# 民法 / Civil Code — 第九十八条 (Article 98) - Law: 民法 (Civil Code), 明治二十九年法律第八十九号 - English title "Civil Code": Ministry of Justice translation - Kind: Act — the distinction between 法律 (Act), 政令 (Cabinet Order), 省令 (Ministerial Order) and 条例 (local ordinance) decides who may issue it and what it may say. - Provision: 第九十八条 (Article 98)（公示による意思表示） — address `art-98` - Text in force since: 2026-06-24 - URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98 - Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98 - Every provision below carries its address and both URLs on the line under it. - Japanese text: e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁). English: as marked on each line below. Only the Japanese as published by the government has legal effect; the text below is a copy of it. Every English rendering below is a translation and says which kind: the Ministry of Justice's translation, or this site's machine translation, whose model and date the Sources list names. They are never merged and never substituted for one another. --- ### 第九十八条（公示による意思表示） — (Manifestation of Intention by Public Notice) caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System art-98 · https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98 **第一項** 意思表示は、表意者が相手方を知ることができず、又はその所在を知ることができないときは、公示の方法によってすることができる。 art-98/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98/par-1 A manifestation of intention may be made by means of public notice if the person making it is unable to ascertain who the other party is or is unable to ascertain the whereabouts thereof. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第二項** 前項の公示は、公示送達に関する民事訴訟法（平成八年法律第百九号）の規定に従い、裁判所の掲示場に掲示し、かつ、その掲示があったことを官報に少なくとも一回掲載して行う。ただし、裁判所は、相当と認めるときは、官報への掲載に代えて、市役所、区役所、町村役場又はこれらに準ずる施設の掲示場に掲示すべきことを命ずることができる。 art-98/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98/par-2 Public notice referred to in the preceding paragraph is effected by a notice being posted in the posting area of the relevant court and an indication that that posting has been made being published in the Official Gazette at least once, in accordance with the provisions of the Code of Civil Procedure (Act No. 109 of 1996) on service by publication; provided, however, that if the court finds it to be suitable, it may order that a notice be posted in the posting area of the city office, ward office, town hall, or any facility equivalent to these in lieu of the relevant information being published in the Official Gazette. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第三項** 公示による意思表示は、最後に官報に掲載した日又はその掲載に代わる掲示を始めた日から二週間を経過した時に、相手方に到達したものとみなす。ただし、表意者が相手方を知らないこと又はその所在を知らないことについて過失があったときは、到達の効力を生じない。 art-98/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98/par-3 A manifestation of intention by public notice is deemed to have reached the other party once two weeks have passed since the day when the relevant information was last published in the Official Gazette or once two weeks have passed since the day on which the relevant information started to be posted in lieu of being so published; provided, however, that the effect of a manifestation of intention having reached the other party does not arise if the person making it was negligent in not ascertaining the other party or the whereabouts. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第四項** 公示に関する手続は、相手方を知ることができない場合には表意者の住所地の、相手方の所在を知ることができない場合には相手方の最後の住所地の簡易裁判所の管轄に属する。 art-98/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98/par-4 If the person making a manifestation of intention is unable to ascertain who the other party is, the procedures involved in public notice are under the jurisdiction of the summary court that has jurisdiction over the locality where the person making the manifestation of intention is domiciled; if the person making a manifestation of intention is unable to ascertain the whereabouts of the other party, the procedures involved in public notice are under the jurisdiction of the summary court that has jurisdiction over the locality of the last known domicile of the other party. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System **第五項** 裁判所は、表意者に、公示に関する費用を予納させなければならない。 art-98/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98/par-5 The court must have the person making a manifestation of intention prepay the expenses associated with a public notice. Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System --- ## Cites - art-98/par-2: 前項 → 民法 第九十八条第一項 (Article 98, paragraph (1)), art-98/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98/par-1 ## Cited by 1 provision cites this one. No official source publishes this direction. - 民法 第九十八条第二項（公示による意思表示） — https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-98/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/129AC0000000089/art-98/par-2 --- ## Sources - e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 民法 — the text in force from 2026-06-24 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/129AC0000000089/20260624_508AC0000000045), retrieved 2026-10-11 - Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Civil Code — Ministry of Justice translation (part 1 of 2) (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4848/tb), retrieved 2026-10-11 - This site's parser, version 190 — 民法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-10-11