of the deposited will (including images)	1,400 yen per copy	Act Art. 9

Article 10, paragraph 1 of the Act provides that "any person" may request from the will deposit office a will-deposit-fact certificate. It is used when you first want to confirm only existence. When you also want to know the content, under Article 9, paragraph 1, a related heir (an heir, devisee, will executor, etc.) requests a will-information certificate. There is also a way to request inspection of the original or by monitor (inspection is 1,400 yen per time by monitor, 1,700 yen per time for the original). The will-information certificate can be used directly for procedures such as inheritance registration without going through family-court probate, which is its practical advantage (for the flow of inheritance registration, see How do you proceed with inheritance registration?).

Why is probate unnecessary, and how are heirs notified?

Normally, a self-written will kept at home must, under Article 1004, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code, be submitted to the family court for probate without delay after the keeper or the heir who finds it learns that inheritance has begun (a notarised will needs no probate, under paragraph 2 of the same article). Probate is a procedure by which the family court checks and preserves the shape and content of the will; it takes time from filing to the hearing.

By contrast, for a will using the deposit system, Article 11, paragraph 1 of the Act provides that "the provision of Article 1004, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code does not apply to a will deposited at a will deposit office," so probate becomes unnecessary. The reasoning is that, because it is deposited at the Legal Affairs Bureau and its content is managed as image data, there is no need for the family court to check it again.

Furthermore, the deposit system has two notices that inform other heirs.

• Notice of deposit of a related will (Article 9, paragraph 5 of the Act): when one of the heirs, etc. receives a will-information certificate or inspects the will, the will deposit officer promptly notifies the other heirs, devisees, will executor and so on that the will is deposited. This prevents only some heirs from learning of the will and proceeding.
• Death notification (designated-person notification): a person the testator has designated in advance by preference is notified when the Legal Affairs Bureau confirms the testator's death. From 2 October 2023, the number of people who can be designated was expanded to up to three.

What do you divide to which professionals when using the deposit system?

The deposit system is only the entry point of the procedure; inheritance as a whole spans several specialist fields. The roles are as follows.

• Guiding the will-deposit application and the request for certificates after inheritance begins, and preparing documents showing inheritance relationships → Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office (administrative scrivener)
• Changing the ownership of real estate under the will (inheritance registration) → a judicial scrivener
• Filing and paying inheritance tax → a tax accountant
• Contested matters such as the validity of the will or legally reserved portions → a lawyer
• Selling or using inherited real estate → Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate broker), a separate business

Have a question about your situation?

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Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office handles document preparation and procedural guidance, and leaves concrete legal judgements, such as whether a will is valid, to the person and a lawyer. Inheritance registration is for a judicial scrivener, inheritance tax filing for a tax accountant, and contested matters for a lawyer, each contracted separately as an independent business. When selling inherited real estate, Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd., a separate business, handles it under a separate contract as an independent business (see Inheritance consultation). Each field is on the premise that you contract separately with each counter or qualified professional, and our office receives no referral fee. For the flow of engagement, see Engagement Flow; for fees, see Fee Schedule; and for our inheritance services, see Inheritance Procedure Support.

How do you decide which cases suit the deposit system?

The deposit system suits cases where you want to prevent loss and alteration at a low cost and also save the trouble of probate. On the other hand, whether the formal requirements are met is the testator's own responsibility, and the deposit system does not guarantee that the content is legally valid. If you want a professional involved in the content and the execution of the will, a notarised will involving a notary is also an option (see Drafting a notarised will: notary, witnesses and fees).

Suitable cases	Cases needing consideration
Want to prevent loss and alteration at a low cost	Unsure if the content is valid and want a professional to check the content too
Want to save the trouble of probate	Hard to appear and reserve in person (application is by the testator only; no agent)
Want to make sure heirs learn the will exists	Legally reserved portions or disputes among heirs are expected

Which is appropriate changes with the nature of the assets and the situation of the heirs. Judgements involving the validity of a will or legally reserved portions are the field of a lawyer, ownership changes of a judicial scrivener, and the tax amount of a tax accountant; they are not matters for our office to judge. For the overall approach to inheritance, see also The whole picture of inheritance procedures and a checklist.

FAQ

Q. If I use the deposit system, is family-court probate really unnecessary after inheritance begins?
A. Yes. Article 11, paragraph 1 of the Act provides that the probate provision of Article 1004, paragraph 1 of the Civil Code does not apply to a will deposited at a will deposit office. Heirs can proceed to procedures such as inheritance registration by receiving a will-information certificate, without family-court probate. However, a self-written will kept at home that is not deposited still needs probate as before.

Q. If one heir confirms the will, do the other heirs find out too?
A. Yes. Under Article 9, paragraph 5 of the Act, when one of the heirs, etc. receives a will-information certificate or inspects the will, the will deposit officer promptly notifies the other heirs, devisees, will executor and so on that the will is deposited (notice of deposit of a related will). Separately, there is also a mechanism (designated-person notification) that notifies a person designated by the testator in life at the time of death.

Q. How much does it cost to confirm the content of a deposited will?
A. The will-deposit-fact certificate, which confirms only existence, is 800 yen per copy, and the will-information certificate, which certifies the content, is 1,400 yen per copy (inspection is 1,400 yen per time by monitor, 1,700 yen for the original). The deposit fee the testator pays in life is 3,900 yen per application. Because amounts can change, confirm the latest figures with your nearest will deposit office (Legal Affairs Bureau) or the official guidance of the Ministry of Justice before requesting.

Q. I cannot decide between a self-written will and a notarised will.
A. The deposit system prevents loss and alteration at a low cost and saves probate, but whether the content is valid is the testator's responsibility. If you want a professional to check the content too, a notarised will is also an option. Which is appropriate changes with the assets and the situation of the heirs, and judgements on validity are the field of a lawyer. Our office helps you organise this at a meeting, within the scope of document preparation and procedural guidance.

Sources (Primary Information)

• e-Gov Law Search, "Act on Deposit, etc. of Wills at Legal Affairs Bureaus" (Act No. 73 of 2018), Article 4, paragraph 1; Article 9, paragraphs 1 and 5; Article 10, paragraph 1; Article 11, paragraph 1 (accessed 2026-10-09)
• e-Gov Law Search, "Civil Code" (Act No. 89 of 1896), Article 1004, paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 (probate of a will) (accessed 2026-10-09)
• Ministry of Justice, "The self-written will deposit system" (overview, fees, notices, procedures after inheritance begins) (accessed 2026-10-09)
• Ministry of Justice, "On notices concerning the will deposit system" (notice of deposit of a related will; death notification (designated-person notification); expansion of designees from 2 October 2023) (accessed 2026-10-09)

This article is general information and does not guarantee the validity of any individual will, the appropriateness of its content, the outcome of the procedure, the required documents, or whether each certificate will be issued. Because fees and forms may be revised, always confirm the latest information with your nearest will deposit office (Legal Affairs Bureau) and the official guidance of the Ministry of Justice. Legal judgements involving the validity of a will or legally reserved portions are handled by a lawyer, the ownership change of real estate under a will (inheritance registration) by a judicial scrivener, and inheritance tax filing by a tax accountant, each contracted separately as an independent business. The sale or use of inherited real estate is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (licensed real estate broker), a separate business, under a separate contract as an independent business. Our office receives no referral fee. Individual judgements are made by a qualified professional after a meeting. Written by Joji Uramatsu, administrative scrivener and licensed real estate broker.