Notification of a birth
Notification of the birth of a child must be made at the city, ward, town or village office.
Foreign nationals living in Japan should register a birth that occurred in Japan in accordance with the Family Register Law.
Besides making the notification of the birth, the baby will also have to be registered as an alien and receive a status of residence (zairyu shikaku). These should be done at the same time as the registration of the birth.
The birth of a child should be reported to the government of the individual’s nationality. For information on procedures, enquire at your embassy or consulate.

l    For information on Alien Registration (gaikokujin toroku), see 5 “Alien Registration” (gaikokujin toroku).
l    For information on obtaining a Status of Residence (zairyu shikaku no shutoku), see 4 “Obtaining a Status of Residence” (zairyu shikaku no shutoku).

(1)    Period of notification: Within 14 days of the birth
(2)    Notification applicant: Father or mother
(3)    Place of notification: The city, ward, town or village office of either the place of birth, individual’s address or the address of the family register
(4)    Required documents:
1.    Notification of Birth Form (shusei todoke sho)
This is available at the city, ward, town or village office and at some hospitals.
2.    Proof of Birth Certificate (shusei shomei sho)
This is the Notification of Birth Form (shusei todoke sho) with a doctor or midwife’s confirmation of the birth received at the time of birth.
3.    The notification applicant’s seal (inkan)
Those who do not have a seal may use their signature.
4.    Maternal and Child Health Handbook (boshi kenko techo)
This is the handbook received from the city, ward, town or village office of the mother’s residence when she reported her pregnancy.
5.    National Health Insurance Card (kokumin kenko hoken sho)
This is applicable to those who have joined the system.
(5)    Certificate of Receiving a Notification of a Birth (shusei todoke juri shomei sho)
This document confirms the receipt of a notification of a birth.

Note 1    The authorities responsible for applications, procedures, services and the naming of these may vary according to the city, ward, town or village.
         For details, ask a person who understands Japanese to enquire for you at your city, ward, town or village office.

Note 2    The information given is that confirmed as of July 2002. Note that a new system or system revisions may have been introduced after this date.

This information is from the CLAIR website. The Council of Local Authorities for International Relations (CLAIR) was established in July 1988 in response to rising concerns about local level internationalization in Japan.