Residential Basic Book Act

In order to achieve the purpose of this Act, the State is to provide prefectures and municipalities, and prefectures are to provide municipalities, with the guidance necessary concerning the affairs that a prefecture or municipality processes under the provisions of this Act.

The competent minister may, with respect to prefectural governors or the mayors of municipalities, and prefectural governors may, with respect to the mayors of municipalities, when finding it necessary in connection with the affairs set forth in the preceding paragraph, request a report, or give advice or a recommendation.

When the competent minister intends to give advice or make a recommendation under the preceding paragraph, the competent minister is to consult with the Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare with respect to matters concerning an insured person under National Health Insurance, an insured person under latter-stage elderly medical care, an insured person under Long-Term Care Insurance, and an insured person under National Pension; with the Prime Minister with respect to matters concerning a person receiving Child Allowance; and with the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries with respect to matters concerning a person who receives the distribution of rice.

The prefectural governor may request the competent minister, and the mayor of the municipality may request the competent minister or the prefectural governor, to give the advice or make the recommendation under paragraph (2).

The provisions of Chapter II and Chapter III of the Administrative Procedure Act (Act No. 88 of 1993) do not apply to a disposition made by the mayor of the municipality under the provisions of this Act.

When the mayor of a municipality differs in opinion from the mayor of another municipality concerning the determination of a resident's domicile, and the consultation between them does not reach agreement, the mayor must apply to the prefectural governor (or, where the municipalities concerned are municipalities within the areas of two or more prefectures, the competent minister) to the effect that the mayor seeks that determination.

When the competent minister or the prefectural governor has received the application under the preceding paragraph, the competent minister or the prefectural governor must make a determination within sixty days from the day of receiving that application.

The determination under the preceding paragraph must be made in writing, and must be notified to the mayors of the municipalities concerned together with the reasons for it.

When a mayor of a municipality concerned is dissatisfied with the determination under paragraph (2), the mayor may bring an action in court within thirty days from the day of receiving the notification under the preceding paragraph.

The mayor of the municipality is to periodically investigate the matters that are to be entered under the provisions of Article 7 and Article 30-45.

Beyond the case prescribed in the preceding paragraph, the mayor of the municipality may, at any time when the mayor finds it necessary, investigate the matters that are to be entered under the provisions of Article 7 and Article 30-45.

In conducting the investigation under the preceding two paragraphs, the mayor of the municipality may, when the mayor finds it necessary, have the relevant officials ask questions of the persons concerned, or request the persons concerned to present documents.

When an official asks questions or requests the presentation of documents pursuant to the preceding paragraph, the official must carry identification showing the official's status, and must present it when so requested by a person concerned.

A person who is or was engaged in affairs concerning an investigation relating to the basic resident register must not divulge any secret that the person has come to know in connection with those affairs.

A person who is or was engaged in the processing of affairs concerning the basic resident register or a family register supplement, carried out under entrustment (including entrustment through two or more tiers) from the mayor of a municipality, must not wantonly disclose to another person any matter learned in connection with those affairs, or use it for a wrongful purpose.

When the mayor of a municipality processes affairs concerning the basic resident register or a family register supplement, the mayor must take the measures necessary for the prevention of leakage, loss and damage of the matters entered in a certificate of residence, a removed certificate of residence, a family register supplement, or a removed family register supplement, and for other appropriate management of the matters entered in a certificate of residence, a removed certificate of residence, a family register supplement, or a removed family register supplement.

The provisions of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis to the case where a person who has received entrustment (including entrustment through two or more tiers) from the mayor of a municipality of the processing of affairs concerning the basic resident register or a family register supplement performs the entrusted work.

The mayor of the municipality must endeavor to appropriately and promptly handle complaints concerning the implementation of affairs that the municipality processes under the provisions of this Act.

When necessary for the affairs under its jurisdiction, a national administrative organ or the prefectural governor may request the mayor of a municipality to provide materials concerning the matters recorded in the basic resident register or the matters entered in a removed certificate of residence.

When necessary for the affairs under its jurisdiction, a national administrative organ may request the prefectural governor or the Agency to provide materials concerning identity confirmation information retained by the prefectural governor or identity confirmation information retained by the Agency, respectively.

With regard to the application, to a designated city set forth in Article 252-19, paragraph (1) of the Local Autonomy Act (hereinafter referred to as a "designated city"), of the provisions of this Act specified by Cabinet Order, a ward and a general ward are deemed to be a city, the area of a ward and a general ward is deemed to be the area of a city, and the head of a ward and the head of a general ward are deemed to be the mayor.

Beyond what is provided for in the preceding paragraph, special provisions may be made by Cabinet Order concerning the application of the provisions of this Act to a designated city.

This Act does not apply to a person, among those without Japanese nationality, other than a person listed in the left-hand column of the table in Article 30-45, a person not subject to the Family Register Act (excluding an Imperial Princess or Princess who has married a male person other than the Emperor or a member of the Imperial Family (including a person who has divorced or been widowed from that male person)), or to any other person specified by Cabinet Order.

With regard to the application of the provisions of this Act and the Act on Certification Business of the Japan Agency for Local Authority Information Systems in Relation to Electronic Signatures, etc. to an Imperial Princess or Princess prescribed in the preceding paragraph, special provisions may be specified by Cabinet Order.

In this Act, the competent minister is the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications; provided, however, that, with respect to matters concerning a notification under Article 9, paragraph (2), and matters concerning a family register supplement prescribed in Chapter III, the competent minister is the Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications and the Minister of Justice.

Procedures for the implementation of this Act, and other matters necessary for its enforcement, are specified by Cabinet Order.

The affairs that a municipality is to process under Article 19-3 are Item (i) legally entrusted affairs prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (9), item (i) of the Local Autonomy Act.