①If a ship is in distress, a person rapidly approaching death aboard that ship may make a will orally in the presence of at least two witnesses.

②In order for a testator who cannot speak to make a will pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the testator must do so through an interpreter.

③A will made according to the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs is not valid unless a witness transcribes the tenor thereof and signs and affixes the witness' seal to the transcription, and is also not valid without being declared so by the family court, as requested without delay by one of the witnesses or an interested party.

④The provisions of Article 976, paragraph (5) apply mutatis mutandis to a case as referred to in the preceding paragraph.

In a case as referred to in Article 977 or Article 978, the testator, person who transcribed the will, persons present, and witnesses must sign and affix their seals to the will.

In a case as referred to in one of Article 977 through Article 979, if there is a person who is unable to sign or affix a seal, a person present or a witness must make a supplementary note of the reason for this.

The provisions of Article 968, paragraph (3) and Article 973 through Article 975 apply mutatis mutandis to a will under the provisions of Article 976 through Article 981.

A will made pursuant to the provisions of Article 976 through Article 982 is not valid if the testator survives for a period of six months from the time the testator recovers the ability to make a will using standard formalities.

If a Japanese national who is in a country where there is a Japanese consulate seeks to make a will in the form of a notarial instrument or sealed and notarized instrument, the duties of the notary are undertaken by the consulate. In this case, notwithstanding the provisions of Article 970, paragraph (1), item (iv), the testator and the witnesses are not required to affix the seal referred to in that item.

①A will takes effect at the time of the testator's death.

②If a will contains a condition precedent and the condition is fulfilled after the death of the testator, the will takes effect from the time that condition is fulfilled.

①A legatee may renounce a legacy at any time after the death of the testator.

②The renunciation of a legacy is valid retroactive to the time of the testator's death.

The person charged with a legacy (meaning a person who bears a duty to discharge a legacy; hereinafter the same applies in this Section) or any other interested party may issue notice to a legatee that the legatee must accept or renounce the legacy within a reasonable, specified period of time. In such a case, if the legatee does not manifest an intention to the person charged with the legacy within that period, the legacy is deemed to have been accepted.

If a legatee dies without accepting or renouncing a legacy, the legatee's heir may accept or renounce the legacy within the scope of the heir's own right of inheritance; provided, however, that if the testator manifests different intention by will, that intention prevails.

①The acceptance or renunciation of a legacy may not be revoked.

②The provisions of Article 919, paragraphs (2) and (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the acceptance and renunciation of a legacy.

A universal legatee has the same rights and duties as an heir.

Before a legacy becomes due, the legatee may request reasonable security from the person charged with the legacy. The same applies with respect to a legacy that is subject to a condition precedent while the fulfillment of that condition is pending.

A legatee acquires the fruits of the legacy beginning from when the legatee may request that the legacy be paid; provided, however, that if the testator manifests different intention by will, that intention prevails.

①The provisions of Article 299 apply mutatis mutandis if the person charged with a legacy incurs expenses in respect of the object of the legacy after the death of the testator.

②It is permissible to claim reimbursement for any normal and necessary expenses incurred in collecting the fruits of a legacy, up to the limit of the value of those fruits.

①A legacy does not become effective if the legatee predeceases the testator.

②The preceding paragraph also applies in respect of a legacy that is subject to a condition precedent, if the legatee dies before the fulfillment of the condition; provided, however, that if the testator manifests different intention by will, that intention prevails.

If the effect of a legacy does not arise, or if its effect is lost due to renunciation, that which the legatee would have received devolves to the heirs; provided, however, that if the testator manifests a different intention by will, that intention prevails.

A legacy does not take effect unless the rights that are the object of that legacy belong to the estate at the time of the testator's death; provided, however, that, regardless of whether such rights are part of the estate, the foregoing does not apply if it is found that the testator made those rights the object of the legacy.

①If a legacy having as its object rights not belonging to the estate takes effect pursuant to the proviso to the preceding Article, the person charged with the legacy bears a duty to obtain those rights and transfer them to the legatee.

②In a case as referred to in the preceding paragraph, if the rights prescribed in that paragraph cannot be obtained or if obtaining them would require excessive expenses, the person charged with the legacy must compensate the legatee for the value of those rights; provided, however, that if the testator manifests different intention by will, that intention prevails.

A person charged with a legacy is obligated to deliver or transfer the thing or right that is the object of the legacy in the condition it was in at the time of the opening of succession (or, if the thing or right was specified as the object of the legacy after that, at the time it was specified); provided, however, that if the testator manifests a different intention in the will, that intention prevails.

①If the testator has the right to claim compensation from a third party because of the loss, alteration, or loss of possession of the object of a legacy, that right is presumed to have been made the object of the legacy.

②If accession or mixture has arisen in respect of the object of a legacy and another thing and the testator has become the sole owner or a co-owner of the thing formed by accession or mixture pursuant to the provisions of Articles 243 through 245, full ownership of that thing or the testator's share therein is presumed to have been made the object of the legacy.

①In the event that a claim has been made the object of a legacy, if the testator has received payment or delivery in respect of that claim and a thing so received is among the estate, that thing is presumed to have been made the object of that legacy.

②If money is the object of a claim that has been made the object of a legacy, that money is presumed to have been made the object of the legacy even if funds equivalent to that claim are not among the estate.

①A person receiving a conditioned legacy is only liable for the performance of the obligations so borne up to the limit of the value of the object of the legacy.

②If a legatee renounces the legacy, the person who would have benefitted by the burden may personally become a legatee; provided, however, that if the testator manifests different intention by will, that intention prevails.

If the value of the object of a conditioned legacy is reduced due to the qualified acceptance of a succession or through an action to recover the statutory reserved share, the legatee is exempted from a proportion of the obligations borne under that legacy, in line with the proportion of the reduction; provided, however, that if the testator manifests different intention by will, that intention prevails.