How to get married legally in Japan

When getting married in Japan it may seem a little daunting because of all the paperwork of being a foreigner. Here are a few simple steps to follow so you can get married smoothly and easily in Japan. Be aware that some documents may change due to many factors, including your home country and the city hall where you are getting married at.

My point of view is that of a foreign woman from America marrying a Japanese man. If you are both foreigners, there could be some differences. Also, we decided to go to my husband's hometown in Saitama Prefecture, instead of the city where we currently live. 

Step 1: Go get an affidavit from your country or embassy swearing that you are not married in your home country. I had to make an appointment and pay a little money for this, but otherwise it was quite easy to receive from the American embassy in Tokyo. 

Step 2: Receive the paperwork from your city hall or buy it online customized with cute designs. 

(We have a pet hedgehog, so we decided to get our pet on our wedding papers, it also has our names and the date that we handed in our paperwork.)

Step 3: Determine your two witnesses who will also sign the wedding registration paper. 

Step 4: Make many copies of your passport. Also you will need your partners ID card. 

Step 5: Have all of your documents from the embassy and your passport translated into Japanese. 

Step 6: Fill out the paperwork and go check it at the city hall if it is filled out correctly. 

Step 7: Make the corrections. 

Step 8: Bring your papers to the city hall and take pictures with the area designated at the city hall and have a party afterwards!

In order to have our whole family come, we handed in our paperwork to the city hall office on a Sunday. We also had to sign a paper when we handed it in. 

Overall it is a good experience and not too difficult if one person can read and write fluently in Japanese. 

Common Questions are: 

1. Do you have to change your name? 

Because I am a foreigner it is really difficult to change all of your documents in a foreign country so I will not be changing my name for now. It is not required when a Japanese person is marrying a foreigner to change their last names to match. 

2. Can two foreigners get married in Japan? 

Yes, it is possible, but more documents are required. 

3. Do the witnesses need to come to the city hall with you? 

No, they can sign the paper elsewhere and are not required to come with you to the city hall. The witnesses can also be anyone of your choosing.