Digital Wills Coming to Japan — Cabinet Approves Civil Code Reform: Smartphone Drafting & Seal Requirement Abolished

Japan's Cabinet approved a Civil Code amendment bill on April 3, 2026, introducing the country's first digital will system — the "Deposited Certificate Will" (保管証書遺言). The reform, the most significant overhaul of Japan's will system in about 28 years, allows the will's text to be drafted on a smartphone or PC, abolishes the seal requirement for handwritten wills, and eliminates the need for family court probate. Implementation is expected within 2.5–3 years of promulgation (approximately 2028–2029).

Three Pillars of the Reform

① The New Deposited Certificate Will

The headline change is a brand-new will format — the Deposited Certificate Will — that allows the will's body text to be created using a PC, smartphone, or other digital device.

Currently, Japan recognises two main will types:

• Holographic Will (自筆証書遺言): entire text must be handwritten, dated, signed, and sealed. Risk of invalidity if formalities are not met.
• Notarised Will (公正証書遺言): prepared by a notary with two witnesses. Formally reliable but costly and time-consuming.

The new Deposited Certificate Will works as follows:

• Body text may be typed/digital — no need to handwrite the entire document
• Mandatory deposit at a Legal Affairs Bureau — the original must be deposited at a Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局); this eliminates the risk of loss or tampering at home
• Signature (name in the testator's own hand) still required — for identity verification
• Seal not required
• No witnesses needed — unlike notarised wills
• No family court probate required — because it is held by the Legal Affairs Bureau (same as the current will deposit scheme)

② Seal Requirement Abolished for Holographic Wills

Under current law, a holographic will without a seal is invalid. After the reform, a signature alone is sufficient — a seal will no longer be a legal requirement. In practice, experts still recommend affixing a seal as an additional layer of authenticity, but its absence will not invalidate the will.

③ Adult Guardianship Reform (Reference)

The same bill abolishes Japan's lifetime guardianship system. Current law provides three tiers (assistance / curatorship / guardianship); the reform consolidates these into a single "assistance" category with time-limited terms. Those using guardianship arrangements for inheritance planning should monitor legislative progress.

Important: Not Yet in Force

As of June 2026, this bill is still being deliberated in the Diet (Cabinet approval was April 3, 2026). Once enacted, implementation will take place within 2 years and 6 months of promulgation (3 years for the digital will system) — meaning the earliest practical availability is around 2028–2029.

For now, holographic wills and notarised wills remain the valid options. If you are considering making a will, we recommend acting under the current system rather than waiting for the reform to take effect.

How Sakura Central Legal Office Can Help

We support clients with holographic will drafting, notarised will preparation (in coordination with a notary), and inheritance procedure document preparation. We also keep clients informed of ongoing legislative developments.