Having the address of a debtor in Japan is a prerequisite to filing a lawsuit against them. Without an address, a complaint cannot be delivered to the defendant and the court will not have jurisdiction to hear the case. Therefore, obtaining the debtor’s address is often the most critical part of enforcing a debt. There are various ways to determine a debtor’s address but all are heavily dependent on the situation.
If the debtor works for a Japanese company, it may be possible to obtain the address through the company. Or, in some cases it may be possible to obtain an address through the Japanese family registry system if the debtor’s hometown is known. In other cases it may be possible to obtain an address through hiring a private detective agency to conduct a search.
If you have any questions about enforcing a debt in Japan, please contact our office to set up a legal consultation.