①The Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer may issue a travel document in lieu of a passport to a Japanese national in a foreign country who falls under any of the following items and wishes to return to Japan, based on their application when the Minister or the consular officer finds this to be necessary:

②A person who seeks to be issued a travel document is to apply for the issuance of a travel document by submitting a written application for issuance of a travel document, other documents specified by Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and a photograph to a consular officer. In such a case, if a consulate has not been established in the region where the person currently resides or if the person cannot file the application due to unavoidable circumstances, the person's relative or other persons concerned specified by Order of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is to file the application with the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer.

③The travel document issued based on the application referred to in the preceding paragraph is to be delivered by the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer to the person who applied for the issuance of the travel document by requesting the person's appearance.

④Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding three paragraphs, when the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer finds it particularly necessary for the person who falls under any of the items of paragraph (1) to return to Japan, the Minister or the consular officer may issue a travel document not based on an application, or deliver a travel document by the most appropriate method found for the person to surely receive the travel document without requesting their appearance.

⑤when issuing a travel document based on the provisions of paragraph (1) or the preceding paragraph, the Minister for Foreign Affairs or a consular officer may designate the validity period of the travel document and the transit point for returning to Japan.