Death Notification

My mother was born and raised in Japan. She is estranged from her family and has not returned to the country for many many years. She is now terminally ill. I was wondering if obituaries are published, publicly, in Japan? If not, and it is not considered inappropriate, how might I notify her family or long lost friends? Thank you.

Death of a person will not be publicized in Japan unless he/she has been famous someway. You, as an inheritor, might face a legal trouble if some relatives are left unnoticed of the demise. You might better notify them whtever the relationship has been. However, by Japanese civil law, a half of the lagacy comes to the spouse, if he/she is alive, and the rest be divided by the legal children, if there are any. In this case other relatives are not entiltled to legacy unles specified by the will.