Notwithstanding Article 17, the formation and effect of a claim arising from a tort of defamation of others is governed by the law of the victim's habitual residence (in cases where the victim is a juridical person or any other association or foundation, the law of its principal place of business).

Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding three Articles, the formation and effect of a claim arising from a tort are governed by the law of the place with which the tort is obviously more closely connected than the place indicated in the preceding three Articles, in light of that the parties had their habitual residence in the places governed by the same law at the time of the occurrence of the tort, that the tort was committed in breach of the obligation under a contract between the parties, or any other circumstances concerned.

The parties to a tort may, after the tort occurs, change a law applicable to the formation and effect of a claim arising from the tort; provided, however, that if the change prejudices the rights of a third party, it may not be duly asserted against the third party.

①In the case where a tort is governed by a foreign law, if facts to which the foreign law should be applied do not constitute a tort under Japanese law, no claim under the foreign law may be made for compensation or any other dispositions.

②In the case where a tort is governed by a foreign law, even if facts to which the foreign law should be applied constitute a tort both under the foreign law and Japanese law, the victim may make a claim only for compensation or any other dispositions that may be permitted under Japanese law.

The effect of an assignment of a claim, against the obligor and a third party, is governed by the law applicable to the claim assigned.

①The formation of a marriage is governed by the national law of each party.

②The formalities for a marriage are governed by the law of the place where the marriage is celebrated (lex loci celebrationis).

③Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, the formalities that comply with the national law of either party to a marriage are valid; provided, however, that this does not apply where a marriage is celebrated in Japan and either party to the marriage is a Japanese national.

The effect of a marriage is governed by the national law of the husband and wife if their national law is the same, or where that is not the case, by the law of the habitual residence of the husband and wife if their law of the habitual residence is the same, or where neither of these is the case, by the law of the place most closely connected with the husband and wife.

①The preceding Article applies mutatis mutandis to the marital property system.

②Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, if a husband and wife have designated one of the laws listed in the following as the governing law by means of a document signed by them and dated, their marital property system is governed by the law thus designated. In this case, the designation is effective only for the future:

③The marital property system to which a foreign law should be applied pursuant to the preceding two paragraphs may not be duly asserted against a third party in good faith, to the extent that it is related to any juridical act done in Japan or any property situated in Japan. In this case, in relation to the third party, the marital property system is governed by Japanese law.

④Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, a marital agreement concluded under a foreign law pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of this Article may be duly asserted against a third party when it is registered in Japan.

Article 25 applies mutatis mutandis to divorce; provided, however, that if either husband or wife is a Japanese national who has habitual residence in Japan, their divorce is governed by Japanese law.

①If a child is treated as a child born in wedlock under the national law of either the husband or wife at the time of the child's birth, the child is deemed to be a child born in wedlock.

②If a husband has died before his child's birth, the husband's national law at the time of his death is deemed to be the husband's national law set forth in the preceding paragraph.

①In the case of a child born out of wedlock, the formation of a parent-child relationship with regard to the father and the child is governed by the father's national law at the time of the child's birth, and with regard to the mother and the child by the mother's national law at the time. In this case, when establishing a parent-child relationship by acknowledgment of parentage of a child, if obtaining the acceptance or consent from the child or a third party is required for acknowledgement under the child's national law at the time of the acknowledgement, the requirement must also be satisfied.

②Acknowledgement of parentage of a child is governed by the law designated in the first sentence of the preceding paragraph, or by the national law of the acknowledging person or of the child at the time of the acknowledgement. In this case, if the acknowledging person's national law is to govern, the second sentence of the preceding paragraph applies mutatis mutandis.

③If a father has died before his child's birth, the father's national law at the time of his death is deemed to be the father's national law set forth in paragraph (1). If the person prescribed in the preceding paragraph has died before the acknowledgment, the person's national law at the time of this person's death is deemed to be the person's national law set forth in that paragraph.

①A child acquires the status of a child born in wedlock if the child is legitimated under the national law of the father or the mother or of the child at the time when the facts constituting the requirements for legitimation are completed.

②If a person prescribed in the preceding paragraph has died before the facts constituting the requirements for legitimation are completed, the person's national law at the time of this person's death is deemed to be the person's national law set forth in that paragraph.

①Adoption is governed by the national law of an adoptive parent at the time of the adoption. In this case, if obtaining the acceptance or consent from the person to be adopted or a third party, or obtaining permission or any other disposition from a public authority is required for adoption under the national law of the person to be adopted, that requirement is also satisfied.

②The termination of a family relationship between an adopted child and their natural relatives by blood and dissolution of adoptive relation is governed by the law applicable under the first sentence of the preceding paragraph.

The legal relationship between parents and their child is governed by the child's national law if it is the same as the national law of either the father or mother (in cases where one parent has died or is unknown, the national law of the other parent), or in other cases by the law of the child's habitual residence.

Family relationships or rights and obligations arising therefrom other than those provided for in Article 24 through Article 32 are governed by the national law of the party concerned.

①The formalities for a juridical act regarding family relationships provided for in Article 25 through Article 33 are governed by the law applicable to the formation of the juridical act.

②Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, the formalities that comply with the law of the place where the act was done are valid.

①Guardianship, curatorship or assistance (hereinafter collectively referred to as "Guardianship, etc.") is governed by the national law of a ward, person under curatorship or person under assistance (collectively referred to as a "Ward, etc." in paragraph (2)).

②Notwithstanding the provisions of the preceding paragraph, in the following cases where a foreign national is a Ward, etc., a ruling of appointment of a guardian, curator or assistant and other ruling concerning Guardianship, etc. is governed by Japanese law:

Inheritance is governed by the national law of the decedent.

①The formation and effect of a will are governed by the national law of a testator at the time of the formation.

②The rescission of a will is governed by the national law of a testator at the time of the rescission.

①Where a party concerned has two or more nationalities, the party's national law is the law of the country of their nationality where they have habitual residence, or, the law of the country with which the party is most closely connected if there is no such country of their nationality where the party has habitual residence; provided, however, that if one of those nationalities is Japanese, Japanese law is the party's national law.

②In cases where the national law of a party concerned governs, if the party has no nationality, the law of their habitual residence governs; provided, however, that this does not apply with regard to the application of Article 25 (including cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 26, paragraph (1) and Article 27) and Article 32.

③Where a party concerned has nationality in a country where different laws are applied in different regions, their national law is the law designated in accordance with the rules of the country (in the absence of the rules, the law of the region with which the party is most closely connected).

In cases where the law of a party's habitual residence governs, if their habitual residence is unknown, the law of their residence governs; provided, however, that this does not apply with regard to the application of Article 25 (including cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 26, paragraph (1) and Article 27).

①Where a party concerned has nationality in a country where different laws are applied according to a person's status, their national law is the law designated in accordance with the rules of the country (in the absence of the rules, the law with which the party is most closely connected).

②The preceding paragraph applies mutatis mutandis to the law of a party's habitual residence that is applicable under Article 25 (including cases where they are applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 26, paragraph (1) and Article 27), Article 26, paragraph (2), item (ii), Article 32 or Article 38, paragraph (2) in cases where different laws are applied according to a person's status in the place of the party's habitual residence, and to the law of the place with which a husband and wife are most closely connected in cases where different laws are applied according to a person's status in the place with which the husband and wife are most closely connected.

In cases where the national law of a party concerned governs, if Japanese law governs in accordance with the law of the country of the national law, Japanese law governs; provided, however, that this does not apply where the national law of a party governs under Article 25 (including cases where it is applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to Article 26, paragraph (1) and Article 27) or Article 32.

In cases where a foreign law governs, if the application of those provisions of the foreign law is against public policy, those provisions do not apply.

①The provisions of this Chapter do not apply to the obligations to support arising from the relationship between a husband and wife, parents and their child, and other family relationships; provided, however, that this does not apply to the main clause of Article 39.

②The provisions of this Chapter do not apply to the formalities for a will; provided, however, that this does not apply to the main clause of Article 38, paragraph (2), the main clause of Article 39, and Article 40.