Inheritance procedures in Japan involve numerous documents and strict deadlines, leaving many people wondering, “Where do I even begin?” Whether you are a foreign resident in Japan or need assistance with Japanese inheritance procedures from overseas, please feel free to contact us. We will consolidate all procedures into one point of contact and provide support to ensure the process is as smooth as possible.
Real Estate Inheritance
In Japan, due to amendments to the Real Estate Registration Act, from April 1, 2024, if the registered owner of real estate passes away, the heir who acquires the real estate through inheritance must apply for inheritance registration within three years from the date they become aware of acquiring ownership.
For detailed information including fee on changing the ownership of real estate (land and buildings) (inheritance registration), please see the page below.
Fee
| Fee (tax inclusive) | Expenses | |
|---|---|---|
| Inheritance Renunciation | JPY 88,000～ per person | Postal bills(incl.international mail), collecting required documents, checking for validity, etc. |
| Creation of a Legal Heir Information Chart | JPY 110,000～ | Same as above |
| Estate Investigation (Will Investigation) to the Legal Affiars Bureau | JPY 55,000～ | Same as above |
| Estate Investigation (Will Investigation) to the Notary Public | JPY 55,000～ | Same as above |
| Estate Investigation (Debt Investigation) to 3 credit information agencies (KSC, JICC and CIC) | JPY 88,000～ | Same as above |
| Stock research to the the Japan Securities Depository Center | JPY 55,000～ | Same as above plus JSDC commission |
| Stock research to the securities company after JSDC search | JPY 44,000～ per company | Same as above |
Inheritance Renunciation
Inheritance renunciation is a procedure in which you do not inherit any of the deceased’s assets or debts.
By filing a petition with the family court, you can avoid the obligation to repay debts.
Consider this in the following situations:
- Even those residing overseas can complete the procedure (we will also guide you on how to prepare the necessary documents).
- You have learned that the deceased had debts or liabilities.
- It seems that the debts outweigh the assets.
Things to know
- There is a deadline: The procedure must be completed within 3 months of learning of the commencement of the inheritance. Please consult us as soon as possible.
- Once the procedure is completed, it cannot be canceled in principle.
- It is possible for only some of the heirs to renounce the inheritance.
Creation of a Legal Heir Information Chart
A convenient system that eliminates the hassle of repeatedly submitting the same documents.
A Legal Heir Information Chart “法定相続情報一覧図” is a document that organizes the relationship between the deceased and the heirs into a single diagram and is officially approved by the Legal Affairs Bureau. It can be used in place of numerous family register transcripts when dealing with multiple offices such as banks, securities companies, and the Legal Affairs Bureau.
Recommended for those who:
- Have procedures to be completed at multiple financial institutions or offices.
- Find it burdensome to prepare the same family register documents repeatedly.
- Want to smoothly proceed with multiple procedures in parallel.
Things to know:
Once obtained, it can be reissued free of charge as many times as needed, allowing you to proceed with multiple procedures simultaneously.
We can handle everything from collecting family registers to creating the chart and applying to the Legal Affairs Bureau.
We also handle cases where there are foreign nationals among the heirs.
Estate Investigation (Will Investigation & Debt Investigation)
In estate investigations, we assist in determining whether a will exists and whether there are any outstanding debts.
Will Investigation
- Investigation of Notarized Wills: This can be searched through the nationwide network of notary offices.
- Investigation of Wills Stored at the Legal Affairs Bureau: Inquiries can be made to the Legal Affairs Bureau’s will storage system.
Debt Investigation
We investigate whether the deceased had any debts.
Recommended for those who:
Are considering renouncing an inheritance but do not know the full extent of the debts
May have a will but cannot find it
Want to understand the overall picture of assets and debts before deciding on a course of action
Main Investigation Methods
Inquiries to credit information agencies (JICC, CIC, KSC)
Inquiries to financial institutions and consumer finance companies
Review of documents such as mail, bankbooks, and credit card statements
Things to Know
- The deadline for renouncing an inheritance is 3 months. Start the investigation as soon as possible.
- Based on the investigation results, we will propose the most suitable method, such as renouncing the inheritance, simple acceptance, or limited acceptance.
- We also accept requests for investigations only.
Stock research
Many people, after the death of a family member, are concerned about not knowing which securities company their account was with, even though they were certain the deceased had stocks or securities.
In such cases, you can confirm the securities company where the deceased person had an account by submitting a disclosure request to JASDEC (Japan Securities Depository Center).
What is JASDEC?
JASDEC (Japan Securities Depository Center, Inc.) is an organization that electronically manages securities such as stocks and bonds. Because it centrally manages account information for listed stocks, it is used when investigating where accounts were opened during inheritance procedures.
Benefits of Hiring a Judicial Scrivener
A judicial scrivener can act as an authorized representative of the legal heir and submit a disclosure request to JASDEC. Compared to handling the procedure yourself, the process can proceed more smoothly in the following ways:
Collection of Necessary Documents such as Family Registers
A judicial scrivener will collect necessary documents such as family registers and de-registered family registers to prove the inheritance relationship.
Sending the Disclosure Request Form
Once all necessary documents are gathered, we will prepare and send the disclosure request form to the Japan Securities Depository Center (JASDEC).
Recommended for:
Those who do not know which securities companies the deceased had accounts with.
Those who want to entrust the entire process, from investigating securities to handling the inheritance procedures.
Those who want to save time and effort on document collection and procedures.
Please feel free to contact us.
Our office will provide comprehensive support for your disclosure request to JASDEC, from collecting necessary documents to submitting the request. Please feel free to contact us with any inheritance-related concerns.
Next Step
If we find out a securities company where the deceased person has an account, we will contact that securities company, etc., based on our investigation results, to inquire about your holdings, number of shares held, transaction history, etc.