Discuss close relatives’ rights
Some relatives can claim a reserved share even if your will leaves assets elsewhere. Ask how this affects your wishes.
Estate planning and inheritance in Japan.
Prepare your will and help your family find the records they will need. After a death, check debts early: inheritance decisions can have a three-month deadline.
Make your will easy to find and use
Ask a notary about a notarised will, or check the rules for a will you write by hand. If you keep a handwritten will privately, your family will normally need a Family Court procedure before using it.
The Legal Affairs Bureau offers storage for qualifying handwritten wills. Ask whether this suits you, and tell your family where the will and your property records are kept.
Check debts promptly after a death
Heirs generally have three months after learning of their inheritance to consider renunciation or qualified acceptance. Ask for advice before the deadline.
Register inherited property
Registration of inherited real estate is mandatory. Ask the Legal Affairs Bureau or a professional which records and deadline apply.
If someone has passed away in Japan
Step 01
Collect the family registers
Gather the deceased’s koseki records from birth to death and records identifying the heirs, along with the will and asset details.
Step 02
Check assets and debts
Ask promptly about accepting or renouncing the inheritance. Seek an extension before the deadline if more time is needed.
Step 03
Agree how to divide the estate
Check the will and any reserved shares. If the heirs cannot agree, ask the Family Court about mediation.
Step 04
Transfer accounts and register land
Complete bank, securities and real-estate procedures. Check tax obligations and keep copies of the final records.
Japan questions
A privately stored handwritten will normally needs a Family Court procedure. Do not open a sealed will before checking the requirements. A will stored through the Legal Affairs Bureau is exempt from that procedure.