Emergency Checklist: American Citizen Dies in Japan

The First 6 Hours

Everything in these first hours happens in parallel. The order listed here reflects priority, but you should be making multiple contacts simultaneously.

Contact the US Embassy. Call the American Citizens Services (ACS) unit at the nearest US Embassy or Consulate. The embassy in Tokyo has a 24-hour emergency line. The ACS officer will verify the deceased's citizenship, may provide a list of English-speaking mortuary providers, and begin the process for issuing the Consular Report of Death Abroad (e-CRODA). The embassy does not provide financial assistance or arrange logistics — that is the mortuary provider's role.

Engage a bilingual mortuary provider. Japanese hospitals do not provide long-term morgue storage. The family must contract a mortuary provider immediately to take custody of the remains, provide cold storage, and begin the death registration process. If available, the US Embassy's provider list can help find an English-speaking firm.

Notify insurance. Contact the deceased's travel insurance provider, credit card company (if the trip was booked on a card with travel benefits), or employer's corporate insurance program. Report the death and open a claim promptly — many policies require prompt notification. Ask whether the insurer will arrange direct billing with the Japanese mortuary provider.

Secure the death certificate. If the death occurred in a hospital, the attending physician issues the Medical Death Certificate (Shibou Shindansho) immediately. If the death occurred outside a hospital, the police must examine the body first and will issue a Postmortem Certificate (Shitai Ken'ansho) once their initial examination is complete.

The First 72 Hours

Decide: cremation or repatriation. This decision must be communicated to the mortuary provider within the first 2–3 days. Cremation in Japan followed by returning the ashes costs $2,000–$3,000 total. Full-body repatriation (embalming + air cargo) costs $9,700–$16,500. Switching paths after preparation begins wastes time and money.

Register the death at the ward office. The mortuary provider (acting as the designated informant under power of attorney from the next of kin) submits the Shibotodoke (death notification) and the death certificate to the municipal ward office within 7 days of the death. At the same time, they apply for the cremation permit (Maiso Kaso Kyokasho) if cremation is the chosen path.

Request certified copies. Order at least 15 copies of the Certificate of Acceptance of Death Notification (Shibou Todoke no Juri Shomeisho) from the ward office. Each US institution that needs to process the death — banks, insurance, the SSA, probate courts, pension administrators — will demand its own certified copy. Running short means someone has to return to the ward office later, which requires a power of attorney.

Locate the deceased's documents. The passport, any Japanese residence card (Zairyu Card), insurance policies, bank information, and the contact details for their US-based attorney or estate executor. If the deceased was a long-term resident, their apartment or residence may contain essential documents that need to be secured.

The First Two Weeks

Begin the apostille chain. The apostilled Japanese death record is required for US probate courts. Submit the Shibou Todoke no Juri Shomeisho to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Gaimusho) for a free Hague Apostille. If a separate apostilled English translation is needed, that goes through the koshonin notary → Legal Affairs Bureau → Gaimusho chain.

Obtain the CRODA. Provide the US Embassy with the apostilled Japanese death record, the certified English translation, the deceased's US passport, and proof of the applicant's relationship. The embassy issues the electronic Consular Report of Death Abroad (e-CRODA), which serves as the legal equivalent of a state-issued US death certificate.

Execute the cremation or prepare for repatriation. For cremation: the mandatory 24-hour waiting period between death and cremation must elapse. The local cremation pathway typically takes 3–5 business days from death to release of ashes. For repatriation: embalming, sealed casket procurement, and the Consular Mortuary Certificate from the embassy.

Notify the Social Security Administration. Call 1-800-772-1213 to report the death. If the surviving spouse was previously deterred from claiming benefits due to the now-repealed GPO/WEP, file a new survivor benefit application during the same call — say "Fairness Act" to reach the specialized processing queue.

The First Three Months

File for Japanese pension benefits. If the deceased contributed to Japan's pension system for at least six months, the heirs can claim a Lump-Sum Withdrawal Payment through the Japan Pension Service (must be filed within two years, but earlier is better).

Address frozen Japanese bank accounts. Japanese banks freeze accounts upon notification of death. To release funds, the heirs must prove their relationship through certified documents — either Japanese family registry (Koseki) records or translated/apostilled US vital records.

Begin US probate. File the e-CRODA and apostilled Japanese death documents with the appropriate US probate court. The CRODA is the primary document; the apostilled Japanese originals are needed for claims on Japanese-held assets.

The American Dies in Japan — Family Emergency Guide provides the complete version of this checklist with day-by-day timelines, the exact forms for each step, and bilingual reference terms for communicating with Japanese authorities.