What Is a Certified Copy of the Corporate Registry? An Explanation of Its Contents and How to Obtain It

What Is a Certified Copy of a Corporate Registry?

A transcript refers to a copy of an original document. A certified copy of a corporate registry (Certificate of Registered Matters) is a copy of the registry.
Registry offices (Legal Affairs Bureaus) either digitize registered information into computer data or maintain it in non-digital formats. At registry offices where registered matters have not been digitized, information is managed on paper, and the registered details are recorded directly onto the registry forms. A copy of these forms is known as a certified copy of the corporate registry.

At registry offices where registered matters are digitized, the information is recorded on magnetic disks. A document printed from this data is called a Certificate of Registered Matters. In other words, a certified copy of a corporate registry and a Certificate of Registered Matters serve to certify the same content, differing only in their output method.

Certified copies of corporate registries (Certificates of Registered Matters) are generally available to the public and can be obtained by anyone, not just the owner, upon submission of the prescribed application form.

Differences Between Real Estate Registration and Commercial/Corporate Registration

There are three types of registries: real estate registration, commercial registration, and corporate registration. Registering information in the registry is called registration, and the main items registered for each are as follows.

Real Estate Registration

• Location, Lot Number, and Area of Land or Buildings
• Address and Name of the Owner

Real estate registration contains information regarding land and buildings. Since land and buildings are each counted as a single property, real estate registration for land and for buildings are maintained separately. For example, to obtain registration information for both a specific plot of land and the building situated upon it, you must acquire the certified copy of the real estate register for both the land and the building respectively.

Real estate registration consists of two sections: the Heading Section and the Rights Section. The Heading Section records information such as the location, lot number, land category, and land area for land, or the location, lot number, house number, type, structure, and floor area for buildings.

The Rights Section contains information regarding the owner, including their name, as well as when and how (e.g., purchase, inheritance, or bequest) the ownership was acquired. Furthermore, the Rights Section also records information other than ownership, such as whether the property is subject to a mortgage (collateral).

Real estate registration can be utilized when you need to identify the current rights holder or information regarding a building. Additionally, registration procedures are required to update information whenever a company constructs a new building or engages in the sale or purchase of real estate.

Commercial Registration and Corporate Registration

• Trade Name (Company Name) or Entity Name (Corporate Name)
• Location
• Names of Officers

Commercial registration refers to the registration of companies such as joint-stock companies, general partnerships, limited partnerships, and limited liability companies, while corporate registration refers to the registration of entities other than companies, such as general incorporated associations, general incorporated foundations, NPO corporations, social welfare corporations, and educational foundations.

Certified copies of corporate or entity registration records are frequently required for office lease agreements, subsidy applications, opening bank accounts, and securing financing from financial institutions.

How to Obtain a Certified Copy of a Registration Record

Anyone can obtain a certified copy of a registration record by requesting it from a registry office (Legal Affairs Bureau). No documents other than the application form are required for the request. However, you must confirm the necessary information in advance, as the application form requires the lot number or house number for real estate registration records, or the trade name (corporate name) and head office address for corporate or entity registration records.

A lot number is a number that indicates the boundaries of a plot of land and often differs from the residential address. If you do not know the lot number, it is recommended to use the Lot Number Search Service provided on the Civil Legal Affairs Association's 'Registration Information Provision Service' website, which allows you to search for approximate lot numbers for free by comparing residential maps with residential addresses.

There are three ways to obtain a certified copy of a registration record: requesting it at a Legal Affairs Bureau counter, requesting it by mail, or requesting it online. Furthermore, since you can obtain it at any Legal Affairs Bureau, you may apply at any location that is convenient for you, such as the office nearest to you or one located near your company.

Requesting at a Legal Affairs Bureau Counter and Receiving It On-Site

If you visit a Legal Affairs Bureau and submit a completed application form, you can receive the certified copy of the registration record on the spot. A fee of 600 yen per copy is charged (1,200 yen if copies for both land and buildings are required). Fees are paid by affixing revenue stamps, which can also be purchased at the Legal Affairs Bureau.

The Legal Affairs Bureau is open for counter services on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 5:15 PM. However, as of January 4, 2024, to promote work-style reform, the service hours for various counters have been changed to 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, excluding certain administrative tasks such as human rights consultations. Please be careful not to mistake these hours.

Requesting by Mail and Receiving by Mail

You can request documents by mail without visiting the Legal Affairs Bureau in person. By enclosing the prescribed application form, 600 yen in revenue stamps per copy, and a self-addressed stamped envelope, you can have the certified copy of the corporate registry mailed to you at a later date.

There is a prescribed format for the application form. You can download it from the Legal Affairs Bureau page below.

Reference: Download Forms for Registration Applications and Certificates of Registered Matters (Legal Affairs Bureau)

Request Online and Receive by Mail or at the Legal Affairs Bureau

Requests for certified copies of the corporate registry can also be made online. Online requests are accepted on weekdays from 8:30 AM to 9:00 PM. For online requests, you can choose to receive the documents either at the Legal Affairs Bureau counter or by mail. The fee is 480 yen per copy if picked up at the Legal Affairs Bureau counter, and 500 yen per copy if received by mail, with no additional postage required. For online applications, fees are paid via internet banking or at ATMs that support Pay-easy.

Online requests can be made via the "Touki Net" service operated by the Legal Affairs Bureau.

Reference: Touki Net (Legal Affairs Bureau)

Online Services for Viewing Registration Information

If you do not require the original certified copy of the corporate registry and only need to view the information, you can use online services. Below are two services that allow you to view registration information.

Registration Information Provision Service

If you wish to view registration information, it is convenient to use the "Registration Information Provision Service" operated by the Civil Legal Information Association.
You can verify real estate registration information, commercial registration information, and corporate registration information for 331 yen per request.
Please note that while the displayed registration information can be printed or downloaded, it is intended solely for information verification purposes and does not hold legal validity as an official certificate. Additionally, a registration fee of 740 yen applies for corporate accounts.

The Registration Information Provision Service is available from 8:30 AM to 11:00 PM on weekdays, and from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM on weekends and holidays. The service is unavailable during the year-end and New Year holidays from December 29 to January 3.

Reference: Registration Information Provision Service (Civil Legal Information Association)

Touki Sonar

In addition to the Registration Information Provision Service, registration information can also be viewed using services operated by private companies.
If you are looking to reduce costs, "Touki Sonar" provided by uSonar Co., Ltd. is a convenient solution. It allows you to acquire information at the lowest price in the industry.

The base fee for Touki Sonar is 298 yen per request for both real estate and commercial registration information. For registration information previously acquired and held by uSonar Co., Ltd., the cost is 200 yen per request. Furthermore, new member registration is free of charge.

Reference: Data Provision Service for Registration Information and More: "Touki Sonar"

Conclusion

A certified copy of the corporate registry (Certificate of Registered Matters) allows anyone to verify registered information regarding companies or real estate. If you need a certificate to submit for loans or contracts, you must request and obtain one from the Legal Affairs Bureau. However, if you only need to verify registration information, you can reduce costs by using private services. Touki Sonar, provided by uSonar, allows you to obtain information at the lowest price in the industry. Please feel free to contact us for more information.

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Certified Copies of Corporate Registries at the Industry's Lowest Price