TOKYO: Japan’s Justice Ministry plans to make notarization procedures entirely online so that people will no longer have to visit related offices to make notary deeds, it was learned Saturday.

The government will submit a bill to revise the notary law to next year’s regular session of parliament, with an aim to introduce the fully online procedures in the first half of fiscal 2025.

Notary deeds are official documents prepared by notaries, having higher authenticity than ordinary private documents as well as compulsory execution power. Eligible for notarization are testament, contracts on land and building trade and lease, and money lending, among others.

When people want to make notary deeds, they have to visit notary offices, and sign their names and affix their seals in the presence of a notary. The law revision will digitalize all the procedures, from application to signing.

The ministry will create a system in which people can submit notarization applications via a special website using their My Number social security and taxation identification numbers. A web conferencing system will then be used for the applicants to communicate with notaries and conclude the procedures with electronic signatures.

In May 2021, then Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa instructed related divisions to promote the digitalization of the notarization procedures. This was included in a regulatory reform action plan adopted by the cabinet in June this year.

In May this year, Japan’s parliament enacted a bill to allow all civil trial procedures to be conducted online.

Justice Minister Yoshihisa Furukawa asked the Legislative Council in June to consider legislation to digitalize criminal trial procedures.

JIJI Press