Contents
- What is the difference between a certified translation and a notarized translation in Japan?
- Does a Japanese notary check whether a translation is correct?
- How does notarization of a translation work in Japan?
- Who decides what kind of translation is required?
- How sensitive are these documents, and how should they be handled?
- What does the process look like from start to finish?
- What does official document translation cost in Japan?
- Frequently asked questions
- Contact
If you need a Japanese official document — a family register, residence certificate, graduation certificate, driver’s license, or medical certificate — translated for use overseas, the requirements are set by the organization receiving it, not by Japanese law. Some accept a plain translation. Most want a certificate of translation accuracy. Some require notarization. A few require their own sworn form. This article explains what each of those means in Japan, how notarization actually works here, and how documents this sensitive should be handled.
What is the difference between a certified translation and a notarized translation in Japan?
A certified translation is a translation accompanied by a signed statement from the translator or translation company attesting that it is accurate and complete. In Japan this is usually called a 翻訳証明書 (certificate of translation accuracy), carrying the company’s signature and seal. No government body is involved.
A notarized translation adds a Japanese notary public (公証人) to the process. The notary does not check the translation. What the notary certifies is that a specific, identified person signed a declaration in front of them — a declaration stating that the signatory is a qualified translator proficient in both languages, and that the attached document is a true and faithful translation of the named original.
Most institutions asking for an “official translation” mean the first one. The second is required less often, costs more, and takes longer. Confirming which one you need, before ordering, is the single step that prevents most rejected submissions.
Does a Japanese notary check whether a translation is correct?
No. Japanese notaries have no authority to examine the truth or accuracy of a document’s contents. This is the most common misunderstanding about notarized translations in Japan, and it differs from how notaries function in some other countries.
A Japanese notary authenticates signatures. Specifically, a notary certifies that a named person signed a private document (私署証書) in their presence, and that the signature or seal is genuine. The notary’s seal on your translation is not a government endorsement of translation quality. It is an official record that an identified person put their name to a sworn declaration of the translation’s fidelity, knowing that declaration carries the same effect as if made under oath.
The value of notarization is accountability and traceability. If the translation is later challenged, there is an authenticated record of who stood behind it.
How does notarization of a translation work in Japan?
A Japanese notary cannot authenticate a public document or a translation on its own — so a signed declaration is attached, and the notary authenticates that.
A family register, residence certificate, or graduation certificate is a public document. A notary has no power to authenticate it. The translation by itself is also not something a notary can act on directly. The mechanism used instead is a declaration (宣言書):
- Prepare the set. The original document (or a copy, depending on the receiving organization’s rules), the translation, and a signed declaration. The three items are bound together as a single set.
- The translator attends the notary’s office. The translator who produced the work is the one who signs, and they must appear in person with photo identification to sign in front of the notary. You do not need to attend. We handle this step on your behalf.
- Authentication. The notary authenticates the signature on the declaration, which brings the whole bound set within the authenticated document. The fee for authentication of a foreign-language document is ¥12,500, tax-exempt.
- Return. The completed set is collected and posted back.
The declaration is the document the notary actually acts on. This is the text the translator signs — the wording is adapted to the language pair and the documents concerned:
Certificate of Translation (Declaration)
I, [name], Representative Director of the translation company ADASTRA Co., Ltd. do hereby solemnly and sincerely declare:
- That I am a qualified translator who is proficient in both the English and Japanese languages
- That the document(s) attached is/are a true and faithful translation from Japanese into English of [name of the original document]
I make this declaration conscientiously believing it to be true and knowing it is of the same pledge and effect as if made under oath.
Date / Signature / Address
What is an apostille?
An apostille is a certificate that allows an official document issued in one country to be accepted in another without going through that country’s embassy. A clerk overseas has no way of knowing whether the seal on a Japanese family register is genuine, so under the 1961 Hague Convention, member countries agreed to accept a single standard certificate issued by the country of origin. In Japan it is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Like notarization, it certifies that the seal and signature on the document are genuine — it says nothing about whether the contents are true, and nothing at all about the accuracy of a translation. It also only works between member countries; for the roughly seventy countries outside the convention, the document goes to that country’s embassy in Japan for legalization instead.
Some destinations require one of these on top of notarization. These are separate government procedures that we do not handle. If the receiving organization asks for an apostille or embassy legalization, say so when requesting a quotation, so the notarized set can be prepared in a form you can take forward.
Who decides what kind of translation is required?
The organization receiving the document decides, and its requirements are the only ones that matter. No translation company can make this determination for you, and any company that claims to know without asking is guessing.
Requirements vary by country, by institution, and sometimes between branches of the same organization. The realistic range:
- A translation with no attachments at all.
- A translation with a certificate of accuracy signed and sealed by the translation company.
- A notarized translation.
- Notarization plus an apostille or embassy legalization.
- A prescribed form or sworn affidavit specific to that authority.
- A translation by a translator on the authority’s own approved list, in which case no outside company can help.
What to ask the receiving organization
Ask in writing where possible:
- Do you require a certificate of translation accuracy?
- Do you require notarization?
- Do you need the original certificate, a certified copy, or is a plain copy acceptable?
How sensitive are these documents, and how should they be handled?
A Japanese family register is one of the most sensitive documents a person will ever hold, and it should never be uploaded to a free online translation service.
A 戸籍謄本 contains the registered domicile (本籍地), full names and dates of birth of family members, parentage, marriages, divorces, adoptions, and deaths. A residence certificate, tax certificate, medical diagnosis, bank statement, or driver’s license is a complete identity package on a single sheet.
These documents are usually needed during a transition — a marriage abroad, a visa application, an inheritance, an overseas posting — when people are under deadline pressure and security is the first thing to slip.
Where handling goes wrong
- Free machine translation and consumer AI tools. Pasting a family register into a free online service uploads personal data — your own and your relatives’ — to a third party whose retention and reuse terms you have not read.
- Documents that are never deleted. Many providers keep everything. Years later, your family register sits in a folder belonging to someone you dealt with once.
- Uncontrolled subcontracting. A file passed to a freelancer, then to a proofreader, with no agreement in place and no record of who holds what.
- Paper. Printouts left in an output tray, or filed and forgotten.
How Adastra handles them
- Documents stay on our own equipment. Client documents are stored on a local server in our office in Kumamoto. They are not placed on consumer cloud services.
- Access is granted per project. Only the staff and translators working on your specific job can reach your files.
- Files are deleted after six months. Client documents are removed from our storage six months after delivery. We do not maintain an indefinite archive.
- We delete on request, at any time. If you would prefer your documents removed before then, tell us and we will delete them and confirm when it is done.
- Paper is shredded or returned. Originals entrusted to us are returned with the completed work. Working copies are shredded.
- Physical delivery is tracked. Originals and notarized documents are sent by Letter Pack Plus, which requires a signature on delivery and can be traced end to end.
- Every translator is under a signed confidentiality agreement. We hold a 秘密保持契約 with each registered translator, and no document is passed to anyone outside that agreement.
If you are comparing providers, ask them: where are my files stored, who can see them, when are they deleted, and how are originals returned? A provider who cannot answer clearly is telling you something.
What does the process look like from start to finish?
- Send the document and tell us the language. A clear photo or scan is sufficient. Tell us which language you need it translated into, whether you need a certificate of translation accuracy or notarization, and your deadline. We do not need to know which country or organization it is going to — you confirm the requirements with them, and we produce what they ask for.
- We may ask about names and addresses. Japanese names and place names often have more than one possible reading, and the reading determines the spelling. We will ask you how specific names and addresses in your document should be read, so that what appears in the translation matches your passport and other records.
- Quotation. You receive the price and the delivery date.
- Translation and checking. A native speaker of the target language translates, and the result is checked against the original — names, dates, place names and seals included. Where notarization is required, we send you the finished translation to review first. Once a document has been notarized it cannot be amended without repeating the whole procedure, so this is your opportunity to confirm that names, dates and addresses read the way they should.
- Delivery. PDF by email with a certificate of translation accuracy attached at no extra charge. Originals and notarized sets go by post.
What does official document translation cost in Japan?
Adastra’s pricing for Japanese official documents:
| Service | Fee |
|---|---|
| Official document translation | ¥8,000 per document (excl. tax), typically within 3 business days |
| Certificate of translation accuracy | Free |
| Notarization handling | ¥7,000 per procedure (excl. tax), adds approx. 3 business days |
| Notary office fee | ¥12,500 (tax-exempt), payable to the notary |
Several documents can often be combined into a single notarization, which reduces the total. Unusually long or specialized documents may be quoted per page; we say so before starting.
We translate official documents in 16 languages, including English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Russian, Ukrainian and Hebrew, drawing on roughly 60 registered translators. Full details are on our official document translation page.
Frequently asked questions
Can I translate my own official documents?
Usually not, where the translation is for an official purpose. Many authorities specifically exclude translations by the applicant, family members, or anyone with an interest in the outcome — some exclude them even where the family member is a qualified translator. The requirement is an impartial third party.
Is a translation certificate the same as notarization?
No. A certificate of translation accuracy is issued by the translation company and involves no government body. Notarization involves a notary public authenticating a signature on a declaration. Notarization costs more and takes longer. Confirm which one the receiving organization requires.
Does a notarized translation prove the translation is correct?
No. A Japanese notary authenticates the signature on the attached declaration, not the accuracy of the translation itself. What it establishes is an authenticated record that an identified person declared, with the same effect as a statement under oath, that they are a qualified translator proficient in both languages and that the translation is true and faithful.
Can a Japanese notary notarize my family register directly?
No. A family register is a public document and falls outside a Japanese notary’s authenticating power. Instead, the document, its translation and a signed declaration of the translation’s fidelity are bound together as one set, and the notary authenticates the signature on the declaration.
Do I need an apostille as well?
Only if the organization receiving your documents says so. An apostille is a certificate issued by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirming that the seal and signature on a document are genuine, so that it can be accepted in another Hague Convention country without going through that country’s embassy. It is a separate procedure from notarization, it does not certify translation accuracy, and we do not handle it. Ask the receiving organization directly, and tell us if one is required.
Can I check the translation before it is notarized?
Yes. Where notarization is required, we send you the finished translation to review before the translator takes it to the notary. A notarized set cannot be corrected afterwards without repeating the entire procedure and paying the fees again, so it is worth reading carefully — particularly the spelling of names and the way addresses have been rendered.
How long does official document translation take in Japan?
A translation with a certificate of accuracy is typically ready within three business days. Notarization adds approximately three more business days, because the translator has to appear at the notary’s office in person. You do not need to go yourself.
Do I need to send the original document?
It depends on the receiving organization. Many accept a clear scan or photograph for translation purposes. Some require the original or a certified copy to be bound into the notarized set. Confirm before sending anything irreplaceable.
What happens to my documents after the work is finished?
At Adastra, digital files are held on a local server in our office with per-project access and are deleted six months after delivery. If you want them deleted sooner, ask at any time and we will delete them and confirm. Originals are returned with the completed work; working copies are shredded. Ask any provider this question before sending them a family register.
Contact
Send the document and tell us which language you need it translated into, and by when. We reply with the price and the delivery date. If you already know that a certificate of translation accuracy or notarization is required, tell us at the same time.
Adastra Co., Ltd. (株式会社アドアストラ)
info@adastra.co.jp | 096-321-6115 (weekdays 9:00–17:00)
1-16-6 Kuhonji, Chuo-ku, Kumamoto City, Kumamoto Prefecture
This article explains general procedure and is not legal advice. It does not replace confirming requirements directly with the organization requesting your documents.
