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Certified Japanese Lease Agreement Translation
Certified translation of the documents that record a tenancy 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.
Reikin is a gift, and you do not get it back
A Japanese tenancy commonly requires reikin (礼金) — key money, literally "gratitude money" — of one or two months' rent paid to the landlord and never refunded, alongside shikikin (敷金), a refundable deposit.
They sit next to each other in the contract and a reader who treats both as a deposit overstates the tenant's assets by a month or two of rent. We translate each term and say plainly which is refundable.
The renewal fee, every two years
Japanese residential leases typically run two years, and renewal commonly attracts a kōshinryō (更新料) of about one month's rent paid to the landlord.
So the real annual cost of a Japanese tenancy is higher than twelve times the rent, and the renewal clause is where that shows. We translate it rather than passing over a short clause about renewal.
The guarantor, and the guarantee company
A personal hoshōnin — traditionally a Japanese relative with income — has largely been replaced by a guarantee company (hoshō gaisha) charging an initial fee and an annual one. Foreign tenants are almost always required to use one.
The guarantee agreement is a separate contract from the lease with its own terms, and it is frequently the document with the recovery and default clauses in it. Send it too.
Teishaku shakuya, and the two kinds of tenancy
An ordinary tenancy renews strongly in the tenant's favour and the landlord needs just cause to refuse renewal. A teiki shakuya (定期借家) — fixed-term tenancy — ends at term with no renewal right, and it must be created in writing with a separate written explanation given beforehand.
Which one the contract is decides the tenant's security entirely, and it is stated in the contract. We name 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
What is reikin?
Key money paid to the landlord and never refunded, typically one or two months. Shikikin is the refundable deposit. They are different things.
What is a renewal fee?
Kōshinryō, about one month's rent, commonly payable every two years at renewal. It makes the real annual cost higher than twelve times the rent.
Do I need a guarantor?
Almost always a guarantee company for a foreign tenant. That agreement is a separate contract and usually holds the default clauses.
What is a teiki shakuya?
A fixed-term tenancy that ends at term with no renewal right, unlike an ordinary tenancy. The contract says which it is.
Ready to get started?
Upload the document and receive the certified translation, typically within 24 hours.