Ohara & Furukawa, Author at Ohara & Furukawa

November 11, 2016

Can you participate in a Japanese family court mediation in English?

As international marriages and divorces increase in Japan, in order to lessen the difficulties for non-Japanese speaking spouses, most Japanese family courts are staffed with mediators that can speak English. However, these mediators may be of varying levels of skill and sometimes it may be easier to bring an attorney or bi-lingual friend to the mediation to help interpret. The court should be informed of this beforehand and in some cases the approval of the other spouse may be required.

November 9, 2016

What is a Japan Long Term Resident Visa?

A Long Term Resident visa (teijusha visa) is a visa provided to foreign nationals who are granted special permission to stay in Japan by the Minister of Justice. The requirements for this visa are not as clearly defined as other Japanese visas but it was designed to meet a very specific purpose. Basically the long term resident visa is granted to foreign nationals who should be allowed to stay in Japan for a special humanitarian reason.

November 7, 2016

Who has the responsibility to repair damage to an apartment in Japan?

In general, Japanese law dictates that lessors are responsible for making the repairs necessary for use of the leased space or object. In other words, a landlord that rents an apartment is generally responsible for maintaining the apartment in a usable manner. However, small acts of maintenance (such as changing light-bulbs or repairing the paper on sliding shoji doors) are generally expected to be performed by the tenant during the course of the lease.

November 4, 2016

How do I get proof of tax payment in Japan?

Certain procedures in Japan, such as applying for citizenship or some visas, require showing proof of full tax payment in Japan. This proof often is best presented in the form of a certificate of tax payment issued by the Japanese national government and local city/prefecture governments.