News & Blog

February 24, 2016

What is the Japanese Family Court?

Family courts in Japan have jurisdiction to hear cases arising from disputes within a family. These might include cases relating to divorce, support payments or adoption.
February 24, 2016

What are Summary Courts?

Not every legal dispute requires a full trial and many smaller claims can be handled in a simpler, streamlined legal process. In America these cases are resolved in small claims court and are familiar to anyone who has watched Judge Judy or a similar show on TV. In Japan, these smaller disputes are heard in Summary courts.
February 24, 2016

What are the requirements to become a Japanese citizen?

There are several ways for a foreign national to become a Japanese citizen but one of the most common methods is listed in the Japanese Nationality Act and is composed of six requirements.
February 24, 2016

If a foreign national’s baby is born in Japan, will the baby be a Japanese citizen?

While most Japanese citizens acquire their citizenship at birth, Japan does not offer automatic citizenship to babies born within Japan. There are three ways a person may obtain Japanese citizenship by birth: 1) if the father or mother is a Japanese citizen at the time of birth; 2) if the father died before the child’s birth, but was a Japanese citizen; and 3) if the child is born in Japan and both of the parents are unknown or without nationality.