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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.
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
LINE connects you directly to our representative, Joji Uramatsu. Messages are accepted 24/7 and answered in order.
5 min walk from Myogadani Sta. (Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line)｜Tue & Wed 10:00–19:00 / Mon, Thu–Sun 18:00–19:00