The prescription is retroactive to the commencement day.

The court may not make a judicial decision relying on prescription unless a party (in the case of extinctive prescription, including a guarantor, third-party collateral provider, third party acquirer, or any other person with a legitimate interest in the extinction of a right) invokes it.

The benefits of the prescription may not be waived in advance.

①If any of the following grounds exists, the period of prescription does not expire until the ground ceases to exist (if the ground ceases to exist while the right remains undetermined by a final and binding judgment or anything that has the same effect as a final and binding judgment, until six months have passed from the time of cessation):

②In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, if a right is determined by a final and binding judgment or anything that has the same effect as a final and binding judgment, a new period of prescription commences to run at the time when the grounds stated in the items of that paragraph cease to exist;

①If any of the following grounds exists, the prescription period does not expire until those grounds cease to exist (or until six months after those grounds cease to exist, if they cease to exist due to the withdrawal of a petition or the rescission of a petition for failure to comply with the provisions of the law):

②In the case referred to in the preceding paragraph, a new period of prescription commences to run at the time when the grounds stated in the items of that paragraph cease to exist; provided, however, that this does not apply if the grounds cease to exist due to the withdrawal of a petition or the revocation of a petition for the failure to comply with the provisions of the law.

If either of the following grounds exists, the prescription period does not expire until six months have passed from the time when the ground ceases to exist:

①If a demand is made, the prescription period does not expire until six months have passed since the time of the demand.

②A second demand made during the postponement of expiration of the prescription period granted on the ground of the first demand does not have the effect of postponement of expiration of prescription period under the provisions of the preceding paragraph.

①If an agreement on holding a discussion concerning a right is made in writing, the prescription period does not expire until the earliest of the following points in time:

②If an agreement referred to in the preceding paragraph is made a second time during the postponement of expiration of the prescription period granted pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph, the second agreement has the effect of postponement of expiration of prescription period under the provisions of the preceding paragraph; provided, however, that the period of that effect may not exceed five years in total from the time when the prescription period should have expired had the postponement of expiration of the prescription period not been granted.

③An agreement referred to in paragraph (1) which is made during the postponement of expiration of the prescription period granted on the ground of a demand does not have the effect of postponement of expiration of prescription period under the provisions of that paragraph. The same applies to a demand made during the postponement of expiration of the prescription period granted pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph.

④If an agreement referred to in paragraph (1) is made by means of an electronic or magnetic record (meaning a record used in computerized information processing which is created in electronic form, magnetic form, or any other form that cannot be perceived by the human senses; the same applies below), the agreement is deemed to have been made in writing and the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs apply thereto.

⑤The provisions of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis to the notice referred to in paragraph (1), item (iii).

①If a right is acknowledged, a new period of prescription commences to run at the time of the acknowledgment.

②With respect to the disposition of the right of the other party, an acknowledgment referred to in the preceding paragraph does not require unlimited capacity to act or authority.

①The postponement of the expiry of prescription period or the renewal of prescription period under the provisions of Article 147 or Article 148 is effective only between the parties with respect to whom grounds to postpone the expiry of prescription period or to renew prescription period have arisen and their successors.

②The postponement of expiration of prescription period under the provisions of Articles 149 through 151 is effective only between the parties with respect to whom grounds to postpone the expiry of prescription period have arisen and their successors.

③The renewal of period of prescription under the provisions of the preceding Article is effective only between the parties with respect to whom grounds to renew prescription period have arisen and their successors.

If the procedure regarding any of the grounds stated in the items of Article 148, paragraph (1) or the items of Article 149 is not carried out in relation to a person that is to receive the benefit of prescription, it does not have an effect of postponement of expiration of prescription period or renewal of prescription period under the provisions of Article 148 or Article 149 unless the person is notified of it.

①If a minor or an adult ward has no legal representative during the period of six months preceding the expiration of the period of prescription, the prescription period does not expire with respect to that minor or adult ward until six months pass from the time when that minor or adult ward becomes a person with a capacity to act, or a legal representative assumes the position.

②If a minor or an adult ward has a right vis-a-vis the minor's or the adult ward's father, mother, or guardian who manages the property, the prescription period does not expire with respect to that right until six months have passed from the time when that minor or adult ward becomes a person with capacity to act, or a succeeding legal representative assumes the position.

With respect to rights which the husband or wife has vis-a-vis the other spouse, the prescription period does not expire until six months have passed from the time of the dissolution of their marriage.

With respect to an estate, the prescription period does not expire until six months have passed from the time when the heir is identified, the administrator is appointed, or commencement of bankruptcy proceeding is ordered.

If it is impossible to carry out the procedure regarding any of the grounds stated in the items of Article 147, paragraph (1) or the items of Article 148, paragraph (1) upon the expiration of the period of prescription due to a natural disaster or other unavoidable serious event, the prescription period does not expire until three months have passed from the time when that impediment ceases to exist.

①A person that possesses the property of another for 20 years peacefully and openly with the intention to own it acquires its ownership.

②A person that possesses the property of another for 10 years peacefully and openly with an intention to own it acquires its ownership, if the person was acting in good faith and was not negligent at the time when the possession started.

A person that exercises a property right other than ownership peacefully and openly with the intention to do so on the person's own behalf acquires that right after the passage of 20 years or 10 years, according to the distinction provided for in the preceding Article.

The prescription under the provisions of Article 162 is renewed if the possessor discontinues the possession voluntarily or is deprived of that possession by another person.

The provisions of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to the case under Article 163.

①A claim is extinguished by prescription in the following cases:

②A claim or property right other than ownership is extinguished by prescription if not exercised within 20 years from the time when the right became exercisable.

③The provisions of the preceding two paragraphs do not preclude the commencement of acquisitive prescription for the benefit of a third party that possesses the subject matter of a right with a time of commencement or a right subject to a condition precedent, at the time of commencing the possession; provided, however, that the holder of the right may demand acknowledgment from the possessor at any time to renew the prescription period.

To apply the provisions of paragraph (1), item (ii) of the preceding Article to the extinctive prescription of a claim for damages arising from the death or injury to persons, the phrase "10 years" in that item is deemed to be replaced with "20 years".

①A claim for periodic payments is extinguished by prescription in the following cases:

②The obligee of periodic payments may require its obligor at any time to issue a written acknowledgment in order to acquire the evidence of the renewal of period of prescription.

①The period of prescription of a right determined by a final and binding judgment or anything that has the same effect as a final and binding judgment is 10 years even if a period of prescription shorter than 10 years is provided for.

②The provisions of the preceding paragraph do not apply to a claim which is not yet due and payable at the time when it is determined.