# Cancellation (解除, かいじょ) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/cancellation. Every law, and how to address a provision: https://japanlaw.org/llms.txt. The same laws as MCP tools (no sign-in): https://japanlaw.org/mcp. - Group: Rights, roles and legal effects - URL: https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/cancellation - In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/cancellation - Written by: claude-opus-5-5, 2026-09-23 Ending a contract by one party's notice to the other, where the contract or the law gives that party a right to cancel (Civil Code, Article 540, paragraph (1)). The Civil Code lets a party cancel for the other's failure to perform: after a demand to perform within a reasonable time that is not met, unless what is still missing is minor (Article 541), or at once where performance has become wholly impossible, or the other party has clearly refused to perform, among other cases where performance clearly will not come (Article 542, paragraph (1)). On cancellation each party must put the other back in the position before the contract, and damages can still be claimed (Article 545, paragraphs (1) and (4)); a lease, though, ends only from then on (Article 620). Cancellation differs from rescission (取消し), after which the act is treated as void from the start (Article 121). Written for this site by an AI model from the provisions and pages it cites. Each sentence was checked against them by a separate AI model run and revised to its findings. Not reviewed by a lawyer. ## Provisions and sources it draws on - [Civil Code, Arts. 121, 540, 541, 542, 545, 620](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/129AC0000000089) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code ## Where the laws use it 19 laws in force use it in this sense, in 185 provisions; there the word opens this explanation. - [Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (特定商取引に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act): 51 provisions, among them [Article 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-4), [Article 5](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-5), [Article 6](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-6) - [Civil Code (民法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code): 46 provisions, among them [Article 415](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-415), [Article 420](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-420), [Article 457](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-457) - [Local Tax Act (地方税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act): 22 provisions, among them [Article 73-7](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-73-7), [Article 74-14](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-74-14), [Article 144-31](https://japanlaw.org/en/local-tax-act/art-144-31) - [Real Estate Brokerage Act (宅地建物取引業法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act): 9 provisions, among them [Article 34-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-34-2), [Article 35](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-35), [Article 37](https://japanlaw.org/en/real-estate-brokerage-act/art-37) - [Banking Act (銀行法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act): 7 provisions, among them [Article 10](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-10), [Article 52-2-5](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-52-2-5), [Article 52-45-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/banking-act/art-52-45-2) - [Act on Special Measures Concerning Taxation (租税特別措置法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act): 6 provisions, among them [Article 28](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-28), [Article 66-11](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-66-11), [Article 70-6-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/special-taxation-measures-act/art-70-6-4) - [Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act): 6 provisions, among them [Article 27-11](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-27-11), [Article 27-12](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-27-12), [Article 37-6](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-37-6) - [Act on Ensuring the Proper Operation of Worker Dispatching Services and Protecting Dispatched Workers (労働者派遣事業の適正な運営の確保及び派遣労働者の保護等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/worker-dispatch-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 26](https://japanlaw.org/en/worker-dispatch-act/art-26), [Article 27](https://japanlaw.org/en/worker-dispatch-act/art-27), [Article 28](https://japanlaw.org/en/worker-dispatch-act/art-28) - [Consumer Contract Act (消費者契約法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 3](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-3), [Article 8-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-8-2), [Article 8-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-8-3) - [Companies Act (会社法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 19](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-19), [Article 141](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-141), [Article 142](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-142) - [Bankruptcy Act (破産法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 53](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-53), [Article 54](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-54), [Article 58](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-58) - [Defined Contribution Pension Act (確定拠出年金法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/defined-contribution-pension-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 8](https://japanlaw.org/en/defined-contribution-pension-act/art-8), [Article 25](https://japanlaw.org/en/defined-contribution-pension-act/art-25), [Article 98](https://japanlaw.org/en/defined-contribution-pension-act/art-98) - [Act on Securing Compensation for Automobile Accidents (自動車損害賠償保障法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/automobile-accident-compensation-act): 4 provisions, among them [Article 20-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/automobile-accident-compensation-act/art-20-2), [Article 21](https://japanlaw.org/en/automobile-accident-compensation-act/art-21), [Supplementary Provisions, Article 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/automobile-accident-compensation-act/suppl-3411-90/art-4) - [Private Lodging Business Act (住宅宿泊事業法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/private-lodging-business-act): 3 provisions, among them [Article 32](https://japanlaw.org/en/private-lodging-business-act/art-32), [Article 34](https://japanlaw.org/en/private-lodging-business-act/art-34), [Article 57](https://japanlaw.org/en/private-lodging-business-act/art-57) - [Act on the Protection of Personal Information (個人情報の保護に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 113](https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-113), [Article 120](https://japanlaw.org/en/personal-information-protection-act/art-120) - [Labor Standards Act (労働基準法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-standards-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 15](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-standards-act/art-15), [Article 58](https://japanlaw.org/en/labor-standards-act/art-58) - [Corporation Tax Act (法人税法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 64-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/art-64-2), [Supplementary Provisions, Article 28](https://japanlaw.org/en/corporation-tax-act/suppl-4131-50/art-28) - [Act on Ensuring Proper Transactions Involving Specified Entrusted Business Operators (特定受託事業者に係る取引の適正化等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/freelance-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 14](https://japanlaw.org/en/freelance-act/art-14), [Article 16](https://japanlaw.org/en/freelance-act/art-16) - [Employees' Pension Insurance Act (厚生年金保険法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/employees-pension-insurance-act): 1 provision, among them [Supplementary Provisions, Article 36](https://japanlaw.org/en/employees-pension-insurance-act/suppl-4251-63/art-36) ## Related - [Act (法律, ほうりつ)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/act) - [Lease (賃貸借, ちんたいしゃく)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/lease) - [Rescission (取消し, とりけし)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/rescission) - [Void (無効, むこう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/void) - [Damages (損害賠償, そんがいばいしょう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/damages) - [Manifestation of intention (意思表示, いしひょうじ)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/manifestation-of-intention) - [Lessor (賃貸人, ちんたいにん)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/lessor) - [Sublessee (転借人, てんしゃくにん)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/sublessee) --- ## Sources - Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5-5, 2026-09-23) - Where it is used, and how often: Worked out by this site from e-Gov's text - English names of the laws: Japanese Law Translation, Ministry of Justice (19 records)