The Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications may effect service by publication in the following cases:
総務大臣は、次に掲げる場合には、公示送達をすることができる。
if the domicile or residence of the person to be served or the place where service is to be effected is unknown;
送達を受けるべき者の住所、居所その他送達をすべき場所が知れない場合
if it is found that, with regard to service to be effected in a foreign country, it is impossible to follow the provisions of Article 108 of the Code of Civil Procedure as applied mutatis mutandis with the terms replaced pursuant to the preceding Article, or that service cannot be effected even by following those provisions;
外国においてすべき送達について、前条において読み替えて準用する民事訴訟法第百八条の規定によることができず、又はこれによっても送達をすることができないと認めるべき場合
if six months have passed since a commission was issued to the competent government agency of a foreign country pursuant to the provisions of Article 108 of the Code of Civil Procedure as applied mutatis mutandis with the terms replaced pursuant to the preceding Article, and no document proving the service has been sent.
前条において読み替えて準用する民事訴訟法第百八条の規定により外国の管轄官庁に嘱託を発した後六月を経過してもその送達を証する書面の送付がない場合
Service by publication is carried out by taking measures to place in a state where it can be viewed by unspecified and numerous persons, by the method specified by Order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, the effect that the documents to be served will be delivered to the person to be served at any time, and to place in a state where it can be viewed a document stating that effect posted on the bulletin board of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, or that effect displayed on the screen of a computer installed at an office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications.
公示送達は、送達をすべき書類を送達を受けるべき者にいつでも交付すべき旨を総務省令で定める方法により不特定多数の者が閲覧することができる状態に置くとともに、その旨が記載された書面を総務省の掲示場に掲示し、又はその旨を総務省の事務所に設置した電子計算機の映像面に表示したものの閲覧をすることができる状態に置く措置をとることにより行う。
Service by publication takes effect upon the lapse of two weeks from the day on which the measures were commenced under the provisions of the preceding paragraph.
公示送達は、前項の規定による措置を開始した日から二週間を経過することによって、その効力を生ずる。
In the case of service by publication made in respect of service to be effected in a foreign country, the period referred to in the preceding paragraph is six weeks.
外国においてすべき送達についてした公示送達にあっては、前項の期間は、六週間とする。