Japan Process Server
Japan Process Service Company
| At a Glance | |
|---|---|
| Party to Hague Service Convention Yes |
Service by Central Authority Yes |
| Party to Hague Evidence Convention No |
Service by Postal Channels No |
| Party to Hague Apostille Convention Yes |
Service by process servers / bailiffs / huissiers etc No |
| Party to Inter-American Convention No |
Service documents need translation Yes |
Process Serving in Japan
Japan does not permit private process service in its territory. Please contact us for an obligation free quote covering the timelines, options and costs for service of documents in Japan.
Japan Process Servers
Japan process servers serve judicial and non-judicial documents related to civil and commercial matters under the authority given to them by the Code of Civil Procedures or pursuant to the Hague Service Convention (Convention of 15 November 1965). Service of documents originating within Japan and getting served within Japan are served according to Japan’s Code of Civil Procedures. Documents originating in another country and getting served in Japan, are served under the Hague Service Convention or via Letters Rogatory while complying with the requirements of Japan’s Code of Civil Procedures.
The Hague Convention is a multilateral treaty adopted in Hague, Netherlands, on November 15, 1965, by member states of the Hague Conference on Private International Law. The convention came into existence in order to give litigants and other interested parties a reliable, cost effective and efficient means of serving documents on parties residing or operating in another country.
Method of Service
Personal service is the accepted mode unless another form is specified by the court in the state where the matter originated.
Alternate Methods of Service
The Hague Convention provides various modes of process service of documents such as by postal channel or by diplomatic/consular agents, judicial officers, officials, or other competent persons. These provisions are covered under Articles 8 to 10 and may or may not be allowed by member countries as a valid mode of serving the documents in their territory.
Serving the documents through the Central Authority (Article 5) is not optional but is binding on all the member countries. Services done by the Central Authority usually take a long time: 2 to 12 months. Note that the convention gives relief to the litigants if they have not received a certificate of service or delivery from the Central Agency even after waiting for six months.
In such cases, the Court may, if it considers that a reasonable time has elapsed, give its judgment. Also, in case of urgency, the court may issue a provisional order or protective measure even before the six-month waiting period.
Service By Mail
Japan opposes Article 10(a), which indicates:
Provided the State of destination does not object, the present Convention shall not interfere with (a) the freedom to send judicial documents, by postal channels, directly to persons abroad.
This means, The Minister for Foreign Affairs refers the document to the competent court of justice. Service is then effected either by post (special postal service, Article 49 of the Mail Act; a report of service is drawn up by the postman) or through a marshal.
Our Process
Documents can be emailed to us at operations@stellarkonsulting.com or posted at our US address at 5101 Santa Monica Blvd Ste 8 PMB1330 Los Angeles, CA 90029 United States, or at our Australian address at Level 6, 607 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia. Where timely service is a concern, it is best to just email us the documents. Along with the documents, please include as much detail as you have about the party to be served in as far as it relates to us being swiftly able to locate and serve that party.
You may also upload PDF versions of service documents to our website (click here to begin).
Office Locations
United States of America:
5101 Santa Monica Blvd Ste 8 PMB1330
Los Angeles, CA 90029
United States
Phone: + 1 (213) 786 1161
Canada:
375 University Avenue,
Suite 3325,
Toronto, ON
M5G 2J5 Canada
Phone: +1 (437) 8261646
United Kingdom:
275 New North Road Islington 1896
London N1 7AA,
United Kingdom
Phone: +44 (20) 38905643
Australia, New Zealand and Far East Asia:
Level 6, 607 Bourke Street
Melbourne VIC 3000, Australia
Phone: +61 2 7259 7299
Middle East and Africa:
FAMC1732, Compass Building, Al Shohada Road
AL Hamra Industrial Zone-FZ, Ras Al Khaimah
United Arab Emirates
Phone: +44 (20) 38905643
Japan’s position on Hague Service Convention (Convention of 15 November 1965)
The Convention of 15 November 1965 on the Service Abroad of Judicial and Extrajudicial Documents in Civil or Commercial Matters (HCCH 1965 Service Convention) provides for the channels of transmission to be used when a judicial or extrajudicial document is to be transmitted from one Contracting Party to the Convention to another Contracting Party for service in the latter. It establishes a main channel of transmission via a designated Central Authority, as well as alternative channels of transmission.
Hague Service Convention deals primarily with the expedient transmission of documents; it does not address or comprise substantive rules relating to the actual service of process. The framework provided by the Convention is both efficient and effective – statistical data shows that 75% of requests are executed within two months.
Obtaining Evidence in Civil and Commercial Matters
Japan is not a party to the Hague Convention on the Taking of Evidence Abroad in Civil and Commercial Matters. Requests to obtain evidence in Japan in civil and commercial matters are governed by the U.S.-Japan bilateral Consular Convention of 1963. Depositions of voluntary witnesses may be taken before U.S. Consular Officers at the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo or Consulate General in Osaka, see Depositions in Japan – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan.
The U.S.-Japan Consular Convention does not provide a mechanism whereby Japanese courts may execute requests for compelled testimony or production of documents, nor does this type of compelled discovery exist in Japanese law as a course of legal process. Therefore, Japanese courts cannot compel a witness to testify or the production of documents as requested by a U.S. court via letters rogatory. A Japanese court may be able to conduct “examination of the evidence” as defined by Japanese law. Japanese counsel may be able to provide guidance on this process. The U.S. Embassy in Tokyo maintains a list of Japanese attorneys that have expressed a willingness to assist U.S. clients at Legal Assistance – U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Japan
Requests from Japan to Obtain Evidence in the United States:
See the Department of Justice’s Office of International Judicial Assistance’s information at Civil Division | Evidence Requests.
Taking Voluntary Depositions of Willing Witnesses
Article 17(1) (e) of the U.S. – Japan Consular Convention provides that consular officers may …
“(ii) take depositions, on behalf of the courts or other judicial tribunals or authorities of the sending state, voluntarily given.
(iii) administer oaths to any person in the receiving state in accordance with the laws of the sending state and in a manner not inconsistent with the laws of the receiving state.”
This general reference to the authority of consular officers to take depositions has been interpreted by the Government of Japan very strictly. Japanese law and practice, and the mutually agreed upon interpretation of the U.S. – Japan bilateral Consular Convention concerning obtaining evidence in Japan permits the taking of a deposition of a willing witness for use in a court in the United States only
- if the deposition is presided over by a U.S. consular officer;
- is conducted on U.S. consular premises
- is taken pursuant to an American court order or commission;
- and if any non-Japanese participant travelling to Japan applies for and obtains a Japanese Special Deposition visa.
The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Justice have advised the United States that these requirements apply in civil, criminal and administrative cases. The Japanese requirement for a court order and special deposition visas would apply in all cases.
- The request should be made on letterhead stationery and include the following information: (a) the name and location of the court; (b) name and occupation of each witness; and (c) a summary of the case. Travelers will also be required to present their U.S. passport, complete Japanese Embassy/consulate visa application forms and to provide the requisite photographs. A photocopy of the commission or court order for a U.S. consular officer to take the deposition must accompany the request. Special visas may also be required of deposition participants other than attorneys (stenographers, interpreters, parties, etc.). Inquiries should be made of the appropriate Japanese consular officer in the United States.
- The Japanese Embassy must seek concurrence from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in every case. The Japanese Embassy or Consulate in the United States will contact the Japanese Foreign Ministry for permission to issue the “special deposition visa”.
- The Japanese Foreign Ministry will contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to confirm whether the U.S. consular officer has received a photocopy of the court order issued by a court in the United States and whether the deposition has been scheduled. The Japanese Foreign Ministry will authorize the Japanese Embassy or Consulate in the United States to issue the “special deposition visa”.
U.S. Court Order for the Taking of the Depositions: A copy of the court order must be provided to the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo before application is made for the special deposition visa so that the U.S. Embassy is in a position to respond to the inquiry made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to the U.S. Embassy before the Ministry authorizes the Japanese Embassy or consulate in the United States to issue the special deposition visa. Japan will not accept orders issued by administrative law judges. Court orders may be obtained from U.S. courts under the All Writs Act, 28 U.S.C. 1651, by various administrative agencies for the taking of depositions in Japan. It is advisable that court orders include the language “on or about” concerning dates so as to afford maximum flexibility in scheduling.
Participation of Judges From the United States: Japan has advised the United States that it will not permit the participation of foreign judges in the deposition of a witness located in Japan.
Video Testimony: Japanese authorities have informed the United States that Japan permits the taking of video testimony in accordance with the same requirements applicable to in person testimony and upon notice to the Government of Japan in each instance. Japan does not permit private counsel to take video testimony of persons located in Japan without the required prior permission and without being administered by U.S. consular officers on the premises of the U.S. Embassy or a U.S. consulate in Japan.
Special Note Regarding American Attorneys Residing in Japan and Voluntary Depositions: Japanese authorities have informed the United States that Articles 3 and 72 of the Japanese Lawyer Law may prohibit the taking of depositions in Japan outside the procedures established for taking consular depositions under Article 17 of the U.S. Japan bilateral Consular Convention by private attorneys not admitted to practice law in Japan. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs advised that private American attorneys residing in Japan who wish to participate in depositions at the U.S. Embassy or consulate in Japan under the status of “legal/accounting services” (as “gaikokuhu jimubengoshi”), permanent residents, or their spouses may participate in depositions under their current visa status, that is, without the special deposition visa under certain circumstances. They must notify the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo of their proposed participation. The Embassy will need to provide the names of such lawyers, their company affiliation in Japan, their address, telephone number, and the type and validity of their visa, in addition to a copy of the requisite commission or court order issued by the court in the United States for the taking of the deposition before the U.S. consular officer on U.S. consular premises. In order to facilitate the notification procedures, the Embassy has prepared a worksheet which each lawyer resident in Japan will need to fill out in order for the Embassy to submit the requisite note verbale.
Voluntary Depositions on Written Questions: Voluntary depositions on written questions may be taken in Japan. Requesting counsel should contact the U.S. Embassy or Consulate to arrange a mutually convenient day or days when the deposition may be conducted. The requirements for an American court order, consular fees and scheduling the Embassy special deposition room based on space availability still apply. Counsel must make all the arrangements for the witness to appear and for stenographic or video services and translators if necessary. The U.S. consular officer will administer the oath to the witness, and if necessary to the stenographer, video tape operator or interpreter/translator, and withdraw, subject to recall. If the witness does not speak or read English adequately, a Japanese translation of the English text should be provided. The questions should be sent directly to the U.S. consular officer at the U.S. Embassy or Consulate. If preferred, the witness may write down the answers to the questions, rather than dictate the answers to the stenographer or video tape operator. The U.S. consular officer will affix a closing certificate after the deposition is completed.
Conducting Informal Interviews: While the taking of depositions, under the conditions explained above, is a right secured under the U.S.-Japan Consular Convention, 15 U.S.T. 768, conducting interviews and other informal evidence gathering or investigation techniques are entirely subject to the discretion of the Japanese government. The Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has advised the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo that it considers the conducting of information interviews by in Japan to constitute formal evidence gathering and therefore to be subject to the Japanese law on international investigative assistance. Private litigants may need to obtain a special visa for travel to Japan to conduct informal interviews, inspections or other investigations. Contact the Japanese Embassy or consulate in the U.S. for information. Japanese authorities may require that the request to conduct such interviews be made in the form of letters rogatory, or in criminal cases, on behalf of the U.S. Government, a formal letter of request. Local, state and federal prosecutors/attorneys seeking to conduct such interviews/inspections should contact the Office of American Citizens Services for additional information.
Depositions on U.S. Military Bases: Japan has further advised that depositions may not take place on U.S. military bases in Japan as that is not sanctioned in the U.S. – Japan Status of Forces Agreement.
Authentication of Documents
Japan is a party to the Hague Convention Abolishing the Requirement for Legalization of Foreign Public Documents. Convention will authenticate Japanese public documents with Apostilles. For information about authenticating U.S. public documents for use in Japan, see the list of U.S. Competent Authorities. To obtain an Apostille for a U.S. Consular Report of Birth Abroad of a Citizen of the United States of America, contact the U.S. Department of State, Passport Services, Vital Records Office.
Transmission of Letters of Requests
Japan accepts Letters of Requests written in the language of the requesting State accompanied by a translation into its local language.
Japan PROCESS SERVICE COMPANY
HAGUE / FORMAL SERVICE
INFORMAL SERVICE
Private process service is not allowed in Japan. Contact us for a no-obligation quote outlining the available options, estimated timelines, and associated costs for serving documents in Japan.
Informal delivery (Art. 5(2))
The Minister for Foreign Affairs refers the documents sent to it to the competent court clerk. The court clerk informs the addressee of the documents to be served and the addressee then either presents himself / herself to the court or requests that they be forwarded to him / her. In the latter case special postal service will be effected (Article 49 of the Mail Act; the postman will draw up a report of the delivery).When the person to be served refuses to accept the documents, or fails to appear or to apply for forwarding the documents to him / her within three weeks of the date on which he/she was informed, the documents will be returned to the applicant.
Service by a particular method (Art. 5(1)(b))
When it is so requested, a marshal will effect service by delivering the document directly to the person after ascertaining that he / she is the addressee.
TRANSLATIONS
For formal service of process, most non-English speaking countries require the documents to be translated into one of their official languages. Always rely on a professional for translating documents as even a minute error can have drastic impact on legal enforceability and timely progress on a matter.
Japanese translation is required for any document to be served under Article 5(1)(a)(b). The Japanese Central Authority serves the translation to the addressee together with the original.
Get A Free Quote
RATES (All prices are in USD)
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Formal Service of Process
Please provide the specific service address in order to receive exact price. Process service fees are charged per defendant and per address. -
Informal Service of Process
Informal service of process is not allowed in Japan. Interested parties cannot use private bailiffs or local officials for service in Japan. -
Letters Rogatory
Please contact us for a Free Quote. (*with additional government fee) -
International Rush Delivery
For pricing and more information, please reach out to us. Process service fees are charged per defendant and per address. -
Translation
Proper nouns not translated. We have NAATI certified and non-NAATI translators on our panel who are experts in legal translations. -
Copies
Billed at local rates per page. Please send us a message for pricing and details. -
Notary
Please send us a message for pricing and details. - Status Update. Reach out to us to schedule an in-person status check for updates.
