# 破産法 / Bankruptcy Act — 第二条 (Article 2)

- Law: 破産法 (Bankruptcy Act), 平成十六年法律第七十五号
- English title "Bankruptcy Act": 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: 第二条 (Article 2)（定義） — address `art-2`
- Text in force since: 2026-05-21
- URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2
- Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2
- 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.

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### 第二条（定義） — (Definitions)
<sup>caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>art-2 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2</sup>

**第一項**  この法律において「破産手続」とは、次章以下（第十二章を除く。）に定めるところにより、債務者の財産又は相続財産若しくは信託財産を清算する手続をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-1</sup>
The term "bankruptcy proceedings" as used in this Act means the procedure for liquidating a debtor's property, inherited property or trust property as provided for in the following Chapters (excluding Chapter XII).
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第二項**  この法律において「破産事件」とは、破産手続に係る事件をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-2</sup>
The term "bankruptcy case" as used in this Act means a case related to bankruptcy proceedings.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第三項**  この法律において「破産裁判所」とは、破産事件が係属している地方裁判所をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-3</sup>
The term "bankruptcy court" as used in this Act means a district court before which a bankruptcy case is pending.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第四項**  この法律において「破産者」とは、債務者であって、第三十条第一項の規定により破産手続開始の決定がされているものをいう。
<sup>art-2/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-4 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-4</sup>
The term "bankrupt" as used in this Act means a debtor against whom an order commencing bankruptcy proceedings has been made pursuant to the provisions of Article 30, paragraph (1).
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第五項**  この法律において「破産債権」とは、破産者に対し破産手続開始前の原因に基づいて生じた財産上の請求権（第九十七条各号に掲げる債権を含む。）であって、財団債権に該当しないものをいう。
<sup>art-2/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-5 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-5</sup>
The term "bankruptcy claim" as used in this Act means a claim on property arising against the bankrupt from a cause that has occurred before the commencement of bankruptcy proceedings (including the claims stated in the items of Article 97), which does not fall within the scope of claims on the estate.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第六項**  この法律において「破産債権者」とは、破産債権を有する債権者をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-6 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-6 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-6</sup>
The term "bankruptcy creditor" as used in this Act means a creditor that holds a bankruptcy claim.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第七項**  この法律において「財団債権」とは、破産手続によらないで破産財団から随時弁済を受けることができる債権をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-7 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-7 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-7</sup>
The term "claim on the estate" as used in this Act means a claim which may be paid from the bankruptcy estate at any time without going through bankruptcy proceedings.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第八項**  この法律において「財団債権者」とは、財団債権を有する債権者をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-8 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-8 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-8</sup>
The term "holder of claim on the estate" as used in this Act means a creditor that holds a claim on the estate.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第九項**  この法律において「別除権」とは、破産手続開始の時において破産財団に属する財産につき特別の先取特権、質権又は抵当権を有する者がこれらの権利の目的である財産について第六十五条第一項の規定により行使することができる権利をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-9 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-9 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-9</sup>
The term "right of separate satisfaction" as used in this Act means a right that a person that holds a special statutory lien, pledge or mortgage against property that belongs to the bankruptcy estate, may exercise at the time of commencement of bankruptcy proceedings, pursuant to the provisions of Article 65, paragraph (1), against the property that is the subject matter of these rights.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第十項**  この法律において「別除権者」とは、別除権を有する者をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-10 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-10 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-10</sup>
The term "holder of a right of separate satisfaction" as used in this Act means a person that holds a right of separate satisfaction.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第十一項**  この法律において「支払不能」とは、債務者が、支払能力を欠くために、その債務のうち弁済期にあるものにつき、一般的かつ継続的に弁済することができない状態（信託財産の破産にあっては、受託者が、信託財産による支払能力を欠くために、信託財産責任負担債務（信託法（平成十八年法律第百八号）第二条第九項に規定する信託財産責任負担債務をいう。以下同じ。）のうち弁済期にあるものにつき、一般的かつ継続的に弁済することができない状態）をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-11 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-11 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-11</sup>
The term "unable to pay debts" as used in this Act means the condition in which a debtor is generally and continuously unable to pay debts as they become due, due to the lack of ability to pay (in the case of bankruptcy of the trust property, the condition in which the trustee is generally and continuously unable to pay obligation covered by the trust property due to the lack of ability to pay with the trust property (meaning obligations covered by the trust property as prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (9) of the Trust Act (Act No. 108 of 2006); the same applies below) as they become due).
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第十二項**  この法律において「破産管財人」とは、破産手続において破産財団に属する財産の管理及び処分をする権利を有する者をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-12 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-12 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-12</sup>
The term "bankruptcy trustee" as used in this Act means a person that has a right to administer and dispose of property that belongs to the bankruptcy estate in bankruptcy proceedings.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第十三項**  この法律において「保全管理人」とは、第九十一条第一項の規定により債務者の財産に関し管理を命じられた者をいう。
<sup>art-2/par-13 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-13 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-13</sup>
The term "temporary administrator" as used in this Act means a person that is ordered to administer a debtor's property pursuant to the provisions of Article 91, paragraph (1).
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

**第十四項**  この法律において「破産財団」とは、破産者の財産又は相続財産若しくは信託財産であって、破産手続において破産管財人にその管理及び処分をする権利が専属するものをいう。
<sup>art-2/par-14 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-2/par-14 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-2/par-14</sup>
The term "bankruptcy estate" as used in this Act means a bankrupt's property, inherited property, or trust property for which a bankruptcy trustee has an exclusive right to administer and dispose of in bankruptcy proceedings.
<sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

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## Cites
- art-2/par-4: 第三十条第一項 → 破産法 第三十条第一項 (Article 30, paragraph (1)), art-30/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-30/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-30/par-1
- art-2/par-5: 第九十七条 → 破産法 第九十七条 (Article 97), art-97 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-97 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-97
- art-2/par-9: 第六十五条第一項 → 破産法 第六十五条第一項 (Article 65, paragraph (1)), art-65/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-65/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-65/par-1
- art-2/par-11: 信託法（平成十八年法律第百八号）第二条第九項 → e-Gov law 418AC0000000108, 第二条第九項 (Article 2, paragraph (9)), art-2/par-9 — not held in this collection
- art-2/par-13: 第九十一条第一項 → 破産法 第九十一条第一項 (Article 91, paragraph (1)), art-91/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/bankruptcy-act/art-91/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/416AC0000000075/art-91/par-1

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## Sources

- e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 破産法 — the text in force from 2026-05-21 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/416AC0000000075/20260521_505AC0000000053), retrieved 2026-10-19
- Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Bankruptcy Act — Ministry of Justice translation (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4895/tb), retrieved 2026-10-19
- This site's parser, version 204 — 破産法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-10-19