Procedures
Three instances, with digital filing phased in from 2026
The Code of Civil Procedure provides district court trial, high court appeal on fact and law, and a final appeal to the Supreme Court limited to constitutional and specified legal grounds.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Summary courts for small claims, district courts generally, then high courts and the Supreme Court.
- Deadline — Appeal within 14 days of service of the judgment
- Deadline — Five years from knowledge or ten years from the due date for ordinary claims
Governing law
- Code of Civil Procedure of Japan
- Civil Code of Japan (arts. 166-169 (prescription))
- Arbitration Actamended 2023
In practice
The 2022 amendments introduced mandatory electronic filing and online hearings, with full implementation running to 2026. Litigation proceeds through interspersed written briefs and short hearings rather than a continuous trial, and settlement encouraged by the judge resolves a large share of cases. There is no US-style discovery; document production is available but narrow. The 2023 Arbitration Act amendments aligned interim-measure enforcement with the revised UNCITRAL Model Law, and Japan is a New York Convention party.