Spouses who are worried that their partner might file a fraudulent divorce registration in Japan can file a Non-Acceptance of Notification of Divorce (rikon fujuri moshidesho 離婚不受理申出書) in order to prevent acceptance of a divorce form. While this non-acceptance used to only last for 6 months, in 2008 the law was changed to allow such non-acceptance to be valid until withdrawn by the submitting spouse.
As long as the government office has a Non-Acceptance of Notification of Divorce on file, divorce by agreement between the couple will not be accepted. However, spouses should be aware that divorce by mediation or litigation through the family court system is still possible so it is important to discuss these options with an attorney when considering divorce.
If you have any questions about divorce in Japan please contact our office to set up a legal consultation.