Japan (national: Summary Courts) · Summary Court (small claims track, 少額訴訟)
Summary Court (small claims track, 少額訴訟) — Japan
Format requirements for this court
| Court and track | Summary Court (small claims track, 少額訴訟) |
|---|---|
| Paper | A4 |
| Margins | 2.5 cm · 2.5 cm · 2.5 cm · 2.5 cm |
| Type | MS Mincho (明朝体), 12 pt |
| Line spacing | 1.5 |
| Paragraph numbering | {n}. |
Twelve point Mincho (明朝体) type, laid out horizontally, with Japanese commas and full stops and Arabic numerals.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Summary Court (small claims track, 少額訴訟)
A complaint (訴状) is filed with the Summary Court. It states the parties with names, addresses and contact details, the relief sought (請求の趣旨) and the grounds (請求の原因), attaches the documentary evidence with an index, carries the filing fee in revenue stamps (収入印紙) and includes prepaid postage stamps (予納郵便切手). A4 paper, 2.5 cm margins, 12 point type, paragraphs numbered from 1.
JPY 600,000 — The small claims track (少額訴訟) covers money claims of 600,000 yen or less and is in principle heard in a single hearing (Civil Procedure Act articles 368 and 375).
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Summary Court (ordinary civil cases)
A complaint is filed under the ordinary civil procedure. It contains the party list, the relief sought, the grounds of claim with the sequence of facts, the documentary evidence, an index of attachments and the signature. A defective complaint is returned for correction.
JPY 1,400,000 — The Summary Court has subject-matter jurisdiction over claims of up to 1,400,000 yen (Court Act article 33). Where the small claims track is not used, the ordinary procedure applies.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Filing checklist - what to bring, in how many copies, and why documents get returned.
- One complaint (訴状) with the parties, the relief sought and the grounds of claim, signed in the signature space by hand.
訴状（民事訴訟規則第53条・裁判所の書式）
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- One copy of the complaint for each defendant and one copy for the court file.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Revenue stamps (収入印紙) for the amount of the claim value are affixed to the complaint (Civil Procedure Costs Act).
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Prepaid postage stamps (予納郵便切手) are attached; the amount is confirmed on the court's own guidance.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- A party list (当事者目録) gives the names, addresses and contact details of the plaintiff and the defendant.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The relief sought states the requested conclusion concretely, for example that the defendant pay the plaintiff a stated sum.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Documentary evidence is numbered continuously from 1 with an index of attachments.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- A4 paper, 2.5 cm margins, 12 point type, 1.5 line spacing and paragraphs numbered continuously from 1.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The document is prepared in Japanese. Evidence in another language is filed with a Japanese translation.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Keep the receipt-stamped copy and put the case number the court gives you on every later document.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Why filings get sent back
- The filing fee paid in revenue stamps (収入印紙) is short. The shortfall is returned for correction and the complaint is not accepted until it is paid.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The complaint is not signed. An unsigned document is not accepted and is returned for correction.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The parties cannot be identified by name or address, so service cannot be effected and the court orders a correction.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The relief sought is not clear. A complaint from which the court cannot read what is claimed, and how much, is returned for correction.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Filed in a court without jurisdiction. The receiving court has to be checked against the claim value and the defendant's address.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- The attachment numbers do not match the references in the text, which is a ground for correction.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- Written in a language other than Japanese with no translation attached. The courts use Japanese, so a Japanese translation is required.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
The language you read here and the language of the documents are set separately.
Document language: 日本語. This is set by the court, not by the language you are reading now.
- 日本語 (Required)
Article 74 of the Court Act provides that the courts use Japanese. A document written in another language must be accompanied by a Japanese translation, and the complaint itself is prepared in Japanese.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Disclosure: what this document set is and is not
This document set was assembled by a document preparation tool that organises the facts you supplied and aligns page format with the requirements published by the court named on the cover. It is not legal advice, it does not replace a lawyer, and no lawyer has reviewed your documents or acts for you. No opinion is expressed on the strength of your account or on which law applies to it. You remain responsible for every document you file, for meeting every deadline, and for checking each format rule and each citation yourself. The source of every format rule is listed in the filing checklist.
I have read this disclosure and I understand that this set is a format and fact-organisation aid, not legal advice, that it does not replace a lawyer, and that no lawyer has reviewed my documents.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Confirm you understand: citations are not verified
The system does not check whether a citation is real. You are responsible for checking each one in the official database: e-Gov 法令検索 and 裁判所ウェブサイト（裁判例検索）.
e-Gov 法令検索 and 裁判所ウェブサイト（裁判例検索）
Check this citation yourself: confirm that the statute, rule or decision exists, that it is still in force, and that no later amendment or decision has changed it.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
Every format rule is listed with its source so you can check it yourself.
- 民事訴訟法 (Civil Procedure Act), articles 133, 368 and 375
- 民事訴訟規則 (Civil Procedure Rules), article 53 (particulars of a complaint)
- 裁判所法 (Court Act), articles 33 and 74 (language used in court)
- 民事訴訟費用法 (Civil Procedure Costs Act): revenue stamps and prepaid postage stamps
- 裁判所 (courts.go.jp): 訴状の書き方 and court form guidance
- 裁判所 (courts.go.jp): 少額訴訟手続の概要 and self-help pages for people filing in person
- e-Gov 法令検索 (official statutes database)
- Japanese Law Translation (official English translations of the Codes)