Author: Kei Sumikawa

Attorney at Law (Sumikawa Law Office), Kawasaki city, Japan

Tougher Penalties for Bicycle Driving (Smartphone Use, Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol) | November 2024 Road Traffic Act

The Road Traffic Act (Law, 道路交通法) in Japan has been revised and came into effect in November 2024. The penalties for the following acts have been strengthened.

These acts that were previously only punishable by fines (or were not treated as crimes in the first place). Due to changes in the law, these acts may now be punishable by imprisonment. A prison sentence may result in disqualification from certain professions. It can also affect your status of residence in the future.

Some of you may have been biking home after drinking a few alcoholic beverages. From now on, you need to be careful to never ride your bicycle on a day when you have had a few drinks (just like you would with an automobile).

Riding a bicycle while talking on a smartphone or looking at the screen

Previous penalty (before Nov. 2024)

Fine of up to 50,000 yen

Revised Penalty (after nov. 2024)

Imprisonment of up to 6 months or a fine of up to 100,000 yen

If causing a traffic accident or other traffic hazard: Imprisonment of up to 1 year or a fine of up to 300,000 yen

Driving a bicycle while under the influence of alcohol

Before November 2024, only driving while intoxicated heavily1 was subject to punishment. Under the amended Road Traffic Act, “driving while under the influence of alcohol” (driving while having 0.3 milligrams or more of alcohol per milliliter of blood or 0.15 milligrams or more of alcohol per liter of breath in the body) is now also subject to punishment.

New Penalty:

Up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 500,000 yen

Even if the driver is not aware that he or she is so intoxicated, it is still a crime if the numerical requirements are met.

  1. Driving a bicycle while intoxicated heavily was subject to a penalty from before the amendment of the law. The penalty is very heavy and can be up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 1,000,000 yen. ↩︎

Real Estate Transactions in Japan for Foreign Nationals | Role of real estate agents and attorneys

Recently, we receive many inquiries from overseas about purchasing a vacant house (Akiya) in Japan.

In Japan, real estate brokers must support their clients’ real estate transactions through nationally licensed personnel. This license requires knowledge of fundamental laws, such as the Civil Code, and specific laws related to real estate transactions. As a result, attorneys are not commonly involved in routine real estate transactions.

However, when foreigners purchase real estate in Japan, various procedural considerations come into play, which not all real estate agents may be familiar with. Therefore, consulting with a registration specialist (judicial scrivener), a tax specialist (licensed tax accountant), or a legal specialist (attorney) can be beneficial.

If the buyer is unable to come to Japan, a representative is needed to finalize the transaction. An attorney can act as your representative, ensuring a legally compliant and smooth transaction process, while also protecting your funds from potential fraud.

It’s important to note that attorneys cannot assist in the search for real estate. During the search phase, it is advisable to find a trustworthy real estate agent. Once you have located a property, you may contact an attorney for representation in the transaction.

See also:
Real Estate in Japan | Inheritance | Sales
Real Estate Procedures
Practical Guide to Real Estate Transactions in Japan

Warning: Inappropriate Law Firm Searching Website

It has come to our attention that a website by the name of LAWFIRMS1 is displaying our firm’s website and article content as if it were content within their site, without our firm’s permission.

Numerous law firm websites are similarly displayed on this website, including the websites of our friends’ firms. Judging from this, We believe that this website is also reproducing content from other law firm websites without permission.

Our firm has not signed a contract with such a web advertising company and does not plan to do so in the future. It is possible that similar websites may emerge in the future.

When you access our law firm through such sites, risks exist, including the divulgence of your sensitive information.

When contacting our firm, please be sure to access the official address to contact us.

https://sumikawa.net

New Year’s Greeting for 2024｜Visiting the New Kawasaki City Hall

New Year’s Greetings

Thank you very much for your support during the past year. We look forward to working with you again this year.

Promoting International Practice

At Sumikawa Law Office (Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture), all of our attorneys and staffs are able to communicate in English. Taking advantage of this, we will continue to provide support to our clients in Japan and abroad for legal services that require English language. In particular, we have received an increasing number of inquiries over the past few years regarding support for inheritance procedures in the U.S. In addition to providing support for individual cases in cooperation with attorneys in various states in the U.S., we plan to strengthen our information dissemination efforts.

We are also receiving an increasing number of inquiries from small and medium-sized companies regarding international contracts. We hope that companies that are about to start international transactions, as well as those that are already engaged in international transactions but have not yet received advice from an attorney, will consult with attorneys.

Promotion of SDGs

Our law firm will continue to actively develop initiatives for the SDGs this year.

In 2024, as part of our focus on gender equality, we will strengthen cooperation with lawyers from other firms and begin activities to train young and mid-career lawyers who can be candidates for outside directors in Kanagawa Prefecture. Sustainability, as set forth by the SDGs, is an extremely important theme for companies. In order to address this important issue, our firm aims to train lawyers who can support local companies in the future. We will work to ensure that attorneys with expertise in sustainability issues can address the challenges facing businesses and contribute to the sustainability of the entire region.

We will also continue to focus on creating a framework for supporting business succession in collaboration with other professionals in the region. If a company goes out of business at the same time as its representative retires, not only will the services provided cease, but the employees will also lose their jobs, which will have a significant impact on the local community. It is a critical issue for the community that companies plan and prepare for business succession at the earliest possible stage. If you have any concerns bout business succession, we encourage you to consult with an attorney in your area.

In addition, we will continue to support other activities to revitalize the local community, especially in Kawasaki City, where our firm is located, such as sponsoring local exchange activities and supporting a children’s cafeteria.

Tour of the New City Hall of Kawasaki City

At the end of last year, we toured the new Kawasaki City Hall, which was completed last year (2023). 25th floor observation deck is open to visitors free of charge. It is a different world that can be quickly ascended by elevator, and I felt more refreshed than I expected. If you haven’t been there yet, why not visit during the New Year when the air is clean?

Kawasaki City Website
https://www.city.kawasaki.jp/170/page/0000153797.html

Sumikawa Law Office is located across the street from the new Kawasaki City Hall (on the second floor of the Miyadai Building shown in the photo below). When you visit our office, consider taking 30 minutes and stop by the City Hall observation deck.

Kawasaki City Hall Observation Deck