How to certify Marriage in Japan
Marriage Certificate in Japan
Marriage Certificate can be translated 'konin-shomeisho' in Japanese. 'konin' means 'marriage', and 'shomeisho' means 'certificate'.
In Japan, a document entitled "Marriage Certificate/Konin-Shomeisho" can not be issued by a public authority. But a following document may be obtained and used as a document to certify his/her marriage in Japan.
'konin' is a formal word for marriage. In our daily life, 'kekkon' is often used. Therefore, a marriage certificate is also translated into 'kekkon-shomeisho' in Japanese.
Certificate of Acceptance/'juri-shomeisho'
Juri-shomeisho, literally translated Certificate of Acceptance, is a formal document to attest a fact that “a marriage notification was officially accepted by the head of local municipal government pursuant to Japanese laws".
Certificate of Acceptance/'juri-shomeisho' can be obtained at a municipal office where you placed a Marriage notification.
*** Important ***
Only a person who submitted a marriage notification can apply for and obtain this certificate, that is in most cases a husband and/or a wife is eligible to apply for the certificate.
Family Register/'Koseki'
Japanese "Family Register" is the official file kept at a municipal government office to record personal events of a person such as Birth, Marriage, Divorce, Death, and so forth of a Japanese national.
Note: A koseki file is created only for a Japanese national. So both of husband and wife are foreign nationals, a certificate of family register or certified copy below will not be issued.
Certificate of Family Register
Certificate of Family Register is a formal document to attest the matters recorded in the family register. In Japanese, it is called zembu-jiko-dhomei or kojin-jiko-dhomei.
Zembu-jiko-shomei is a certificate which attests particulars of all persons in the register, and kojin-jiko-shomei is the one which attests particulars of one or some person(s).
Zembu-jiko-shomei or kojin-jiko-shomei can be obtained at a local municipal office where his/her domicile is registered.
Note: Certificate of Family Register can be issued only when a husband and/or a wife is a Japanese national.
Certified copy of Family Register
Koseki-tohon or koseki-shohon is a traditional type of document which is issued in the form of a certified copy.
Tohon or shohon literally means a certified copy of all pages or some particular pages.
Koseki-tohon or koseki-shohon is not used so often these days. But, for instance, if you are required to get the original records of your previous marriage, koseki-tohon or koseki-shohon might be used.
Koseki-tohon or koseki-shohon can be obtained at a local municipal office where his/her domicile is registered.
Note: A koseki related document was issued in the form of a certified copy to attest the matters recorded. But today many municipal offices adopted computer system to keep the koseki file so it is issued in the form of certification above.
Certificate of Matters stated in the Notification/'kisai-jiko-shomeisho'
Kisai-jiko-shomeisho or Certificate of Matters stated in the notification is a formal document to attest matters stated in the marriage notification accepted by the head of local municipal government.
Kisai-jiko-shomeisho usually contains:
- name of husband
- registered domicile of husband
- nationality of husband if he is not a Japanese
- birth date of husband
- name of wife
- registered domicile of wife
- nationality of wife if she is not a Japanese
- birth date of wife
- new registered domicile
and so forth.
It is usually issued in the form of a certified copy of the submitted notification at a municipal office where the marriage notification was submitted or an office of the legal affairs bureau.
But Kisai-Jiko-Shomeisho is a special certificate so it can be issued only when you are clearly required to get this certificate by a foreign authority.
Where you can get an original certificate
"Certificate of Acceptance" can be obtained at a municipal office where the Marriage notification was accepted.
A certified copy of "Family Register" can be obtained at a municipal office where a registered domicile (or HONSEKICHI) is registered.
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