Inheritance Procedures Service

Do you have any of these concerns about inheritance procedures in Japan?

Your concerns

  • You want to understand what the inheritance procedures are if you inherit assets in Japan from a non-Japanese national who has died
  • You want to know what kind of documents you need to provide as an heir in inheritance proceedings involving the assets in Japan of a non-Japanese national
  • You want to have someone take care of all the procedures necessary for a cash distribution of the inherited property (i.e., the estate of the deceased) among the heirs
  • You want to take necessary procedures from outside Japan for inherited assets in Japan
  • You want to take inheritance procedures for assets located outside Japan
  • Disposal by sale of inherited real estate located in Japan
  • Conversion to cash of inherited assets located in Japan, with cash remitted to the heir(s)
  • Help consulting with foreign lawyers

How Kobe Legal Partners can help you

We can provide the following assistance with regard to inheritance matters involving a foreigner nationals:

  • Researching foreign inheritance laws and international private law
  • Collection of documents evidencing the inheritance
  • Translation of foreign language documents
  • Name change for real estate (inheritance registration)
  • Inheritance procedures when the foreigner is the heir
  • Inheritance procedures from overseas for assets located in Japan

Wherever you are in the world...

Contact Kobe Legal Partners

For those who live at a distance, we are happy to consult with you with our user-friendly Web-based meeting system.
We also welcome inquiries not only from the Kansai area (i.e., Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto), but also from other parts of Japan and overseas.

Related posts

will for each country

inheritance

2025/4/8

If you have property in both Japan and the United States, is one will enough? Or do you need one for each country?

When a foreign national living in Japan, for example, a U.S. citizen, has assets in both countries, such as real estate and bank accounts , it is important to understand whether one will can cover all assets in both countries, or, whether a separate ...

ReadMore

inheritance

2023/10/29

When the owner of real property in Japan dies, the heirs have an obligation to change the names on the real property registration to indicate their ownership. 

Inheritance registration refers to the heirs’ obligation to change the name of the owner of land or building owned by the decedent to the names of the heirs who inherit the real property. Since inheritance registration in Japan was not mandatory until now ...

ReadMore

inheritance

inheritance

2023/10/29

Inheritance Procedures for Assets Located in Japan, such as Real Estate, for those Living Outside Japan

Listen to this article These days, it is not uncommon for foreign nationals to own assets, such as real estate, while living outside Japan. When such a person dies, the inheritance process begins and procedures for inheritance of the property in Japan bec ...

ReadMore

debt

inheritance

2022/1/19

In Inheritance in Japan, the Heirs Must Directly Assume the Debts of the Deceased!

Do you assume that the decedent's debts are irrelevant to you as an heir? If so, you may be mistaken. Under Japanese law, when a person dies, the heirs inherit all the rights and obligations of the deceased. Simply put, “obligations” means “debts”, and th ...

ReadMore

overseas assets

inheritance

2021/1/16

Consultation about Inheritance of Overseas Assets

Many foreign nationals living in Japan have assets overseas. In some cases, these assets were acquired before coming to Japan, and in other cases, the assets were built up while living and working in Japan. In some cases, the foreign national keeps the as ...

ReadMore