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Certified Japanese Disability Certificate Translation
Certified translation of the documents that certify disability in Japan, including the registry annotations and endorsements that carry the legal effect and that a reader unfamiliar with the system will otherwise skip.
$24.95/page
Flat rate per page, up to 250 words. No hidden fees.
100% USCIS acceptance
Every certified translation is guaranteed to be accepted by USCIS.
24-hour delivery
Most 1-3 page documents are delivered within 24 hours. Same-day available.
Three different books, not one
Japan issues three separate disability certificates, each under its own law and each looking different: the shintai shōgaisha techō (身体障害者手帳) for physical disability, the ryōiku techō (療育手帳) for intellectual disability, and the seishin shōgaisha hoken fukushi techō (精神障害者保健福祉手帳) for mental health conditions.
A person may hold more than one. A US office asking for "the Japanese disability certificate" will receive whichever the person has, and the type determines what it means and what it entitles them to. We name the book.
The grades run backwards from what a US reader expects
The physical disability certificate is graded 1 to 6, with 1 the most severe — the opposite direction from a percentage. The mental health certificate runs 1 to 3, also with 1 most severe.
A reader assuming a higher number means a greater disability will invert the finding entirely. We state the scale and its direction every time rather than leaving the number bare.
The intellectual disability book is prefectural
The ryōiku techō is issued under prefectural rules rather than a single national statute, so its name and its grading vary by prefecture — Tokyo calls it the ai no techō and grades it differently from Osaka.
We name the issuing prefecture and reproduce its own grade label rather than normalising it into a national scale that does not exist.
What the book actually does
The certificate is a booklet with a photograph, and it functions as an entitlement card: fare reductions, tax allowances, medical cost support, and access to employment quota placement under the disability employment law.
It is not a clinical document and does not contain a medical history. Where a US office needs the diagnosis, the supporting physician's certificate (shindansho) is the document to send alongside it. See our Japanese page.
Ordering, and what the certification covers
Upload the document, choose certified translation at $24.95 per page of up to 250 words, and it comes back typically within 24 hours as a PDF formatted to mirror the original, with a signed certificate of translation accuracy on letterhead. Marginal annotations are translated in place, in the margin, and every seal, stamp and registry endorsement is translated with the text. See how we translate and certified versus standard.
Frequently asked questions
Which Japanese disability certificate do I have?
One of three — physical, intellectual or mental health — each under its own law. We name the book, because the type determines what it means.
Is grade 1 mild?
No. Grade 1 is the most severe. The scale runs the opposite direction from a percentage and we state the direction every time.
Why is the intellectual disability book different in each prefecture?
It is issued under prefectural rules rather than one national statute. We name the prefecture and keep its own grade label.
Where is the diagnosis?
Not in the booklet. Send the shindansho, the physician's certificate, alongside it.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.