Article 945Renewal of Registration
第九百四十五条（登録の更新）
Unless a registration is renewed at an interval of not less than three years as specified by Cabinet Order, it becomes ineffective by the expiration of the period.
登録は、三年を下らない政令で定める期間ごとにその更新を受けなければ、その期間の経過によって、その効力を失う。
The provisions of the preceding three Articles apply mutatis mutandis to the renewal of a registration referred to in the preceding paragraph.
Article 946Obligation of Investigation
第九百四十六条（調査の義務等）
When being requested to carry out an electronic public notice investigation, an investigation body must carry out the electronic public notice investigation except if there are justifiable grounds.
An investigation body must carry out an electronic public notice investigation fairly and by the method prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order.
If an investigation body carries out an electronic public notice investigation, the investigation body must report to the Minister of Justice the trade name of the person who has requested the electronic public notice investigation (hereinafter referred to as the "investigation entruster" in this Section) and any other matters prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.
An investigation body must, without delay after an electronic public notice investigation, notify the investigation entruster of the results of the electronic public notice investigation, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.
Article 947Cases Where an Electronic Public Notice Investigation Is Unable to Be Carried Out
第九百四十七条（電子公告調査を行うことができない場合）
An investigation body is unable to carry out an electronic public notice investigation with regard to public notice given by any one of the following persons by way of electronic public notice or with regard to the public notice in the cases prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order as those where the persons or directors, etc. thereof were involved in the public notice given by way of electronic public notice:
the relevant investigation body;
当該調査機関
the parent stock company (meaning a stock company which has the relevant investigation body as its subsidiary company) if the relevant investigation body is a stock company;
a corporation whose directors, etc. or employees (including those who have been in either of the positions within the past two years; the same applies in the following item) constitute more than half of the directors, etc. of the relevant investigation body; or
a corporation whose directors, etc. or employees include the relevant investigation body (excluding one who is a corporation) or a director, etc. having the authority of representation of the relevant investigation body.
Article 948Notification of a Change in the Place of Business
第九百四十八条（事業所の変更の届出）
When an investigation body intends to change the location of the place of business where electronic public notice investigations will be carried out, the investigation body must give notification to the Minister of Justice by two weeks prior to the day of that change.
第九百四十九条（業務規程）
An investigation body must prescribe rules concerning the business of electronic public notice investigations (referred to as the "business rules" in the following paragraph) and notify the Minister of Justice thereof prior to the commencement of the business of electronic public notice investigations. The same applies when the investigation body intends to change the business rules.
The business rules must provide for the implementation method of electronic public notice investigations, fees concerning electronic public notice investigations and any other matters prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order.
Article 950Suspension or Discontinuance of Business
第九百五十条（業務の休廃止）
When an investigation body intends to suspend or discontinue all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigations, the investigation body must notify the Minister of Justice to that effect in advance, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.
Article 951Keeping and Inspection of Financial Statements
第九百五十一条（財務諸表等の備置き及び閲覧等）
An investigation body must, within three months from the end of each business year, prepare an inventory of property, a balance sheet, profit and loss statement or settlement of accounts, and business report (including electronic or magnetic records, if electronic or magnetic records are prepared in lieu of these documents; referred to as the "financial statements, etc." in the following paragraph) for the business year, and keep them at the investigation body's place of business for five years.
An investigation entruster or any other interested party may make the following requests to an investigation body at any time during the business hours of the investigation body; provided, however, that that person must pay the fee designated by the investigation body when making the request set forth in item (ii) or item (iv):
when the financial statements, etc. are prepared in the form of documents, requests for the inspection or copying of relevant documents;
財務諸表等が書面をもって作成されているときは、当該書面の閲覧又は謄写の請求
requests for the delivery of a transcript or extract of the documents referred to in the preceding item;
前号の書面の謄本又は抄本の交付の請求
if the financial statements, etc. have been prepared as an electronic or magnetic record, a request to inspect or copy anything that is used in a manner prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order to display the information recorded in that electronic or magnetic record; and
a request to be provided with the information recorded in the electronic or magnetic record referred to in the preceding item by an electronic or magnetic means that the Investigation body has designated, or a request to be issued a document showing that information.
第九百五十二条（適合命令）
When the Minister of Justice finds that an investigation body no longer complies with any one of the items of Article 944, paragraph (1), the minister may order the investigation body to take necessary measures for complying with these provisions.
法務大臣は、調査機関が第九百四十四条第一項各号のいずれかに適合しなくなったと認めるときは、その調査機関に対し、これらの規定に適合するため必要な措置をとるべきことを命ずることができる。
Article 953Order for Improvement
第九百五十三条（改善命令）
When the Minister of Justice finds that an investigation body violates the provisions of Article 946, the minister may order the investigation body to carry out electronic public notice investigations or to take necessary measures to improve the method of electronic public notice investigation or the method of any other business.
Article 954Rescission of Registration
第九百五十四条（登録の取消し等）
When an investigation body falls under any one of the following items, the Minister of Justice may rescind the registration of the investigation body or order the suspension of all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigations for a set period:
when the investigation body falls under Article 943, item (i) or (iii);
第九百四十三条第一号又は第三号に該当するに至ったとき。
when the investigation body violates the provisions of Article 947 (including the cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the electronic public notice related provisions) to Article 950, Article 951, paragraph (1) or paragraph (1) of the following Article (including the cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the electronic public notice related provisions);
第九百四十七条（電子公告関係規定において準用する場合を含む。）から第九百五十条まで、第九百五十一条第一項又は次条第一項（電子公告関係規定において準用する場合を含む。）の規定に違反したとき。
when the investigation body rejects a request under the provisions of the items of Article 951, paragraph (2) or the items of paragraph (2) of the following Article (including the cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the electronic public notice related provisions) without justifiable grounds;
正当な理由がないのに第九百五十一条第二項各号又は次条第二項各号（電子公告関係規定において準用する場合を含む。）の規定による請求を拒んだとき。
when the investigation body violates the order referred to in Article 952 or in the preceding Article (including the cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the electronic public notice related provisions); or
when the investigation body obtains the registration referred to in Article 941 by wrongful means.
Article 955Statements in an Investigation Record Book
第九百五十五条（調査記録簿等の記載等）
An investigation body must, pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order, keep investigation records or what is prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order as being equivalent thereto (hereinafter referred to as the "investigation record book, etc." in this Article), state or record the matters prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order concerning electronic public notice investigations, and preserve relevant investigation record book, etc.
An investigation entruster or any other interested party may make the following requests to an investigation body with regard to the investigation record book, etc. preserved by relevant investigation body pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph or paragraph (2) of the following Article (limited to the portions in which that person has an interest) at any time during the business hours of the investigation body; provided, however, that the person must pay the fee designated by the investigation body when making relevant requests:
when the investigation record book, etc. is prepared in the form of documents, requests for the delivery of a copy of relevant documents; and
調査記録簿等が書面をもって作成されているときは、当該書面の写しの交付の請求
when the investigation record book, etc. has been prepared as an electronic or magnetic record, a request to be provided with the information recorded in that electronic or magnetic record by an electronic or magnetic means that the investigation body has designated, or a request to be issued a document showing that information.
Article 956Succession of an Investigation Record Book
第九百五十六条（調査記録簿等の引継ぎ）
When an investigation body intends to discontinue all of its business of electronic public notice investigation or when its registration is rescinded pursuant to the provisions of Article 954, the investigation body must have another investigation body succeed to the investigation record book, etc. referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article (including the cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the electronic public notice related provisions), which the former investigation body has preserved.
An investigation body that has succeeded to the investigation record book, etc. referred to in the preceding paragraph pursuant to the provisions of that paragraph must preserve the investigation record book, etc. pursuant to the provisions of Ministry of Justice Order.
第九百五十七条（法務大臣による電子公告調査の業務の実施）
When no person obtains a registration, when a notification to suspend or discontinue all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation under the provisions of Article 950 is given, when rescinding a registration or ordering an investigation body to suspend all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation pursuant to the provisions of Article 954, when it becomes difficult for an investigation body to implement all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation due to a natural disaster or on any other grounds, or in any other cases where it is found necessary, the Minister of Justice may personally carry out all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation.
The succession of the business of electronic public notice investigation and any other necessary matters if the Minister of Justice personally carries out all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph are prescribed by Ministry of Justice Order.
A person who seeks the electronic public notice investigation carried out by the Minister of Justice pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) must pay a fee to the amount specified by Cabinet Order by giving consideration to the actual cost.
Article 958Reports and Inspections
第九百五十八条（報告及び検査）
The Minister of Justice may, to the extent necessary for the enforcement of this Act, have an investigation body report on the status of the investigation body's business or accounting, or have officials of the Minister of Justice enter the office or place of business of an investigation body and inspect the status of the business or the books, documents or any other articles.
法務大臣は、この法律の施行に必要な限度において、調査機関に対し、その業務若しくは経理の状況に関し報告をさせ、又はその職員に、調査機関の事務所若しくは事業所に立ち入り、業務の状況若しくは帳簿、書類その他の物件を検査させることができる。
An official must, when conducting an on-site inspection pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph, carry an identification card and present it to the person concerned.
前項の規定により職員が立入検査をする場合には、その身分を示す証明書を携帯し、関係人にこれを提示しなければならない。
The authority to conduct on-site inspections under paragraph (1) must not be construed as being vested for criminal investigation.
第一項の規定による立入検査の権限は、犯罪捜査のために認められたものと解釈してはならない。
第九百五十九条（公示）
In the following cases, the Minister of Justice must give public notice to that effect in Official Gazette:
法務大臣は、次に掲げる場合には、その旨を官報に公示しなければならない。
when the minister completes a registration;
登録をしたとき。
when the minister confirms that a registration became ineffective pursuant to the provisions of Article 945, paragraph (1);
第九百四十五条第一項の規定により登録が効力を失ったことを確認したとき。
when the notification referred to in Article 948 or Article 950 is given;
when the minister rescinds a registration or orders the suspension of all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation pursuant to the provisions of Article 954; or
when the Minister of Justice personally carries out all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation pursuant to the provisions of Article 957, paragraph (1) or when the minister ceases to carry out all or part of the business of electronic public notice investigation that the minister had personally carried out.
第九百五十七条第一項の規定により法務大臣が電子公告調査の業務の全部若しくは一部を自ら行うものとするとき、又は自ら行っていた電子公告調査の業務の全部若しくは一部を行わないこととするとき。