If a merchant receives goods under bailment within the scope of its business, the merchant must store the bailed goods with the due care of a prudent manager even if it does not receive remuneration.
If a person in the business of conducting transactions at a hotel, food and beverage establishment, bathhouse, or other such establishment at which it is intended for customers to gather (hereinafter referred to as an "establishment's proprietor" in this Section) receives goods under bailment from a customer, the establishment's proprietor is not entitled to be released from the liability to compensate the customer for loss or damage arising as a result of loss or damage to the bailed goods unless it proves that the loss or damage is due to force majeure.
An establishment's proprietor is liable to compensate for loss or damage if the goods that the customer has carried into an establishment are lost or damaged due to the proprietor's failure to exercise due care, even if these are goods that a customer has not bailed to it.
An establishment's proprietor may not be released from the liability referred to in the preceding two paragraphs even if it indicates that it does not assume liability for goods that customers carry into the establishment.
An establishment's proprietor is not liable to compensate for loss or damage to cash, negotiable instruments, or other valuables, unless a customer notifies the establishment's proprietor of the type and value of the items while making the bailment.
第五百九十八条
(場屋営業者の責任に係る債権の消滅時効)Extinctive Prescription of Claims Involving Liability of Establishment's Proprietor
A claim involving the liability of an establishment's proprietor as referred to in the preceding two Articles is extinguished by prescription if the customer does not exercise it during the one-year period after the establishment's proprietor returns the bailed goods or the customer leaves with the goods that they carried into the establishment (or, in the event of a total loss of goods, after the customer leaves the establishment).
第二項
前項の規定は、場屋営業者が同項に規定する物品の滅失又は損傷につき悪意であった場合には、適用しない。
The provisions of the preceding paragraph do not apply if an establishment's proprietor has knowledge of the loss or damage to the goods prescribed in that paragraph.
第二節 倉庫営業
第五百九十九条
(定義)Definition
第一項
この節において「倉庫営業者」とは、他人のために物品を倉庫に保管することを業とする者をいう。
The term "warehouse operator" as used in this Section means a person engaged in the business of storing goods at a warehouse facility on behalf of another person.
第六百条
(倉荷証券の交付義務)Obligation to Issue Warehouse Receipt
第一項
倉庫営業者は、寄託者の請求により、寄託物の倉荷証券を交付しなければならない。
A warehouse operator must issue a warehouse receipt for bailed goods at the request of the bailor.
第六百一条
(倉荷証券の記載事項)Information Contained in Warehouse Receipt
The holder of a warehouse receipt may request a warehouse operator to divide the bailed goods and issue new warehouse receipts for each of the portions of the goods. In this case, the holder must return the initial warehouse receipt to the warehouse operator.
第二項
前項の規定による寄託物の分割及び倉荷証券の交付に関する費用は、所持人が負担する。
The costs for dividing bailed goods and issuing warehouse receipts under the provisions of the preceding paragraph are borne by the holder of the warehouse receipt.
第六百四条
(倉荷証券の不実記載)False Entry in Warehouse Receipts
第一項
倉庫営業者は、倉荷証券の記載が事実と異なることをもって善意の所持人に対抗することができない。
A warehouse operator may not assert the falsity of the information entered in a warehouse receipt against a holder in good faith.
第六百五条
(寄託物に関する処分)Disposition of Bailed Goods
第一項
倉荷証券が作成されたときは、寄託物に関する処分は、倉荷証券によってしなければならない。
If a warehouse receipt has been prepared, its holder must use it to dispose of the bailed goods.
第六百六条
(倉荷証券の譲渡又は質入れ)Negotiation or Pledging of Warehouse Receipts
Even if a warehouse receipt is issued to a named person, it may be negotiated or pledged by means of indorsement; provided, however, that this does not apply if the receipt indicates that its indorsement is prohibited.
第六百七条
(倉荷証券の引渡しの効力)Effect of Delivery of Warehouse Receipts
If a warehouse receipt is delivered to a person who is entitled to use it to collect bailed goods, its delivery has the same effect as the delivery of the bailed goods as it concerns the acquisition of rights that are exercised in connection with the bailed goods.
If the holder of a warehouse receipt loses that warehouse receipt, they may provide reasonable security and request a reissuance. In this case, the warehouse operator must make an entry of this in its books.
At any time during a warehouse operator's business hours, the bailor or the holder of a warehouse receipt may ask to inspect bailed goods or to be provided with samples of them, and may take the necessary measures to preserve them.
A warehouse operator is not entitled to be released from the liability for damages for the loss of or damage to bailed goods, unless it proves that it did not neglect to exercise due care in storing the goods.
第六百十一条
(保管料等の支払時期)Timing for Payment of Storage Fees and Other Monies
A warehouse operator may not request payment of storage fees, money advanced, and other such costs associated with the bailed goods (referred to as "storage fees and other monies" in Article 616, paragraph (1)) until at least the time at which the bailed goods leave the warehouse facility; provided, however, that if some of the bailed goods leave the warehouse facility, the warehouse operator may request payment in proportion to the goods that have left it.
If the parties do not specify a storage period, the warehouse operator may not return the bailed goods until after six months have passed since the day on which the bailed goods were placed in the warehouse facility; provided, however, that this does not apply if there are compelling reasons.
第六百十三条
(倉荷証券が作成された場合における寄託物の返還請求)Demanding Return of Bailed Goods If Warehouse Receipt Has Been Prepared
第一項
倉荷証券が作成されたときは、これと引換えでなければ、寄託物の返還を請求することができない。
If a warehouse receipt has been prepared, a person may not demand the return of the bailed goods other than in exchange for the receipt.
第六百十四条
(倉荷証券を質入れした場合における寄託物の一部の返還請求)Demanding Partial Return of Bailed Goods If Warehouse Receipt Has Been Pledged
If a warehouse receipt is pledged, the bailor, with the pledgee's consent, may demand the return of part of the bailed goods even before the claim secured by the pledge becomes due. In this case, the warehouse operator must enter the type, quality, and quantity of the returned part of the bailed goods on the warehouse receipt, and make an entry of this in its books.
第六百十五条
(寄託物の供託及び競売)Depositing and Auctioning of Bailed Goods
The provisions of Article 524, paragraphs (1) and (2) apply mutatis mutandis if the bailor or the holder of a warehouse receipt refuses to receive or is unable to receive the bailed goods.
第六百十六条
(倉庫営業者の責任の消滅)Extinguishment of Warehouse Operator's Liability
A warehouse operator ceases to be liable for damage or partial loss of bailed goods if the bailor or the holder of a warehouse receipt receives the bailed goods without raising any objection and pays the storage fees and other monies; provided, however, that this does not apply if the bailed goods contain any damage or partial loss that cannot be immediately discovered and the bailor or the holder of the warehouse receipt issues notice of this to the warehouse operator within two weeks from the date of delivery.
第二項
前項の規定は、倉庫営業者が寄託物の損傷又は一部滅失につき悪意であった場合には、適用しない。
The provisions of the preceding paragraph do not apply if the warehouse operator has knowledge of any damage or partial loss of the bailed goods.
第六百十七条
(倉庫営業者の責任に係る債権の消滅時効)Extinctive Prescription of Claims Involving Warehouse Operator's Liability
A claim involving the liability of a warehouse operator arising from loss or damage to bailed goods is extinguished by prescription if it is not exercised within one year after the date of the removal of the bailed goods from the warehouse facility.
In the event of a total loss of bailed goods, the period referred to in the preceding paragraph is counted from the day on which the warehouse operator issued notice of the loss to the holder of the warehouse receipt (or to the bailor if no warehouse receipt is prepared or the holder of the warehouse receipt is unknown).
第三項
前二項の規定は、倉庫営業者が寄託物の滅失又は損傷につき悪意であった場合には、適用しない。
The provisions of the preceding two paragraphs do not apply if the warehouse operator has knowledge of the loss or damage to the bailed goods.