Step 1: Book an appointment at the British Embassy

The Japanese authorities will require a document that’s equivalent to the Certificate of No Impediment, known as a 婚姻要件具備証明書 (Kon-In yōken gubi shōmei sho). In our case, this was an affidavit provided by the British Embassy.

To obtain the affidavit:

1. Book an appointment at the British Embassy in Tokyo well in advance (preferably months ahead). Here’s a link to the Embassy booking form
2. Pay the fee of £50 per person online when booking the appointment, or pay on the day of your appointment at the Embassy.

Step 2: Gather and Translate Documents

You’ll need the following:

1. UK Passports for both parties
2. Documents showing your current address for both (we used our driving licences)
3. Full birth certificates for both that include parents’ full names and mothers’ maiden names

You can use

Create translations of these before you leave for Japan and take the originals and the translations with you to Japan. Google Translate seems to be good enough if you’re careful and understand what you’re doing.

At the bottom of each translated document, include the phrase “Translated by [your name]” in Japanese. For example: 翻訳する: デビッド ジョーンズ.

Step 3: Get the affidavits from the British Embassy

Attend your appointment at the British Embassy in Tokyo (near the Imperial Palace). Bring along all your documents, explain that you’re planning to marry and need the affidavits, and the Embassy official will check your documents, ask you each to swear an oath, and will then issue the affidavits. The process takes about 30 minutes, and both of you can attend the same appointment.

Step 3: First Visit to the Municipal Office

Your first visit to the municipal office is to:

1. Obtain the Marriage Registration Form (婚姻届, Kon-In Todoke).
2. Get your documents reviewed by the officials. They will check your documents and may be helpful in suggesting additions or corrections to your translations.

There’s no need to book an appointment—just take a ticket and wait to be called.

We initially went to a branch office in our hotel’s ward (Minato) but after a little confusion they told us that although the documents looked ok we’d need to take them to the ward’s main municipal office, so you might as well do that straight away.

Step 4: Translate Additional Affidavit Content

The affidavit you receive from the Embassy is only partially translated into Japanese. However, the Japanese officials will likely require some extra translation. They should have been able to advise you on that in Step 3.

Use Google Translate to do this, and add the translations to copies of the affidavits. The municipal office officials might make these copies for you, but it’s a good idea to have them done in advance (your hotel can help).

Step 5: Fill Out the Marriage Registration Form

Complete the Marriage Registration Form, incorporating the suggestions made by the municipal office staff in Step 3. The staff might assist you, but don’t expect them to translate everything for you.

Step 6: Obtain Witnesses

You need two witnesses to fill out a section of the registration form. The witnesses do not need to be present at the municipal office.

We asked two women staying at our hotel to be our witnesses, but this step may be challenging if you don’t know anyone in Japan. The requirements for witness details differ slightly for Japanese and non-Japanese witnesses, so ask the officials for guidance during Step 3.

Our witnesses, Nishihama and Sayaka

Step 7: Final Visit to the Municipal Office

Return to the municipal office with the completed registration form. Ensure you have the following:

1. Two original Embassy affidavits (and translated copies)
2. Two UK passports (and translated copies of the double-page spread with your details)
3. Two documents showing your current address (and translations)
4. Two full birth certificates (and translations)
5. One completed Japanese Marriage Registration Form (including witness details)

As before, each translated document must include the translator’s details.

Step 8: Approval of Marriage Registration

The officials will review your documents, which took about an hour in our case. If everything is in order, they will approve your marriage registration.

Step 9: Obtain the Kon-in Todoke Juri Shomeisho

You won’t automatically receive a document confirming the acceptance of your marriage unless you request it.

We asked for two copies of the ‘Certificate of Acceptance of Notification of Marriage’ (婚姻届受理証明書, Kon-in Todoke Juri Shomeisho), which cost around £7 each. This document is essential as it serves as proof of your marriage when you return home. It took an extra 45 minutes or so to pick these certificates up from a different desk in the same office.