# 民事訴訟法 / Code of Civil Procedure — 第百六十一条 (Article 161)

- Law: 民事訴訟法 (Code of Civil Procedure), 平成八年法律第百九号
- English title "Code of Civil Procedure": 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: 第百六十一条 (Article 161)（準備書面） — address `art-161`
- Text in force since: 2026-06-24
- URL (the page that opens at this provision): https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161
- Permanent URL (e-Gov law ID, never renamed): https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161
- 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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### 第百六十一条（準備書面） — (Briefs)
<sup>caption: Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>
<sup>art-161 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161</sup>

    **第一項**  口頭弁論は、書面で準備しなければならない。
    <sup>art-161/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-1</sup>
    Oral arguments must be prepared in writing.
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **第二項**  準備書面には、次に掲げる事項を記載する。
    <sup>art-161/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-2</sup>
    A brief details the following particulars:
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

      **一**  攻撃又は防御の方法
      <sup>art-161/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-2/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-2/item-1</sup>
      allegations and evidence;
      <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

      **二**  相手方の請求及び攻撃又は防御の方法に対する陳述
      <sup>art-161/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-2/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-2/item-2</sup>
      statements about the adverse party's claim and allegations and evidence.
      <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

    **第三項**  相手方が在廷していない口頭弁論においては、次の各号のいずれかに該当する準備書面に記載した事実でなければ、主張することができない。
    <sup>art-161/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-3</sup>
    During oral arguments for which the adverse party is not present in court, no facts other than those stated in a brief which falls under any of the following items may be alleged:
    <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

      **一**  相手方に送達された準備書面
      <sup>art-161/par-3/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-3/item-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-3/item-1</sup>
      a brief that has been served upon the adverse party;
      <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

      **二**  相手方からその準備書面を受領した旨を記載した書面が提出された場合における当該準備書面
      <sup>art-161/par-3/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-3/item-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-3/item-2</sup>
      a brief for which the adverse party has submitted written acknowledgment of receipt; or
      <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

      **三**  相手方が第九十一条の二第一項の規定により準備書面の閲覧をし、又は同条第二項の規定により準備書面の複写をした場合における当該準備書面
      <sup>art-161/par-3/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-161/par-3/item-3 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-161/par-3/item-3</sup>
      a brief that the adverse party has inspected pursuant to the provisions of Article 91-2, paragraph (1) or copied pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) of that Article.
      <sup>Ministry of Justice translation — Japanese Law Translation Database System</sup>

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## Cites
- art-161/par-3/item-3: 第九十一条の二第一項 → 民事訴訟法 第九十一条の二第一項 (Article 91-2, paragraph (1)), art-91-2/par-1 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-91-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-91-2/par-1
- art-161/par-3/item-3: 同条第二項 → 民事訴訟法 第九十一条の二第二項 (Article 91-2, paragraph (2)), art-91-2/par-2 — https://japanlaw.org/ja/code-of-civil-procedure/art-91-2/par-2 · https://japanlaw.org/l/408AC0000000109/art-91-2/par-2

## Cited by

1 provision cites this one. No official source publishes this direction.

- 民事執行法 第二十一条の二第一項（家庭裁判所における執行関係訴訟手続に関する特例） — https://japanlaw.org/ja/civil-enforcement-act/art-21-2/par-1 · https://japanlaw.org/l/354AC0000000004/art-21-2/par-1

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## Sources

- e-Gov 法令検索, Digital Agency (デジタル庁) — 民事訴訟法 — the text in force from 2026-06-24 (https://laws.e-gov.go.jp/law/408AC0000000109/20260624_508AC0000000046), retrieved 2026-10-17
- Japanese Law Translation Database System, Ministry of Justice (法務省) — Code of Civil Procedure — Ministry of Justice translation (https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4797/tb), retrieved 2026-10-17
- This site's parser, version 209 — 民事訴訟法 — structure, counts, cross-references and defined terms, computed 2026-10-17