①A designated dispute resolution organization is to engage in the following services:

②Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order prescribe the process for filing a petition as referred to in item (i) of the preceding paragraph.

①A designated dispute resolution organization must appoint, from among persons of great integrity of character and insight, at least the number of dispute resolution members that Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order prescribe.

②When resolving disputes, a designated dispute resolution organization must have dispute resolution implemented by the dispute resolution members appointed pursuant to the preceding paragraph that the head of the designated dispute resolution organization assigns for each case. In such a case, the head of the designated dispute resolution organization must not assign a dispute resolution member to a case if that official is related to a party to the case in a way that makes the member an interested person, or if there are any other circumstances that might interfere with the fairness of dispute resolution.

③Of the dispute resolution members assigned pursuant to the preceding paragraph, at least one must be an attorney.

①The appointment or dismissal of an officer (or dispute resolution official; the same applies in the following paragraph and the following Article) of a designated dispute resolution organization who is engaged in providing dispute resolution services does not take effect without the authorization of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister.

②If the officer of a designated dispute resolution organization violates the dispute resolution services rules that have been approved as referred to in Article 23-11, paragraph (1) or engages in extremely inappropriate conduct in connection with dispute resolution services, or if the officer's continuation in office causes the designated dispute resolution organization to no longer satisfy the criteria set forth in Article 23-5, paragraph (1), item (iii), the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister may order the designated dispute resolution organization to dismiss the officer.

①It is prohibited for a current or former officer or personnel of an designated dispute resolution organization to divulge confidential information learned in the course of dispute resolution services or to use the information for personal gain.

②As concerns the application of the Penal Code (Act No. 45 of 1907) and other penal provisions, officers and personnel of a designated dispute resolution organization who are engaged in providing dispute resolution services are deemed to be officials engaged in public service pursuant to laws and regulations.

If a designated dispute resolution organization is asked to provide dispute resolution services, it must provide dispute resolution services without delay unless it has a legitimate reason not to do so.

①A designated dispute resolution organization must establish rules for dispute resolution services (hereinafter referred to as "dispute resolution services rules") and get them approved by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister. The same applies if the organization seeks to amend those Rules.

②Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order provide for the particulars that must be prescribed in the dispute resolution services rules.

③If the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister find that the dispute resolution services rules they have approved as referred to in paragraph (1) have become inappropriate to allow for the fair and reliable implementation of dispute resolution services, they may order that those rules be amended.

①A designated dispute resolution organization may ask an insurer or cooperative to give a written or oral explanation or to submit materials, within the limits of what is necessary to implement dispute resolution services.

②It is prohibited for an insurer or cooperative to refuse a request under the preceding paragraph without a legitimate reason for doing so.

The dispute resolution procedures performed by a designated dispute resolution organization are not open to the public; provided, however, that the designated dispute resolution organization may permit persons it finds to be appropriate to be present as silent observers.

①In the case where dispute resolution has been terminated by a designated dispute resolution organization on the ground that there is no prospect of resolution through the dispute resolution, if the party to the dispute who applied for the dispute resolution files an action concerning the claim that was the subject of the dispute resolution within one month from the day on which the party received notice to that effect, the action is deemed to have been filed at the time of the application for the dispute resolution with respect to the postponement of the expiration of the prescription period.

②The same applies as in the preceding paragraph in the case where a designation has ceased to be valid pursuant to Article 23-17, paragraph (2) and there is a dispute for which dispute resolution was being conducted on the day on which the designation ceased to be valid, if the party to the dispute who applied for that dispute resolution files an action concerning the claim that was the subject of that dispute resolution within one month from the earlier of the day on which the party received notice pursuant to paragraph (4) of that Article or the day on which the party learned that the designation had ceased to be valid.

③The same applies as in paragraph (1) in the case where a designation has been revoked pursuant to Article 23-21, paragraph (1) and there is a dispute for which dispute resolution was being conducted on the day of the disposition of revocation, if the party to the dispute who applied for that dispute resolution files an action concerning the claim that was the subject of that dispute resolution within one month from the earlier of the day on which the party received notice pursuant to paragraph (3) of that Article or the day on which the party learned of that disposition.

①In the case where litigation concerning a dispute is pending between the parties to the dispute, if any of the grounds set forth in the following items applies and there is a joint petition by the parties to the dispute, the court in charge of the case may decide to suspend the court proceedings, specifying a period within four months:

②The court in charge of the case may rescind the decision referred to in the preceding paragraph at any time.

③No appeal may be filed against a decision to dismiss the petition referred to in paragraph (1) and a decision to rescind the decision referred to in paragraph (1) pursuant to the provision of the preceding paragraph.

①A designated dispute resolution organization must prepare an operational plan and income and expenditures budget for dispute resolution services every business year, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order, and get them approved by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister before the relevant business year begins (and without delay after designation in the business year that includes the day on which the organization is designated). The same applies if the organization seeks to amend either of these.

②A designated dispute resolution organization must prepare an operating report and settlement of income and expenditures for dispute resolution services every business year, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order, and submit them to the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister within three months after the end of the relevant business year.

①A designated dispute resolution organization must not suspend or discontinue all or part of its dispute resolution services without the permission of the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minster.

②If the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister permit the discontinuance of all dispute resolution services pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the designation relating to that permission ceases to be valid.

③Having given permission as referred to in paragraph (1), the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minster must issue public notice of this.

④A person that has obtained permission for the discontinuance of all dispute resolution services pursuant to paragraph (1) must, within two weeks from the day of the permission, notify the parties to the disputes for which dispute resolution was being conducted on the day of the permission that the person has obtained the permission and that the designation has ceased to be valid pursuant to paragraph (2).

A designated dispute resolution organization, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order, must prepare and keep on file books in which it enters the information regarding dispute resolution services that Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order prescribe.

①The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order, may have a designated dispute resolution organization report on dispute resolution services, and may have the relevant officials enter the offices of a designated dispute resolution organization to inspect the state of its dispute resolution services or its books and documents and other items or to question the relevant persons, within the limits of what is necessary for ensuring the fair and reliable implementation of dispute resolution services.

②Article 23-2, paragraphs (2) and (3) apply mutatis mutandis to on-site inspections and inquiry under the preceding paragraph.

On finding it to be necessary to do so in order to ensure the fair and reliable implementation of dispute resolution services, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister may issue orders in connection with dispute resolution services as are necessary from a supervisory perspective to a designated dispute resolution organization.

①If a designated dispute resolution organization falls under one of the following items, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister may revoke its designation or order the suspension of all or part of its dispute resolution services during a fixed period:

②Having revoked a designation or ordered the suspension of all or part of dispute resolution services pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister must issue public notice of this.

③A person that has received a disposition of revocation of designation pursuant to paragraph (1) must, within two weeks from the day of the disposition, notify the parties to the disputes for which dispute resolution was being conducted on the day of the disposition that the disposition has been made.

The Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and the Prime Minister are to provide a designated dispute resolution organization with the information and materials it needs to implement dispute resolution services.

Beyond what is provided for in this Section, Order of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism and Cabinet Office Order provide for the necessary particulars of designated dispute resolution organizations and dispute resolution services.