# Manifestation of intention (意思表示, いしひょうじ) This is the Markdown twin of https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/manifestation-of-intention. 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/manifestation-of-intention - In Japanese: https://japanlaw.org/ja/concepts/manifestation-of-intention - Written by: claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-12 A person's expression of an intention to which the law gives a legal effect, such as an offer to conclude a contract, which shows its terms and forms the contract once the other party accepts it (Civil Code, Article 522, paragraph (1)), the acceptance itself (Article 527), or the notice to the other party by which a party rescinds (取消し) an act or cancels (解除) a contract (Articles 123 and 540, paragraph (1)). One made to another person takes effect when notice of it reaches that person, or when it would normally have reached them if they blocked it without good reason (Article 97, paragraphs (1) and (2)), and does not lose its effect because the person who made it dies, loses mental capacity (意思能力) or comes under legal limits on what they can do alone after sending the notice (Article 97, paragraph (3)); where the person making it cannot find out who the other party is or where they are, it can be made by public notice (Article 98, paragraph (1)). It is not void just because the person making it knew it was not their true intention, unless the other party knew or could have known that (Article 93, paragraph (1)); a false one made in collusion with the other party is void (Article 94, paragraph (1)); and neither voidness can be asserted against a third party who did not know of it (善意) (Articles 93, paragraph (2), and 94, paragraph (2)). One based on a mistake that is material in light of the purpose of the juridical act (法律行為) and accepted views in dealings may be rescinded — one based on a mistaken view of the circumstances behind the act only if it had been shown that the act was based on them, and as a rule not where the mistake came from the gross negligence of the person who made it (Article 95, paragraphs (1) to (3)) — and so may one made under fraud or duress, though one induced by a third party's fraud only if the other party knew of the fraud or could have known of it (Article 96, paragraphs (1) and (2)); a rescission for mistake or fraud cannot be relied on against a third party who did not know and was not careless in not knowing (Article 95, paragraph (4), and Article 96, paragraph (3)). One that an agent makes within the agent's authority, showing that it is made for the principal, takes effect directly for the principal (Article 99, paragraph (1)). The Consumer Contract Act lets a consumer rescind an offer or acceptance of a consumer contract made because the business, when soliciting it, told them something untrue about an important matter and they believed it, among other grounds (Consumer Contract Act, Article 4, paragraph (1), item (i)), and the Act on Specified Commercial Transactions does the same where, in a door-to-door sale, the seller or service provider told them something untrue about such matters as the goods or the price (Article 6, paragraph (1), and Article 9-3, paragraph (1), item (i)). 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. 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 123, 522, 527, 540](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/129AC0000000089) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code - [Consumer Contract Act, Art. 4](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/412AC0000000061) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act - [Act on Specified Commercial Transactions, Arts. 6, 9-3](https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/351AC0000000057) — on this site: https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act ## Where the laws use it 9 laws in force use it in this sense, in 115 provisions; there the word opens this explanation. - [Civil Code (民法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code): 51 provisions, among them [Article 3-2](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-3-2), [Article 93](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-93), [Article 94](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-code/art-94) - [Companies Act (会社法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act): 21 provisions, among them [Article 20](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-20), [Article 21](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-21), [Article 33](https://japanlaw.org/en/companies-act/art-33) - [Act on Specified Commercial Transactions (特定商取引に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act): 16 provisions, among them [Article 9-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-9-3), [Article 15-4](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-15-4), [Article 24-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/specified-commercial-transactions-act/art-24-3) - [Consumer Contract Act (消費者契約法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act): 13 provisions, among them [Article 1](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-1), [Article 4](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-4), [Article 6](https://japanlaw.org/en/consumer-contract-act/art-6) - [Copyright Act (著作権法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/copyright-act): 5 provisions, among them [Article 18](https://japanlaw.org/en/copyright-act/art-18), [Article 19](https://japanlaw.org/en/copyright-act/art-19), [Article 47-3](https://japanlaw.org/en/copyright-act/art-47-3) - [Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (金融商品取引法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act): 3 provisions, among them [Article 2](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-2), [Article 28](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-28), [Article 101-15](https://japanlaw.org/en/financial-instruments-and-exchange-act/art-101-15) - [Act on Building Unit Ownership (建物の区分所有等に関する法律)](https://japanlaw.org/en/building-unit-ownership-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 26](https://japanlaw.org/en/building-unit-ownership-act/art-26), [Supplementary Provisions, Article 8](https://japanlaw.org/en/building-unit-ownership-act/suppl-5071-47/art-8) - [Civil Enforcement Act (民事執行法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-enforcement-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 95](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-enforcement-act/art-95), [Article 177](https://japanlaw.org/en/civil-enforcement-act/art-177) - [Bankruptcy Act (破産法)](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act): 2 provisions, among them [Article 76](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-76), [Article 110](https://japanlaw.org/en/bankruptcy-act/art-110) ## Related - [Act (法律, ほうりつ)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/act) - [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) - [Cancellation (解除, かいじょ)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/cancellation) - [Juridical act (法律行為, ほうりつこうい)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/juridical-act) - [Assert against (対抗, たいこう)](https://japanlaw.org/en/concepts/assert-against) --- ## Sources - Explanation: Written for this site with AI (claude-opus-5-5, 2026-10-12) - 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 (9 records)