Domestic Relations Case Procedure Act

The adjudication cases set forth in the following items are subject to the family court which has jurisdiction over the places specified respectively in these items:

an adjudication case for permission for the change of a surname or name, or the change of the kana reading of a surname or the kana reading of a given name (meaning an adjudication case regarding the matters set forth in Appended Table 1, row (122)):the place of domicile of the petitioner;

an adjudication case for permission for the registration of an unregistered person (meaning an adjudication case regarding the matters set forth in Appended Table 1, row (123)):the place where the unregistered person is to be registered;

an adjudication case for permission for a correction to a family register (meaning an adjudication case regarding the matters set forth in Appended Table 1, row (124)):the place where the family register exists; and

an adjudication case of an appeal against a disposition made by a mayor of municipality on a family register-related case (meaning an adjudication case regarding the matters set forth in Appended Table 1, row (125); the same applies in the following Article):the location of a city office (or a ward office in the case under the provisions of Article 122 of the Family Register Act (Act No. 224 of 1947) as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 4 of the Act) or an office of a town or village.

The provisions of Article 118 apply mutatis mutandis to a person who may file a petition for any of the adjudication cases prescribed in the Family Register Act (meaning the adjudication cases regarding the matters set forth in Appended Table 1, rows (122) through (125)) in the adjudication cases; provided, however, that in an adjudication case for an appeal filed against a disposition made by a mayor of municipality on a family register-related case, this only applies to a person who may themselves make a notification or perform any other act for which the disposition has been made.

When a petition for permission for a correction to a family register under the provisions of Article 113 of the Family Register Act is filed by a person other than the person who has made a notification or the party to the notification case relating to the family register, the family court must give notice to that effect to the person who has made the notification or the party to the notification case relating to the family register, except when the petition is unlawful or the petition is clearly groundless; provided, however, that this is required only when the name and domicile or residence of the person is known from the case record.

When making a ruling of permission for the change of a surname or the kana reading of a surname, the family court must hear statements from a person (limited to a person of 15 years of age or older) who is in the same family register as the petitioner.

When an appeal is filed against a disposition made by a mayor of a municipality (including a special ward mayor; with respect to a designated city set forth in Article 252-19, paragraph (1) of the Local Autonomy Act (Act No. 67 of 1947), a ward mayor or administratively consolidated ward mayor; hereinafter the same applies in this Section) on a family register-related case, the family court must hear the opinion of the mayor of the municipality.

Notice of a ruling to dismiss an appeal against a disposition made by a mayor of a municipality on a family register-related case must be given to the mayor of the municipality, beyond the persons prescribed in Article 74, paragraph (1).

When a family court finds grounds for an appeal against a disposition made by a mayor of a municipality on a family register-related case, it must order the mayor of the municipality to make reasonable dispositions.

An immediate appeal may be filed against the rulings set forth in the following items by the persons specified respectively in these items:

a ruling of permission for the change of a surname or the kana reading of a surname:an interested party (excluding the petitioner);

a ruling to dismiss a petition for permission for the change of a surname or name, or the change of the kana reading of a surname or the kana reading of a given name:the petitioner;

a ruling to dismiss a petition for the registration of an unregistered person:the petitioner;

a ruling of permission for a correction of a family register:an interested party (excluding the petitioner);

a ruling to dismiss a petition for permission for a correction to a family register:the petitioner;

a ruling to order a mayor of municipality to make reasonable dispositions under the provisions of paragraph (2) of the preceding Article:the mayor of the municipality; and

a ruling to dismiss an appeal against a disposition made by a mayor of a municipality on a family register-related case:the petitioner.