This Act comes into effect on the date specified by Cabinet Order within a period not exceeding one year and three months from the date of promulgation; provided, however, that the provisions set forth in the following items come into effect on the dates specified respectively in those items:

①The person entered at the head of the family register (referred to below as the "head person") at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions (excluding a person who has already made a notification under the provisions of this paragraph or the following paragraph) may make a notification regarding the surname kana characters of the surname listed in the head person's family register, limited to a period within one year from the effective date of item (iii).

②If a head person who is allowed to make the notification stated in the preceding paragraph uses a pronunciation other than the pronunciation referred to in Article 13, paragraph (1), item (ii) (referred to below as the "general pronunciation") under the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (2) of the Family Register Act as amended by the provisions of Article 7 (referred to below as the "New Family Register Act") at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions, the head person may make a notification to the effect that the characters displaying the pronunciation being used are to be particulars entered into the family register in lieu of the notification in the preceding paragraph, limited to within one year from the effective date of item (iii). In this case, in applying the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (1), item (ii), Article 29, item (iv), Article 107, paragraph (1) and Article 107-3, and other laws and regulations, to the person entered in the family register related to the notification, the characters used in the relevant notification are deemed to be the surname kana characters.

③If the head person who is allowed to make the notification stated in paragraph (1) is removed from the relevant family register, limited to within one year from the effective date of item (iii), in accordance with the order, the persons listed below may make the notifications referred to in the preceding two paragraphs; provided, however, that this does not apply if the notifications referred to in the preceding two paragraphs have already been made for the relevant family register:

④The person making the notification referred to in paragraph (2) must submit a document certifying that the pronunciation of the surname that is being used is generally accepted.

①A person who is entered in the family register at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions (excluding the head person), and who is entered as the head person (excluding the person who has already made a notification under the provisions of this paragraph or the following paragraph) in a family register created after the time of enforcement of the provisions of item (iii) (referred to below as "new family register" in this Article and in Article 11 of the Supplementary Provisions) may make a notification regarding the surname kana characters related to the surname entered into the relevant new family register, limited to within one year from the effective date of item (iii).

②Limited to within one year from the effective date of item (iii), the person prescribed in the preceding paragraph: who uses a pronunciation other than the general pronunciation for the surname referred to in the preceding paragraph at the time of enforcement of the provisions set forth in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions, may make a notification to the effect that the characters displaying the pronunciation of the surname that are being used are to be particulars entered into the new family register for the person in lieu of the notification in the preceding paragraph. In this case, in applying the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (1), item (ii), Article 29, item (iv), Article 107, paragraph (1) and Article 107-3 of the New Family Register Act, and other laws and regulations, to the person entered in the new family register related to the relevant notification, the characters related to the relevant notification are deemed to be the surname kana characters.

③If the person prescribed in paragraph (1) is removed from the new family register related to the person, limited to within one year from the effective date of item (iii), in accordance with the order, the persons listed below may make the notifications referred to in the preceding two paragraphs; provided, however, that this does not apply if the notifications referred to in the preceding two paragraphs have already been made:

④If the notification in the paragraph (1) or (2) of the preceding Article has been made concerning the surname entered in the new family register before the day that family register was created, the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs do not apply.

⑤The person making the notification referred to in paragraph (2) must submit a document certifying that the pronunciation of the surname that is being used is generally accepted.

①A person entered in the family register at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions (excluding a person who has already made a notification under the provisions of this paragraph or the following paragraph) may make a notification regarding the given name kana characters of the given name listed in the person's family register, limited to a period within one year from the effective date of item (iii).

②Limited to within one year from the effective date of item (iii), the person prescribed in the preceding paragraph: who uses a pronunciation other than the general pronunciation for the given name referred to in the preceding paragraph at the time of enforcement of the provisions set forth in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions, may make a notification to the effect that the characters displaying the pronunciation of the given name that are being used are to be particulars entered into the family register for the person in lieu of the notification in the preceding paragraph. In this case, in applying the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (1), item (ii), Article 29, item (iv), Article 107-2 and Article 107-4 of the New Family Register Act, and other laws and regulations, to the person making the notification, the characters related to the relevant notification are deemed to be the given name kana characters.

③The person making the notification referred to in the preceding paragraph must submit a document certifying that the pronunciation of the given name that is being used is generally accepted.

①On the day after the final day in the one year period commencing on the effective date referred to in item (iii), the mayor of a municipality for the place of the registered domicile (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) (referred to below as "designated cities" in this paragraph), a ward mayor or administratively consolidated ward mayor; the same applies below in this Article and in Article 13 of the Supplementary Provisions) is to obtain the permission of the director of a legal affairs bureau or district legal affairs bureau with jurisdiction over the location of a city office (including a ward office of a special ward, with respect to a designated city, a ward office of a ward or administratively consolidated ward) or town or village office (referred to below as the "director with jurisdiction" in the following paragraph) and enter into the family register the surname kana characters related to the person entered into the family register at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed set forth in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions; provided, however, that this does not apply if the notification referred to in Article 6, paragraph (1) or (2) of the Supplementary Provisions, or the notification referred to in Article 7, paragraph (1) or (2) of the Supplementary Provisions has been made on the day before the day which is one year from the effective date.

②On the day after the final day in the one year period commencing on the effective date referred to in item (iii), the mayor of a municipality for the place of the registered domicile is to obtain the permission of the director with jurisdiction and enter into the family register the given name kana characters related to the person entered into the family register at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed set forth in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions (excluding the person who made the notification referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) of the preceding Article on the day before the day which is one year from the effective date).

③In the case referred to in the preceding two paragraphs, when the mayor of a municipality for the place of the registered domicile finds that the person entered into the family register at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed set forth in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions is using a surname pronunciation or given name pronunciation other than the general pronunciation, notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, the mayor may enter the characters displaying the pronunciation of the surname and the pronunciation of the given name that are being used in the family register of the person in lieu of the surname kana characters and the given name kana characters. In this case, in applying the provisions of Article 13, paragraph (1), item (ii), Article 29, item (iv), Article 107, paragraph (1) and Article 107-2, and other laws and regulations related to the person for whom the characters are entered in the family register pursuant to the provisions of this paragraph, the characters related to the entry are deemed to be the surname kana characters and the given name kana characters.

④Without delay after the enforcement date stated in item (iii), the mayor of a municipality for the place of the registered domicile must notify a person who is entered in the family register at the time of enforcement of the provisions listed in Article 1, item (iii) of the Supplementary Provisions, of the surname kana characters, or given name kana characters, or of the characters displaying the pronunciation of the surname or the given name other than the general pronunciation, that the mayor intends to enter into the person's family register pursuant to the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs; provided, however, that this does not apply if it is difficult to notify the person in advance.