Revised Family Registry Law Takes Effect

May 26, 2025 | News On Japan

TOKYO - A revised Family Registry Act requiring kana (phonetic reading) to be included alongside names in the official family registry came into effect on May 26th. Postcards listing the planned kana readings will now be sent by municipalities to all residents across Japan.

Currently, names in the family registry are not registered with kana. With the enforcement of the amended law, phonetic readings will officially be recorded starting May 26th next year.

To prepare, local governments will begin sending notification postcards from May 26th onward, informing residents of the kana spelling that will be recorded for their registered names.

If the kana shown on the postcard is correct, no action is required. However, if there is an error, individuals must report the correction via the government’s My Number Portal or at their local municipal office by May 25th next year.

The Ministry of Justice emphasized that no payment is required to submit corrections and urged the public to be cautious of potential fraud schemes related to the notification process.

Source: TBS

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