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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.
Which country's law governs the inheritance of a foreign national? Article 36 of the Act on General Rules for Application of Laws, renvoi, and Japanese real estate
When a foreign national dies, Japan starts from the rule that 'inheritance is governed by the national law of the decedent' (Article 36 of the Act on General Rules for Application of Laws). This article organises the framework for the governing law and the documents to gather from an administrative scrivener's view — the national-law principle, renvoi (Article 41), and the relation to where real estate is located.
Opening an after-school children's club: the notification, the roughly 1.65 m² per child, and support-staff placement
An after-school children's club (after-school child sound-upbringing project) cares for elementary-school children after school. If you are not a municipality, prefecture or the state, you notify the mayor in advance (Article 34-8, paragraph 2 of the Child Welfare Act). This article organises the notification and the facility-and-operation standards from an administrative scrivener's view.
Does a duty to look after the family home remain even after renouncing inheritance? The 2023-amended Civil Code Article 940, explained
Renouncing an inheritance does not necessarily free you from looking after the family home. The Civil Code Article 940(1), in force from 1 April 2023, provides that a person who renounces must, when they are in actual possession of the property at the time of renunciation, preserve it until it is handed over to the heir or the estate liquidator (Article 952(1)). Before the amendment, all renouncers bore a 'management' duty; after it, only those in actual possession bear a 'preservation' duty. This article explains the scope and how to end the duty.
Starting a driving-agency (daiko) business: the certification, offices and accompanying vehicles
A driving-agency (daiko) business is started not by a transport licence but by the certification of the prefectural public safety commission (Act on Proper Operation of Automobile Driving Agency Business, Article 4). It requires that none of the disqualifications in Article 3 apply, and the person who drives the customer's car needs an ordinary second-class licence (Road Traffic Act, Article 86), while an accompanying vehicle needs only a first-class licence. Operating without certification is punishable by a fine of up to 300,000 yen (Article 32). This article organises the framework and who to hand each part to.
Closing a grave (relocation permit): how to proceed with the procedure
Closing a grave (relocation of remains) is a procedure carried out after obtaining an administrative permit. A person who intends to relocate must obtain the permit of the mayor of the place where the cremated remains currently exist (Article 5 of the Act on Graveyards and Burial). This article organises the flow and required documents of the relocation permit, the certificate of burial and the acceptance certificate, the relationship with the person who succeeds to the ritual property under Article 897 of the Civil Code, the discussion of the temple-leaving fee and removal costs, and who to ask for document preparation, negotiation and disputes (separate engagement).
Opening a fee-charging home for the elderly with care: the setup notification and the designation as a specified facility
A fee-charging home for the elderly "with care" needs two steps stacked together: the setup notification under Article 29(1) of the Act on Welfare of the Elderly (a prior notification to the prefectural governor), and the designation for specified-facility resident daily-life care under the Long-Term Care Insurance Act. This article organises the requirements (3-to-1 nursing and care staffing, rooms of in principle at least 13 square metres), the schedule from notification to designation and opening, and who to ask for premises, building, fire, labour, registration and tax.
Starting a security-guard company: the certification requirements, disqualifications, and training in full
A security business is started not by a licence but by the certification of the prefectural public safety commission (Security Services Act, Article 4). It requires that none of the disqualifications in Article 3 apply, and that a security-guard instruction and education supervisor can be appointed per office and per business category (Article 22). Guards must receive new-recruit training (in principle 20 hours or more) and in-service training (10 hours or more per year); operating without certification is punishable by a fine of up to 1 million yen (Article 57). This article organises the framework and who to hand each part to.
Can you divide only part of an estate first? How a 'partial division agreement' works
You can divide only part of an estate first. Co-heirs may, at any time, divide the whole or a part of the estate by agreement (Civil Code, Article 907(1); the words 'or a part' were made explicit by the 2018 reform, in force 1 July 2019). You settle the fixed real property and deposits first and leave assets that take time to value or contact as undivided. A partial division agreement specifies the target assets and records that the rest will be discussed separately. This article organises whether it is possible, how to word the reservation, the tax effect, later-found assets, registration and withdrawal, and who to hand each part to.
Opening a pharmacy: what the structural-facility standards and the managing pharmacist require
To open a dispensing pharmacy you need a pharmacy opening licence from the prefectural governor for each shop (Act on Securing Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices, Article 4(1)). This article organises the three licensing requirements under Article 5, the structural-facility standards of the Regulation for the Structure and Equipment of Pharmacies, the managing pharmacist and the ban on concurrent posts, the application flow and documents, and how a pharmacy differs from store-based sales—and who to ask for each.
Rewriting a will, or several wills turning up: how revocation and conflicting-provision priority are decided
A will may be revoked at any time by the method of a will (Civil Code, Article 1022). Where a later will conflicts with an earlier one, the conflicting part is deemed revoked by the later will (Article 1023(1)); the non-conflicting part of the earlier will stays valid. A lifetime gift or sale after the will that conflicts with it also deems that part revoked (Article 1023(2)). This article organises revocation methods, the scope of conflict, the effect of later lifetime dispositions, and what happens when several wills appear—and who to ask for each.
Designation for employment continuation support (Type A / Type B): requirements and procedure
Employment continuation support is a disability welfare service under the Comprehensive Support for Persons with Disabilities Act; Type A provides work under an employment contract, Type B without one. This article organises how the two differ, the staffing, facility and operation standards, the application flow, and who to ask for premises, building, labour, registration and tax.
When the estate includes non-listed shares of a family company: how to run the division
Non-listed shares of a family company are estate property subject to division. Until division is complete the shares are held in co-ownership, and rights toward the company need a designated holder. This article covers co-ownership, valuation, ways to concentrate shares in a successor, what to write in the division agreement, and who to ask for valuation, registration and disputes.
Inheriting a deceased family member's car: how to handle the transfer registration
A car in the deceased's name is inherited property and subject to estate division. A registered (standard) car requires transfer registration under Article 13 of the Road Transport Vehicle Act within 15 days; a light vehicle is outside that system. For a standard car appraised at 1 million yen or less, a simplified statement of concluded estate division may replace the division agreement. This article organises the flow, documents and the division of roles.
Warehouse-business registration: what property requirements must you meet?
To run a commercial warehouse that stores others' goods for a fee, you need registration under Article 3 of the Warehouse Business Act. Whether you qualify turns on whether the property meets the facility standards for the type of warehouse, and you must appoint a warehouse management supervisor. This article organises registration, the facility standards, the supervisor and the division of roles.
Notarisation, apostille and consular legalisation: how to tell them apart in cross-border document authentication
In contracts, inheritance and company matters involving overseas parties, you prepare 'authentication' so a document is accepted abroad (or in Japan). This article sorts out four things—notarisation, authentication of a private document, apostille and consular legalisation—by whether the destination country is a party to the Hague Convention (in force for Japan since 27 July 1970), and organises the different routes for mainland China (in force between Japan and China from 7 November 2023), Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan.
Opening a cleaning establishment: the notification and facilities you need
To open a cleaning establishment you file, in advance, a notification of its location and structural facilities with the prefectural governor (Cleaning Business Act, Article 5(1)); you may not use it until the notified facilities are confirmed on inspection (Article 5-2); and a shop that washes places at least one cleaning technician per establishment (Article 4). This article organises the requirements and flow, how a receiving-only agency shop and a coin laundry are treated differently, the facility standards, and who to ask for premises, labour and tax.
Disqualification and disinheritance of an heir: how they differ and affect division
Disqualification and disinheritance both make a particular person lose the right to inherit, but they work differently. Disqualification of an heir arises by operation of law, without any procedure, when a person commits a serious act (Civil Code Article 891). Disinheritance is where, on abuse, grave insult or seriously improper conduct by a presumptive heir who has a legally reserved portion, the court, on the decedent's petition, adjudicates the loss of the right (Articles 892–895). Both are causes of substitute succession (Article 887(2)). This article organises the differences, the grounds and procedure, the effect on the statutory share and substitute succession, and who to ask for the deed, the court petition and registration.
Rental housing management registration and sublease solicitation rules: the 200-unit threshold and the business-manager requirement
A rental housing management business must be registered once it manages 200 or more rental units. This article organises the registration threshold, the business-manager and financial-base requirements, and the sublease (master-lease) rules on exaggerated advertising and improper solicitation that apply regardless of registration or scale.
Starting a pet shop or grooming salon: how do you obtain the First-Category Animal-Handling Business registration?
To run a pet shop, grooming salon, pet hotel or training school as a business, you must register as a First-Category Animal-Handling Business before you start operating. This article organises the registration under the Act on Welfare and Management of Animals (Article 10), the animal-handling manager requirements, the facility standards, the application flow and who to ask for each.
Is life-insurance money subject to estate division, and is it brought back into hotchpot as a special benefit?
Life-insurance proceeds with a named beneficiary are, as a rule, the beneficiary's own property and outside estate division. But where the unfairness is markedly excessive, there is an exception where they are brought into hotchpot by analogy to a special benefit (Supreme Court decision of 29 October 2004). This article organises the rule and the exception.
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