Article 1(1)Unless otherwise provided for in this Act, functions for family registers are administered by the mayor of a municipality.

(2)The functions to be handled by the mayor of a municipality pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph are Type I statutory entrusted functions as prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (9), item (i) of the Local Autonomy Act (Act No. 67 of 1947).

Article 2The mayor of a municipality may not perform their duties with regard to any event involving a family register concerning themselves, their spouse, lineal ascendants, or lineal descendants.

Article 3(1)The Minister of Justice may set standards with which the mayors of municipalities must comply in the course of handling any functions for family registers.

(2)If the director of a legal affairs bureau or district legal affairs bureau with jurisdiction over the location of a city office or town or village office (hereinafter referred to as the "director with jurisdiction") finds it necessary to do so in order to handle functions for family registers, the director may request reports from or give advice or make recommendations to the mayor of a municipality. In this case, the director may give instructions to the mayor if the director finds it particularly necessary to do so in order to ensure proper handling of functions for family registers.

(3)If the director with jurisdiction receives a contact for confirmation concerning the handling of functions for family registers from the mayor of a municipality or otherwise finds it necessary to do so in order to give advice, recommendations, or instructions pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the director may ask questions or request submission of necessary documents to the notifying person, the party to the event under notification, or other relevant persons.

(4)The provisions of Article 245-4, Article 245-7, paragraph (2), item (i), and paragraphs (3) and (4), Article 245-8, paragraphs (12) and (13), and Article 245-9, paragraph (2), item (i), and paragraphs (3) and (4) of the Local Autonomy Act do not apply to functions for family registers.

Article 4In the cases of special wards, the provisions of this Act concerning city mayors and city offices apply mutatis mutandis to special wards, special ward mayors, and special ward offices; and those provisions apply mutatis mutandis to wards, administratively consolidated wards, ward mayors, administratively consolidated ward mayors, ward offices, and administratively consolidated wards offices in the case of designated cities referred to in Article 252-19, paragraph (1) of the Local Autonomy Act.

Article 5Deleted

Article 6A family register is created for each unit consisting of a husband and wife, and any children with the same surname, who have their registered domicile within the area of a municipality; provided, however, that when a new family register is created for a person who has entered into marriage with a person who is not a Japanese national (hereinafter referred to as a "foreign national"), or for a person who does not have a spouse, it is created for each unit consisting of the person in question and any children with the same surname.

Article 7Family registers are compiled into a registry.

Article 8(1)An original and a duplicate is made for each family register.

(2)The original is kept at the city office or town or village office, and the duplicate is preserved by the competent legal affairs bureau or district legal affairs bureau or a related branch office.

Article 9A family register is identified by the name and registered domicile of the person entered at the head of the register. The family register continues to be identified by them even after the relevant person's name has been removed from the family register.

Article 10(1)A person entered in a family register (including a person whose name has been removed from the family register (excluding a person for whom all of the entries in it have been made at the error of the mayor of the municipality and then corrected pursuant to the provisions of Article 24, paragraph (2))), or their spouse, lineal ascendant, or lineal descendant may request the issuance of a transcript or extract of the family register, or a certificate of the particulars entered in the family register (hereinafter referred to as a "family register transcript, extract or certificate").

(2)The mayor of a municipality may refuse the request referred to in the preceding paragraph if it is clear that the request has been made for an unjust purpose.

(3)A person who seeks to make the request referred to in paragraph (1) may request that the family register transcript, extract or certificate be sent to them by postal mail or by any other method specified by Ministry of Justice Order.

Article 10-2(1)A person other than the person prescribed in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article may request the issuance of a family register transcript, extract or certificate only in the cases listed in the following items. In this case, the person who makes the request must clarify the particulars specified in those items:

(2)Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, a national or local government agency may request the issuance of a family register transcript, extract or certificate if the agency needs it in order to perform functions prescribed by law and regulations. In this case, the official with the authority to take charge of making the request must clarify their government position, the type of functions, and the clauses of the governing law and regulations that constitute the grounds for performing functions, as well as the purpose for which the particulars entered in the family register will be used.

(3)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), an attorney (including a legal professional corporation or attorney at law/registered foreign lawyer joint corporation; the same applies in the following paragraph), a judicial scrivener (including a judicial scrivener corporation; the same applies in the following paragraph), a land and buildings investigator (including a land and buildings investigator corporation; the same applies in the following paragraph), a certified public tax accountant (including a tax accountancy corporation; the same applies in the following paragraph), a public consultant on social and labor insurance (including a public consultant on social and labor insurance corporation; the same applies in the following paragraph), a patent attorney (including a patent attorney corporation; the same applies in the following paragraph), a marine procedure commission agent, or a certified administrative procedures legal specialist (including a certified administrative procedures legal specialist corporation) may request the issuance of a family register transcript, extract or certificate if they require it in order to execute business concerning a case or function that they have undertaken. In this case, the person who makes the request must clarify their qualifications, the type of the business, the name of the client of the case or function, and the particulars prescribed in the items of paragraph (1) regarding the relevant client.

(4)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) and the preceding paragraph, an attorney, judicial scrivener, land and buildings investigator, certified public tax accountant, social insurance and labor public consultant, or patent attorney may request the issuance of a family register transcript, extract or certificate if they require it in order to conduct the following business with regard to a case that they have undertaken. In this case, the person who makes the request must clarify their qualification, the type of the case, the procedures which they are carrying out or seek to carry out as an agent in the course of their business, and the purpose of use of the particulars entered in the family register:

(5)Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (1) and (3), an attorney may request the issuance of a family register transcript, extract or certificate if the attorney needs it in order to perform their services in acting as a defense counsel in a criminal case, in acting as an attendant in a juvenile protection case or a treatment case prescribed in Article 3 of the Act on Medical Care and Treatment for Persons Who Have Caused Serious Harm to Others While in a State of Insanity (Act No. 110 of 2003), in acting as an assistant in court in a case involving a request for examination on the extradition of a fugitive, in acting as an agent appointed by the court pursuant to the provisions of Article 14, paragraph (2) of the Act on Protection of Personal Liberty (Act No. 199 of 1948), in acting as a counsel appointed by the presiding judge pursuant to the provisions of Article 13, paragraphs (2) and (3) of the Personal Status Litigation Act (Act No. 109 of 2003), or in acting as a special agent prescribed in Article 35, paragraph (1) of the Code of Civil Procedure (Act No. 109 of 1996). In this case, the person who makes the request must clarify their qualifications as an attorney, the category of services concerned, and the purpose for which the particulars entered in the family register will be used.

(6)The provisions of paragraph (3) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to a person who seeks to make a request referred to in the preceding paragraphs.

Article 10-3(1)When making a request prescribed in Article 10, paragraph (1), or paragraphs (1) through (5) of the preceding Article, the person taking charge of making the request must clarify their name and other particulars specified by Ministry of Justice Order that are necessary for identifying themselves to the mayor of the municipality, by showing their driver's license or by any other method specified by Ministry of Justice Order.

(2)For a case referred to in the preceding paragraph, if the person taking charge of making the request is an agent of the person making the request (or for a case of the request referred to in paragraph (2) of the preceding Article, if the person taking charge of making the request is an agent of the official with the authority to do so; hereinafter referred to as the "requesting person" in this paragraph and the following Article) or any person other than the requesting person, the person who is taking charge of making the request must submit, to the mayor of the municipality, a document clarifying that they are taking charge of making the request at the requesting person's direction or pursuant to the provisions of laws and regulations, by a method specified by Ministry of Justice Order.

Article 10-4If a request referred to in Article 10-2, paragraphs (1) through (5) has been made, and the mayor of the municipality finds that the particulars that the requesting person is required to clarify pursuant to these provisions have not been clarified, they may ask for the necessary explanations from the requesting person.

Article 11If all or part of a family register book is lost or is likely to be lost, the Minister of Justice must give instructions to take the necessary measures for its replication or supplementation. In this case, if a family registry is lost, the Minister of Justice must give public notice to that effect.

Article 11-2(1)If an entry in a family register has been made based on a false notification or other related action (meaning a notification, a report, an application, a request, entrustment, issuance of a certified copy of a certificate or logbook, or the rendering of a judicial decision; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph), based on a notification or other related action that was made by mistake, or due to an error that the mayor of the municipality made, and the entry has been corrected pursuant to the provisions of Article 24, paragraph (2), Article 113, Article 114, or Article 116, and if a person entered in that family register (including a person whose name has been removed from that family register; the same applies in the following paragraph) requests the replication of an abridged edition of the family register without the entries containing the particulars subject to the corrections, the Minister of Justice must give instructions to take the necessary measures for that replication; provided, however, that this does not apply when a replicated family register contains errors or omissions in its entries.

(2)The provisions of the main clause of the preceding paragraph also apply if the mayor of the municipality has corrected, added, or deleted any characters in a family register when making an entry in it, and a person entered in the family register requests the replication of an abridged edition of the family register without the entries containing the particulars subject to that correction, addition, or deletion.

Article 12(1)If the names of all of the persons in a family register are removed, the family register is removed from the relevant family register book and compiled into another registry, which is preserved as a registry of removed family registers.

(2)The provisions of Article 9, Article 11, and the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to a registry of removed family registers and to those family registers removed.

Article 12-2The provisions of Articles 10 through 10-4 apply mutatis mutandis to cases in which the issuance of a transcript or extract of a removed family register or a certificate of the particulars entered in a removed family register (hereinafter referred to as a "transcript, extract, or certificate of a removed family register") is requested.

Article 13In addition to the registered domicile, the following particulars must be entered in a family register for each person in the family register:

Article 14(1)Names are entered in the following order:

First: the name of the husband when the husband and wife take the husband's surname, or the name of the wife when they take the wife's surname;

Second: the name of the spouse;

Third: the names of any children.

(2)The names of any children are entered in the order of their birth.

(3)The name of a person for whom the reason to join a family register happened after the family register was created is entered at the end of the family register.

Article 15Entries in a family register are made based on a notification, a report, an application, a request, entrustment, a certified copy of a certificate or logbook, or a judicial decision.

Article 16(1)When a notification of marriage is made, a new family register is created for the husband and wife; provided, however, that this does not apply if the husband and wife take the husband's surname and the husband's name is entered as the head of his family register, or if they take the wife's surname and the wife's name is entered as the head of her family register.

(2)In the case referred to in the proviso to the preceding paragraph, the wife who takes her husband's surname joins the husband's family register, and the husband who takes his wife's surname joins the wife's family register.

(3)When a notification of marriage between a Japanese national and a foreign national is made, a new family register is created for the Japanese national; provided, however, that this does not apply if the Japanese national is entered as the head of their family register.

Article 17When a person other than the person entered at the head of a family register and their spouse comes to have a child or adopts a child who takes the same surname as them, a new family register is created for that person.

Article 18(1)A child who takes the surname of their parents joins the parents' family register.

(2)Except for the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, a child who takes the surname of their father joins the father's family register, and a child who takes the surname of their mother joins the mother's family register.

(3)An adopted child joins the family register of their adoptive parents.

Article 19(1)If a person who has taken a new surname as a result of marriage or adoption reverts to the surname used before the marriage or adoption as a result of divorce, dissolution of an adoptive relationship, or annulment of the marriage or adoption, that person joins the family register which they joined before the marriage or adoption; provided, however, that if their previous family register has already been removed, or when they request the creation of a new family register, a new family register is created.

(2)The provisions of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis to cases in which a person reverts to the surname used before marriage pursuant to the provisions of Article 751, paragraph (1) of the Civil Code, and a person reverts to their previous surname pursuant to the provisions of Article 791, paragraph (4) of the relevant Code.

(3)If a notification has been submitted to the effect that a person will use the surname that they used at the time of their divorce or the annulment of marriage, or at the time of the dissolution of their adoptive relationship or the annulment of their adoption pursuant to the provisions of Article 767, paragraph (2) of the Civil Code (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Articles 749 and 771 of the relevant Code) or Article 816, paragraph (2) of the relevant Code (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 808, paragraph (2) of the relevant Code), and if there is no family register in which the person has been entered as the head, or if any other person is entered in the family register in which the person who has made the notification has been entered as the head, a new family register is created for the person making the notification.

Article 20Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding two Articles, if a person who is to join another family register pursuant to the provisions of the preceding two Articles has a spouse, a new family register is created for that person and their spouse.

Article 20-2(1)If a notification has been submitted to the effect that a person is changing their surname pursuant to the provisions of Article 107, paragraph (2) or (3), and any other person has been entered in the family register of the person who has submitted the notification, a new family register is created for the person who has submitted the notification.

(2)If a notification has been submitted to the effect that a person is changing their surname pursuant to the provisions of Article 107, paragraph (1) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (4) of the relevant Article, a new family register is created for the party to the event under notification.

Article 20-3(1)If a notification of adoption has been submitted pursuant to the provisions of Article 68-2, a new family register is first created for the adopted child; provided, however, that this does not apply if the adopted child has been entered in the family register of an adoptive parent.

(2)The provisions of Article 14, paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the case referred to in the proviso to the preceding paragraph.

Article 20-4If the adjudication of a change of gender designation has been rendered pursuant to the provisions of Article 3, paragraph (1) of the Act on Special Cases Involving the Handling of Gender for People with Gender Identity Disorder (Act No. 111 of 2003), and any other person has been entered in the family register of the person to whom the adjudication of the change of gender designation applies (that other person includes a person whose name has been removed from the family register), a new family register is created for the person to whom the adjudication of the change of gender designation applies.

Article 21(1)A person who has attained the age of majority may separate from their family register; provided, however, that this does not apply to the person entered as the head of a family register and their spouse.

(2)When a notification of separation from a family register has been submitted, a new family register is created.

Article 22Except for a person who will join the family register of their father or mother, when a new entry should be made for a person for whom there is no entry in a family register, a new family register is created.

Article 23The name of a person for whom a new family register will be created or who will join another family register pursuant to the provisions of Articles 16 thorough 21 is removed from their previous family register. The same applies to a person who has died, a person subject to a declaration of presumed death, or a person who has lost Japanese nationality.

Article 24(1)If the mayor of a municipality finds that any entry in a family register that is impermissible under law or any mistake or omission is in the entries in a family register, they must notify the notifying person or the party to the event under notification to that effect without delay; provided, however, that this does not apply if the details of and reasons for the correction are clear to the mayor of the municipality from the entries in the family register, entries in the notification, or other documents.

(2)In the case referred to in the proviso of the preceding paragraph, the mayor of the municipality may correct the family register with the permission of the director with jurisdiction.

(3)Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the permission referred to in that paragraph is not required for minor revisions to the content of a family register that do not have an impact on the familial relationships of the persons entered in the family register.

(4)If, in the course of their duty, a court or any other government agency, public prosecutor, or public official has come to know of any entry in a family register that is impermissible under law, or of any mistake or omission in the entries in a family register, they must notify the mayor of the municipality in the locality of the registered domicile of the parties to the event under notification to that effect without delay.

Article 113If an interested person finds any entry in a family register that is impermissible under law or any mistake or omission in the entries in a family register, they may apply for the correction of the family register with the permission of the family court.

Article 114If an entry has been made in the family register concerning any act that becomes effective through notification (excluding acts relating to a notification made pursuant to the provisions of Article 60, Article 61, Article 66, Article 68, Articles 70 through 72, Article 74, and Article 76) but after that, the person who submitted the notification or a party to the event under notification finds that the act in question is void, they may apply for correction of the family register with the permission of the family court.

Article 115If a judicial decision granting the permission referred to in the preceding two Articles has been rendered, the relevant person must file an application for correction of the family register together with a transcript of the judicial decision within one month.

Article 116(1)If correction of a family register is required to be made based on a final and binding judgment, the person who filed the action must file an application for correction of the family register together with a transcript of the judgment within one month from the day on which the judgment has become final and binding.

(2)If a public prosecutor filed the action, they must request correction of the family register without delay after the judgment has become final and binding.

Article 117The provisions of Article 25, paragraph (1), Articles 27 through 32, Articles 34 through 39, Articles 43 through 48, and the first sentence of Article 63, paragraph (2) apply mutatis mutandis to an application for the correction of a family register.

Article 118(1)The mayors of the municipalities designated by the Minister of Justice is to handle the functions for family registers by means of electronic data processing systems (meaning electronic data processing systems connecting the computers (including magnetic disks (including objects that can record certain matters securely by equivalent means; the same applies hereinafter) and input/output devices; the same applies hereinafter) used by the Minister of Justice with the computers used by the mayor of a municipality by telecommunications line; the same applies hereinafter), as provided for by Ministry of Justice Order; provided, however, that this does not apply to functions for family registers or removed family registers specified by Ministry of Justice Order as those that it is not appropriate to handle using electronic data processing systems.

(2)The designation under the preceding paragraph must be made by public notice at the request of the mayor of a municipality.

Article 119(1)In the case referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, family registers are recorded on and prepared by means of magnetic disks.

(2)In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, family registers prepared by means of magnetic disks are accumulated and compiled into family register books, and family registers prepared by means of magnetic disks and removed from a family registry are accumulated and compiled into registries of removed family registers.

Article 119-2Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 8, paragraph (2), duplicates of family registers or removed family registers prepared by means of magnetic disks pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph are kept by the Minister of Justice.

Article 120(1)If a family register or a removed family register is prepared by means of a magnetic disk pursuant to the provisions of the Article 119, the request referred to in Article 10, paragraph (1) or Article 10-2, paragraphs (1) to (5) (including if these provisions are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 12-2) may be made to obtain a document certifying all or part of the particulars recorded in the family register prepared by means of a magnetic disk (hereinafter referred to as a "family register certificate") or a document certifying all or part of the particulars recorded in the removed family register prepared by means of a magnetic disk (hereinafter referred to as a "removed family register certificate") in lieu of obtaining the family register transcript, extract or certificate or obtaining a transcript, extract, or certificate of the removed family register.

(2)For the purpose of the application of the provisions of Article 100, paragraph (2) and Article 108, paragraph (2) as well as the provisions of the Passport Act (Act No. 267 of 1951) and other laws and regulations, a family register certificate or removed family register certificate is deemed to be a transcript or extract of the family register or the removed family register.

Article 121The Minister of Justice and the mayor of a designated municipality must take measures to ensure the security and reliability of electronic data processing systems and other necessary measures in order to prevent leaks and perform other appropriate management with regard to confidentiality concerning particulars regarding the construction, maintenance, management, and operation of electronic data processing systems.

Article 121-2Persons engaged or formerly engaged in functions concerning particulars related to the construction, maintenance, management, and operation of electronic data processing systems must not leak or misappropriate secrets concerning particulars that they have come to know in relation to their duties.

Article 121-3The Minister of Justice may use information recorded in duplicates of family registers or removed family registers in the form of a magnetic disk pursuant to the provisions of Article 119 of this Act in order to prepare relationships data from family registers (meaning relationships data from family registers as prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (3) of the Act on the Use of Numbers to Identify a Specific Individual in Administrative Procedures (Act No. 27 of 2013)) that is to be used for the providing the relevant information pursuant to the provisions of Article 19, item (viii) or (ix) of that Act.

Article 122A person who considers a disposition made by the mayor of a municipality with regard to an event involving a family register (excluding an event related to the request prescribed in Article 124) to be unjust may file an appeal with the family court.

Article 123No request for examination concerning a disposition or inaction by the mayor of a municipality with regard to an event involving a family register (excluding an event subject to a request prescribed in the following Article).

Article 124A person who is dissatisfied with a disposition or inaction by the mayor of a municipality with regard to the request referred to in Article 10, paragraph (1) or Article 10-2, paragraphs (1) through (5) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 12-2), Article 48, paragraph (2), and Article 120, paragraph (1) may make a request for review to the director with jurisdiction.

Article 125Deleted

Article 126The mayor of a municipality or the head of a legal affairs bureau or district legal affairs bureau may provide information on the particulars entered in a family register or removed family register or information on the particulars entered in a written notification or any other document received by the mayor of the municipality, according to the standards and procedures specified by Ministry of Justice Order, for the production of statistics or the academic research that is found to be conducive to the public interest, if the information in question needs to be used in order to produce the statistics or achieve the academic research, to the extent of that necessity.

Article 127The provisions of Chapters II and III of the Administrative Procedure Act (Act No. 88 of 1993) do not apply to a disposition made by the mayor of a municipality with regard to an event involving a family register.

Article 128The provisions of the Act on Access to Information Held by Administrative Organs (Act No. 42 of 1999) do not apply to a duplicate of a family register or a removed family register, and a document prescribed in Article 48, paragraph (2).

Article 129The provisions of Chapter V, Section 4 of the Act on the Protection of Personal Information (Act No. 57 of 2003) do not apply to the personal information the administrative entity holds (meaning the personal information the administrative entity holds as prescribed in Article 60, paragraph (1) of that Act) that is recorded in an original and a duplicate of a family register or a removed family register, and a document prescribed in Article 48, paragraph (2).

Article 130(1)Notwithstanding the provisions of Chapters IV and V, the place of notification is governed by the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order if the notification is submitted using electronic data processing systems prescribed in Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Act on the Promotion of Administrative Affairs through the Use of Information and Communications Technology (Act No. 151 of 2002) pursuant to the provisions of the relevant paragraph; and the place of application is also governed by the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order if the application is filed using the electronic data processing systems prescribed in the relevant paragraph pursuant to the provisions of the relevant paragraph.

(2)The provisions of Article 47 apply mutatis mutandis to the notifications and applications submitted using the electronic data processing system prescribed in Article 6, paragraph (1) of the Act on Promotion of Administration Using Information and Telecommunications Technology pursuant to the provisions of the relevant paragraph.

Article 131Beyond what is provided for in this Act, the particulars necessary for the handling of written notifications and other functions for family registers are prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order.

Article 132A person who has divulged or misappropriated any secret in violation of the provisions of Article 32 or Article 121-2 is subject to imprisonment with work for not more than two years or a fine of not more than one million yen.

Article 133An official or former official of a municipality engaged in functions for family registers or a person engaged or formerly engaged in performing functions for family registers under entrustment (including further entrustment at the second or higher degree of separation from the original entrustment) from a mayor of a municipality has provided or misappropriated information that they have come to know in relation to their functions in order to receive unjust gains by themselves or a third party is subject to imprisonment with work for not more than one year or a fine of not more than 500,000 yen.

Article 134A person who has submitted a false notification with regard to particulars which are not required to be entered or recorded in a family register is subject to imprisonment with work for not more than one year or a fine of not more than 200,000 yen. The same applies to a person who has submitted a false notification with regard to particulars that involve a foreign national.

Article 135A person who has been issued a family register transcript, extract or certificate prescribed in of Article 10 or Article 10-2, a transcript, extract, or certificate of a removed family register prescribed in Article 12-2, or a document prescribed in Article 120, paragraph (1), by deception or other wrongful means, is subject to a fine of not more than 300,000 yen.

Article 136A person who has conducted an inspection under Article 48, paragraph (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 117) or has been issued a certificate under that Article by deception or other wrongful means is subject to a civil fine of not more than 100,000 yen.

Article 137A person who has not submitted a notification or application that they are required to submit during the prescribed period without just cause is subject to a civil fine of not more than 50,000 yen.

Article 138If the mayor of a municipality has specified a period and given notice regarding a notification or application pursuant to the provisions of Article 44, paragraph (1) or (2) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 117), the person who has not submitted the notification or application within that period without just cause is subject to a civil fine of not more than 100,000 yen.

Article 139In the following cases, the mayor of the municipality is subject to a civil fine of not more than 100,000 yen:

Article 140Judicial decisions on civil fines are made by the summary court.