①The enjoyment of private rights commences at birth.

②Unless otherwise prohibited by applicable laws, regulations, or treaties, foreign nationals enjoy private rights.

If the person performing a juridical act did not have mental capacity when manifesting the relevant intention, the juridical act is void.

The age of majority is 18 years of age.

①A minor must obtain the consent of the minor's legal representative to perform a juridical act; provided, however, that this does not apply to a juridical act for merely acquiring a right or being released from an obligation.

②A juridical act in contravention of the provisions of the preceding paragraph may be revoked.

③Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (1), a minor may freely dispose of property that the legal representative has permitted the minor to dispose of for a specified purpose, to an extent that falls within the scope of that purpose. The same applies if the minor disposes of property that the legal representative has permitted the minor to dispose of without specifying a purpose.

①A minor who is permitted to conduct one or multiple types of business has the same capacity to act as an adult as far as that business is concerned.

②In a case referred to in the preceding paragraph, if there are grounds that make the minor unable to sustain that business, the legal representative may revoke or limit the permission therefor in accordance with the provisions of Part IV (Relatives).

The family court may decide to commence a guardianship in respect of a person who constantly lacks the capacity to appreciate the person's own situation due to a mental disorder or disability, at the request of the person in question, that person's spouse, that person's relative within the fourth degree of kinship, the guardian of a minor, the supervisor of a minor's guardian, the curator, the curator's supervisor, the assistant, the assistant's supervisor, or a public prosecutor.

A person subject to a decision for commencement of guardianship becomes an adult ward, and an adult guardian is appointed for that person.

A juridical act performed by an adult ward may be revoked; provided, however, that this does not apply to the purchase of daily necessities or to any other act involved in day-to-day life.

If the grounds prescribed in Article 7 cease to exist, the family court must set aside the decision for the commencement of guardianship at the request of the person in question, that person's spouse, that person's relative within the fourth degree of kinship, the guardian (meaning a minor's guardian or an adult guardian; the same applies below), the guardian's supervisor (meaning the supervisor of a minor's guardian or the adult guardian's supervisor; the same applies below), or a public prosecutor.

The family court may decide to commence a curatorship in respect of a person whose capacity to appreciate their own situation is extremely inadequate due to a mental disorder or disability, at the request of the person in question, the person's spouse, the person's relative within the fourth degree of kinship, the guardian, the guardian's supervisor, the assistant, the assistant's supervisor, or a public prosecutor; provided, however, that this does not apply to a person in respect of whom a cause stated in Article 7 exists.

A person subject to a decision for commencement of curatorship becomes a person under curatorship, and a curator is appointed for that person.

①A person under curatorship must obtain the consent of the curator in order to perform any of the following acts; provided, however, that this does not apply to an act provided for in the proviso of Article 9:

②At the request of a person referred to in the main clause of Article 11 or the curator or curator's supervisor, the family court may decide that the person under curatorship must also obtain the consent of the curator before performing an act other than those stated in each of the items of the preceding paragraph; provided, however, that this does not apply to an act provided for in the proviso to Article 9.

③If the curator does not consent to an act for which the person under curatorship must obtain the curator's consent even though it is unlikely to prejudice the interests of the person under curatorship, the family court may grant permission that operates in lieu of the curator's consent at the request of the person under curatorship.

④An act for which the person under curatorship must obtain the curator's consent may be revoked if the person performs it without obtaining the curator's consent or a permission that operates in lieu of it.

①If the grounds prescribed in the main clause of Article 11 cease to exist, the family court must set aside the decision for the commencement of curatorship at the request of the person in question, that person's spouse, that person's relative within the fourth degree of kinship, the guardian of a minor, the supervisor of a minor's guardian, the curator, the curator's supervisor, or a public prosecutor.

②At the request of a person provided for in the preceding paragraph, the family court may set aside all or part of the decision referred to in paragraph (2) of the preceding Article.

①The family court may decide to commence an assistance in respect of a person whose capacity to appreciate their own situation is inadequate due to a mental disorder or disability, at the request of the person in question, that person's spouse, that person's relative within the fourth degree of kinship, the guardian, the guardian's supervisor, the curator, the curator's supervisor, or a public prosecutor; provided, however, that this does not apply to a person with respect to whom there are grounds as prescribed in Article 7 or the main clause of Article 11.

②The issuance of a decision for commencement of assistance at the request of a person other than the person in question requires the consent of the person in question.

③A decision for commencement of assistance must be made concurrent with a decision referred to in Article 17, paragraph (1) or a decision referred to in Article 876-9, paragraph (1).

A person subject to a decision for commencement of assistance becomes a person under assistantship, and an assistant is appointed for that person.

①At the request of the person referred to in the main clause of Article 15, paragraph (1) or the assistant or assistant's supervisor, the family court may decide that the person under assistantship must obtain the consent of the person's assistant in order to perform a specific juridical act; provided, however, that the acts that such a decision may establish as those for which the person must obtain the consent of the assistant are restricted to a part of the acts provided for in Article 13, paragraph (1).

②The issuance of a decision referred to in the preceding paragraph at the request of a person other than the person in question requires the consent of the person in question.

③If the assistant does not consent to an act for which the person under assistantship must obtain the assistant's consent even though it is unlikely to prejudice the interests of the person under assistantship, the family court may grant permission that operates in lieu of the assistant's consent, at the request of the person under assistantship.

④An act for which the person under assistantship must obtain the assistant's consent may be revoked if the person performs it without obtaining the assistance's consent or a permission that operates in lieu of it.

①If the grounds prescribed in the main clause of Article 15, paragraph (1) cease to exist, the family court must set aside the decision for commencement of assistance at the request of the person in question, that person's spouse, that person's relative within the fourth degree of kinship, the guardian of a minor, the supervisor of a minor's guardian, the assistant, the assistant's supervisor, or a public prosecutor.

②At the request of a person as prescribed in the preceding paragraph, the family court may set aside all or part of the decision referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article.

③If setting aside the decision referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article and the decision referred to in Article 876-9, paragraph (1) in their entirety, the family court must set aside the decision for commencement of assistance.

①If the family court decides to commence a guardianship and the person in question is a person under curatorship or a person under assistantship, it must set aside the decision for commencement of the curatorship or commencement of assistance respecting that person.

②The provisions of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis if the court decides to commence a curatorship and the person in question is an adult ward or a person under assistantship or if the court decides to commence an assistance and the person in question is an adult ward or a person under curatorship.

①After a person with qualified legal capacity who is involved in dealings with another party becomes a person with the legal capacity to act (meaning a person whose legal capacity to act is not subject to restrictions; the same applies below), the other party to those dealings may fix a period of one month or longer and demand that the person give a definite answer within that period of time as to whether the person will ratify an act that the person may revoke. In such a case, if the person fails to send a definite answer within that period of time, the person is deemed to have ratified that act.

②The second sentence of the preceding paragraph also applies if, before the person with qualified legal capacity becomes a person with the legal capacity to act, the other party to dealings involving the person with qualified legal capacity lodges the demand prescribed in the preceding paragraph with the legal representative, curator, or assistant of that person with respect to an act within the scope of their authority, and they fail to send a definite answer within the fixed period of time referred to in that paragraph.

③If a person does not send notice within the period of time stated in the preceding two paragraphs indicating that the person has completed any special formalities that an act requires, the person is deemed to have revoked that act.

④The other party to dealings involving a person with qualified legal capacity may lodge a demand with a person under curatorship or with a person under assistantship who is subject to a decision referred to in Article 17, paragraph (1) to demand that the person get the curator or assistant to ratify an act within the fixed period referred to in paragraph (1). In such a case, if the person under curatorship or person under assistantship does not send notice within that period indicating that the person has gotten the curator or assistant to ratify the act in question, the person is deemed to have revoked that act.

If a person with qualified legal capacity uses fraudulent means to induce another person to believe that the person is a person with legal capacity to act, the person may not revoke the act in question.

A person's principal place of daily activity is that person's domicile.

①If a person's domicile is unknown, the person's residence is deemed to be the person's domicile.

②If a person does not have a domicile in Japan, the person's residence is deemed to be the person's domicile, regardless of whether the person is a Japanese national or a foreign national; provided, however, that this does not apply if the law of domicile is to be applied in accordance with the provisions of the laws that establish the governing law.

If a temporary address is selected for an act, that temporary address is deemed to be the domicile as far as that act is concerned.

①If a person who has taken leave of the domicile or residence up until then (referred to as an "absentee" below) has not appointed an administrator for the person's property (in this Section referred to simply as an "administrator" below), the family court, at the request of an interested person or a public prosecutor, may order the necessary dispositions with regard to the administration of that property. The same applies if the administrator's authority is extinguished during the absence of the absentee.

②If an absentee appoints an administrator after an order under the provisions of the preceding paragraph has been issued, the family court must set aside that order at the request of the person's administrator, an interested person, or a public prosecutor.

If an absentee has appointed an administrator but it is unclear whether the absentee is dead or alive, the family court may replace that administrator with another at the request of an interested person or a public prosecutor.

①An administrator appointed by the family court pursuant to the provisions of the preceding two Articles must prepare a list of the property that the administrator is to administer. In such a case, the expenses incurred are paid from the property of the absentee.

②If it is unclear whether an absentee is dead or alive and an interested person or a public prosecutor so requests, the family court may also order the administrator appointed by the absentee to prepare the list referred to in the preceding paragraph.

③Beyond what is provided for in the preceding two paragraphs, the family court may order the administrator to make the dispositions that the court finds to be necessary to preserve the property of the absentee.

If an administrator needs to perform an act exceeding the authority provided for in Article 103, the administrator may perform that act after obtaining the permission of the family court. The same applies if it is unclear whether the absentee is dead or alive and the administrator needs to perform an act exceeding the authority established by the absentee.

①The family court may require an administrator to provide reasonable security with respect to the administration and return of the property.

②The family court may grant reasonable remuneration to the administrator from the property of the absentee based on the relationship between the administrator and absentee and other circumstances.

①If it has been unclear for seven years whether an absentee is dead or alive, the family court may enter a declaration of presumed death at the request of an interested person.

②The provisions of the preceding paragraph also apply if it has been unclear whether a person who has entered a war zone, was aboard a vessel that has sunk, or was otherwise exposed to a danger likely to result in a person's death is dead or alive, for one year after the war has ended, the vessel sank, or other danger has passed.

A person subject to a declaration of presumed death pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article is deemed to have died when the period of time referred to in that paragraph ended, and a person subject to a declaration of presumed death pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) of that Article is deemed to have died when that danger had passed.

①Having received proof that a person presumed dead is alive or they died at a time that is different from the time provided for in the preceding Article, the family court must revoke the declaration of presumed death, at the request of the person themselves or an interested party. In this case, the revocation does not affect the validity of any act performed in good faith after the declaration of presumed death but before its revocation.

②A person who has acquired property due to a declaration of presumed death loses the rights in question due to its revocation; provided, however, that the person has the obligation to return that property only to the extent that the person has actually been enriched.

If more than one person dies and it is unclear whether one of them was still alive after the death of another, it is presumed that they all died at the same time.