Establishing Jyuminhyo

I have a slightly complicated question about jyuminhyo. I'm leaving for a one-year journey to Japan next week and the first thing I need to do is set-up (not sure if that's the correct terminology) a jyuminhyo at my Japanese address so that I can open bank accounts, sign a mobile phone contract, buy health insurance, etc..

I'm guessing that I have a jyuminhyo currently registered in Los Angeles (that's the address listed on my Japanese passport). When one changes the location of jyuminhyo (ie. When somebody moves) what is the procedure? Would I have to go to the office of the original jyuminhyo, get paperwork from them, and them take it to the new city office?

Thanks for your responses!


Currently, I'm guessing that I have a jyuminhyo that is registered to Los Angeles (that's the address listed on my Japanese passport),

If you're coming from overseas, you just need to take your passport to the city hall. They'll call your old city hall if they need to.

When you come back to Japan will you live in the same city where your Jyuminhyo and Koseki are registered?
If so no problems just go to the city hall.

If you move to a different city you will have to get a certificate of residence from the city hall you live then you will have to go back to the city where your Jyuminhyo and Koseki is registered to update it,
But it might be possible that the city hall where you move to can take care of everything, I'm not 100% sure. Good Luck.

So you are Japanese, currently living in the USA, and now are returning to Japan?

A few things:
- When you moved out of Japan in the past, did you officially remove yourself from the "juminhyo" you had back then in Japan?
- And did you register with the Embassy/Consulate of Japan in LA as "residing in LA" when you came to LA?
- If your answer to the above two questions is "yes," then when you return to Japan, you should inform the Embassy/Consulate of Japan in LA that you are moving to Japan, and once you are in Japan, go to the ward/city hall where you will be living to set up a juminhyo.

- Normally when Japanese nationals move from one place to another within Japan, we have to report first that we are moving OUT from that city (we go to city hall of City A), then report that we have moved IN to the new city (at the city hall of City B).
- When Japanese people cross borders and move out to another country, but if it's only, for example, only the son going abroad for studying a year or two, with the parents still living at the same address in Japan, etc., some people simply retain their "juminhyo" in Japan, meaning, they continue to be in Japan for the purpose of social security and taxation, but just "stay" overseas.
- If, on the other hand, the whole family moves, for example the father getting sent to a US branch to work, then (because they will be taxed for the income in the US anyway), the whole family moves themselves completely from their "juminhyo" in Japan, and report their residence to the Embassy/Consulate of Japan in the country where they live.
- So if you did not "remove" yourself from Japan when you left Japan, you *could* still be registered at that address in Japan, and the officials could be wondering why you are not there :)

- The address in the passport is nothing official - the one on the inside of the back cover I imagine. That is just "contact address."
- If you are talking about the prefecture name that is "printed" into the page next to your photograph, that is not your "address" (=juminhyo location) but your "koseki" (family register) location.

But... are you a dual nationality holder? Otherwise I wouldn't understand why you need to ask such a question :)

Dear AK,

Thank you so much for your help! It's very, very, very greatly appreciated!

Here's my situation: parents moved to the US from Japan a couple decades ago, I was born in the US, have never lived in Japan, and I have retained both Japanese and US citizenship this entire time. In other words, like you said, our family's been out of Japan and have not paid taxes there.

Judging from your post, we probably don't have a jyuminhyo although our family's koseki is in Kyoto (while I will be living in Kawasaki, Japan).
I guess what I have to do now before I leave is contact the consulate here in Los Angeles and get everything straightened out with them. I just wanted to make sure because the last thing I want is to arrive in Japan and then find out what I need to deal with the Los Angeles consulate before getting a jyuminhyo.

Again, thank you so much!

Also, thank you Steve and K for your help earlier!