How to File Shibo Todoke — Japan Death Notification and Cremation Permit

A family member has just died in Japan, and the hospital hands you a death certificate. File the Shibō Todoke (死亡届) promptly at the relevant municipal office; the cremation permit cannot be obtained until the death notification is processed.

This guide walks through exactly what to do, what to bring, and what document you get back.

What Is the Shibō Todoke?

The Shibō Todoke is Japan's official notification of death, required under the Family Register Act (戸籍法). It is the gateway document — without it, you cannot obtain the Kasō Kyokashō (火葬許可証), the cremation permit that every crematorium requires before accepting remains.

The form itself is a single A3 sheet split into two halves. The left side is the Shibō Shindanshō (死亡診断書) — the medical certificate of death, completed by the attending physician. The right side is the Shibō Todoke — the administrative notification, completed by you.

Who Can File?

In practice, the chief mourner (喪主, moshu) often handles this, accompanied by a funeral director who knows the local ward office procedures. Confirm with the municipal office who is eligible to submit the notification in your case.

If the deceased was a foreign national, confirm the correct ward or city office with the municipality where the death occurred and ask which identity records it requires.

Step-by-Step Filing Process

1. Collect the death certificate from the physician. Hospitals issue the Shibō Shindanshō immediately after confirming death. Make photocopies before submitting the original if you need them for other procedures, and ask the municipal office which certified copies or extracts each institution accepts.

2. Complete the right side of the form. Fill in the deceased's registered name (戸籍名), date and time of death, place of death, and the filer's relationship to the deceased. Use the deceased's legal name exactly as it appears in the family register — discrepancies delay processing.

3. Submit promptly at the relevant municipal ward or city office. Confirm with the office which filing location and after-hours arrangements apply, and when the cremation permit will be issued.

4. Receive the Kasō Kyokashō (火葬許可証, cremation permit). After the office processes the notification, it issues the cremation permit. This document authorizes the crematorium to proceed; give it to your funeral director.

The 24-Hour Cremation Waiting Period

Japan's Graveyard and Burial Act (墓地、埋葬等に関する法律, Law No. 48 of 1948) prohibits cremation or burial within 24 hours of death. In major cities with crematorium shortages, families typically wait two to four days for an available slot. Ask the funeral home about the preservation method and daily charge during that interval.

The exception: deaths from designated infectious diseases under the Infectious Disease Prevention Law can bypass the 24-hour rule, allowing cremation within 24 hours with the body sealed in an impermeable bag.

Common Filing Mistakes

The most frequent rejection cause is a mismatch between the name on the death certificate and the family register. Married women who used their maiden name professionally still appear under their registered married name in the koseki (戸籍). For foreign nationals, confirm the required name format and identity document with the municipal office.

Another trap: the form asks for "place of permanent domicile" (本籍地), which is not the same as the current address. Many urban Japanese have never updated their koseki from their parents' rural hometown. If you do not know the deceased's honsekichi, ask the municipal office how it can verify the record and what identification is required.

After Filing: What Documents to Request

While at the ward office, request a Jūminhyō no Johyō (住民票の除票) — the removal certificate from the resident register. You will need this for pension termination, life insurance claims, and bank account procedures. Also request multiple copies of the Kisai Jikō Shōmeisho (記載事項証明書) — the certified extract of the death registration — which serves as an official death record for institutions that require one.

Planning a Shinto Funeral Alongside the Paperwork

Filing the Shibō Todoke is just one track of the process. While the paperwork moves through the ward office, the family must simultaneously contact a Shinto priest at their ubusuna jinja (産土神社), seal the kamidana, and arrange the tsuya-sai (wake). Our Shinto Funeral Guide walks through both the administrative and ritual timelines side by side, with bilingual form-field references so you can point to the exact Japanese term when speaking with municipal clerks.