Except as otherwise provided, the court must have a witness swear under oath.
証人には、特別の定めがある場合を除き、宣誓をさせなければならない。
When examining a person under 16 years of age or person who is unable to understand the purpose of swearing under oath as a witness, the court may not make the witness swear under oath.
十六歳未満の者又は宣誓の趣旨を理解することができない者を証人として尋問する場合には、宣誓をさせることができない。
When examining a witness who falls under the provisions of Article 196 and does not exercise the right to refuse to testify, the court may choose not to have the witness swear under oath.
第百九十六条の規定に該当する証人で証言拒絶の権利を行使しないものを尋問する場合には、宣誓をさせないことができる。
A witness may refuse to swear under oath when being examined with regard to matters in which the witness, personally, or a person to whom the witness is related in any of the ways listed in the items of Article 196, is deeply interested.
証人は、自己又は自己と第百九十六条各号に掲げる関係を有する者に著しい利害関係のある事項について尋問を受けるときは、宣誓を拒むことができる。
The provisions of Articles 198 and 199 apply mutatis mutandis if a witness refuses to swear under oath, and the provisions of Articles 192 and 193 apply mutatis mutandis if, after a judicial decision finding no grounds for a refusal to testify becomes final and binding, the witness still refuses to testify, without a legitimate reason for refusing to do so.
Read this with the articles around it
(Civil Fines for Non-Appearance)
If a witness, without a legitimate reason for doing so, fails to appear, the court issues a ruling ordering the witness to bear any court costs incurred due to the witness's failure to appear…
証人が正当な理由なく出頭しないときは、裁判所は、決定で、これによって生じた訴訟費用の負担を命じ、かつ、十万円以下の過料に処する。
Open this provision(Criminal Fines for Non-Appearance)
If a witness fails to appear without a legitimate reason, the witness is sentenced to a criminal fine of not more than 100,000 yen or misdemeanor imprisonment without work.
証人が正当な理由なく出頭しないときは、十万円以下の罰金又は拘留に処する。
Open this provision(Right to Refuse to Testify)
If a witness's testimony relates to a matter for which the witness, personally, or a person related to the witness in any of the following ways, would likely be subject to criminal prosecution or…
証言が証人又は証人と次に掲げる関係を有する者が刑事訴追を受け、又は有罪判決を受けるおそれがある事項に関するときは、証人は、証言を拒むことができる。証言がこれらの者の名誉を害すべき事項に関するときも、同様とする。
Open this provision(Prima Facie Showing of Reasons for Refusal to Testify)
A prima facie showing must be made of the grounds for a witness' refusal to testify.
証言拒絶の理由は、疎明しなければならない。
Open this provision(Judicial Decision on Refusal to Testify)
Except in a case as referred to in Article 197, paragraph (1), item (i), the court in charge of the case hears the parties and reaches a judicial decision, in the form of a ruling…
第百九十七条第一項第一号の場合を除き、証言拒絶の当否については、受訴裁判所が、当事者を審尋して、決定で、裁判をする。
Open this provision