①A debtor who is an individual (or the bankrupt after an order commencing bankruptcy proceedings is issued; the same applies below in this Section, except for paragraph (4)) may file a petition to the bankruptcy court for grant of discharge within a period from the day on which a petition to commence bankruptcy proceedings is filed until one month has elapsed since the day on which an order commencing bankruptcy proceedings becomes final and binding.

②When the debtor referred to in the preceding paragraph (referred to below as the "debtor" in this Section) is unable to file a petition for grant of discharge within the period prescribed in that paragraph due to grounds not attributable to them, they may file the petition only within one month after the grounds cease to exist.

③When filing a petition for grant of discharge, the petitioner must submit a list of holders of dischargeable claims stating the particulars specified by the Rules of the Supreme Court; provided, however, that if it is not possible to submit a list of holders of dischargeable claims at the same time as filing the petition, it is sufficient to submit the list without delay after filing the petition.

④If the debtor has filed a petition to commence bankruptcy proceedings, the debtor is deemed to have filed a petition for grant of discharge at the same time as filing the petition; provided, however, that this does not apply if the debtor has manifested their intention to the contrary upon filing the petition to commence bankruptcy proceedings.

⑤When a petition for grant of discharge is deemed to have been filed pursuant to the provisions of the main clause of the preceding paragraph, the list of creditors referred to in Article 20, paragraph (2) is deemed to be the list of holders of dischargeable claims referred to in the main clause of paragraph (3).

⑥If the debtor has filed a petition for grant of discharge, they may not file a petition referred to in Article 218, paragraph (1) or a petition to commence rehabilitation proceedings.

⑦If the debtor has filed any of the petitions stated in the following items, they may not file a petition for grant of discharge until the orders specified in the respective items become final and binding, notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1) or (2):

①If a petition for grant of discharge is filed and an order of discontinuance of bankruptcy proceedings under the provisions of Article 216, paragraph (1) is issued, an order of discontinuance of bankruptcy proceedings made under the provisions of Article 217, paragraph (1) has become final and binding, or an order of termination of bankruptcy proceedings under the provisions of Article 220, paragraph (1) is issued, until a judicial decision on the petition becomes final and binding, it is not allowed to enforce a enforcement, provisional seizure, provisional disposition or disposal of foreign tax delinquency based on a bankruptcy claim, or exercise a general statutory lien or auction on the grounds of a right of retention (excluding a right of retention under the provisions of the Commercial Code or the Companies Act) against the bankrupt's property (referred to below as "enforcement, etc. based on a bankruptcy claim" in this Article), or to file a petition for an asset disclosure procedure or procedure for acquiring information from a third party based on a bankruptcy claim or make a collection of national tax delinquency (excluding a disposal of foreign tax delinquency) against the bankrupt's property, and any procedure for enforcement, etc. or disposition based on a bankruptcy claim already initiated against the bankrupt's property and asset disclosure procedure and procedure for acquiring information from a third party based on a bankruptcy claim already initiated against the bankrupt is to be suspended.

②When an order of grant of discharge becomes final and binding, the procedure for enforcement, etc. based on a bankruptcy claim or disposition, and the asset disclosure procedure and procedure for acquiring information from a third party based on a bankruptcy claim which have been suspended pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph cease to be effective.

③In the case referred to in paragraph (1), the prescription period does not expire with regard to a bankruptcy claim stated in each of the following items, until the day on which two months have elapsed since the day following the day on which the order specified in the respective items becomes final and binding:

①The court may have a bankruptcy trustee conduct an investigation on the existence or nonexistence of any of the grounds stated in the items of Article 252, paragraph (1) or the circumstances to be considered when determining whether or not to issue an order of grant of discharge pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) of that Article, and report the results of the investigation in writing.

②The bankrupt must cooperate in investigations on the particulars prescribed in the preceding paragraph conducted by the court or investigation conducted by a bankruptcy trustee pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph.

①When a petition to grant discharge is filed, the court must specify a period, on or after the time when an order commencing bankruptcy proceedings was made, during which a bankruptcy trustee and bankruptcy creditors (excluding those who hold claims stated in the items of Article 253, paragraph (1); the same applies in the following paragraph, paragraph (3) of the following Article, and Article 254) may state their opinions to the court with regard to whether or not it is appropriate to issue an order to grant discharge to the bankrupt.

②When the court has made an order to specify the period referred to in the preceding paragraph, it must give a public notice of the period and give a notice of the period to a bankruptcy trustee and known bankruptcy creditors.

③The period referred to in paragraph (1) must be at least one month from the day on which the public notice made under the provisions of the preceding paragraph becomes effective.

①The court issues an order to grant a discharge if the bankrupt does not fall under any of the cases stated in the following items:

②Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, even if the bankrupt falls under any of the cases stated in the items of that paragraph, the court may issue an order to grant a discharge when it finds it appropriate to grant a discharge taking into consideration the developments that led to issuing an order commencing bankruptcy proceedings and all other circumstances.

③When it has made an order to grant a discharge, the court must immediately serve the written judgment upon the bankrupt and a bankruptcy trustee, and a document stating the main text of the order upon bankruptcy creditors, respectively. In this case, the provisions of the main clause of Article 10, paragraph (3) do not apply with regard to the service of the written judgment.

④The court must, when it has issued an order of non-grant of discharge, immediately serve the written judgment upon the bankrupt. In this case, the provisions of the main clause of Article 10, paragraph (3) do not apply.

⑤An immediate appeal may be filed against a judicial decision on a petition to grant a discharge.

⑥If a judicial decision on the immediate appeal stated in the preceding paragraph is made, the written judgment must be served upon the parties concerned. In this case, the provisions of the main clause of Article 10, paragraph (3) do not apply.

⑦An order to grant a discharge does not become effective unless it becomes final and binding.