Lifestyle May 19, 2019
As seniors worry about leaving the burden of unwanted possessions to relatives upon their death, more are learning to use flea market apps to declutter early.
Business May 15, 2018
Regional banks fight for inheritance to ensure their survival
by Yuki Hagiwara, Gareth Allan and Takako Taniguchi
Where there's a will, there's a way. That's what banks across Japan are counting on as they try to keep hold of the ¥50 trillion in wealth left by their customers each year when they die. With more than a million Japanese dying annually, smaller ...
Editorials Feb 25, 2018
Unclaimed land plots already occupy an area the size of Kyushu and the problem will continue to grow unless the government takes steps to resolve it.
Business Feb 18, 2018
In graying Japan, securities firms target seniors' assets with end-of-life services
Securities firms have been expanding services recently for shūkatsu (end-of-life preparations), as a marketing strategy to appeal to elderly customers. The securities houses aim to attract the elderly along with their financial assets by providing advice not only on investment but also on inheritance and ...
Editorials Jul 29, 2017
The government needs to take measures to deal more effectively with land plots that remain unregistered.
Business | YEN FOR LIVING Feb 11, 2017
Resorting to adoption to avoid inheritance tax
by Masako Tsubuku and Philip Brasor
Revisions to the inheritance tax went into effect in 2015, and related statistics for that year were recently made public by the National Tax Agency. The main change had to do with the basic deduction. Before 2015 the deduction equaled ¥50 million plus ¥10 million ...
Editorials Aug 20, 2015
Some Civil Code provisions regarding inheritance date all the way back the Meiji Era. It's time to bring them into the 21st century.
Business / Economy Nov 28, 2013
Tax-free gifts unlocking retiree savings
by Mayumi Otsuma and Keiko Ujikane
Shoko Iwasaki looked for years for a tax-free way to pass down a lifetime of savings to her grandson. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has offered the 71-year-old an answer with a program now helping unlock pensioners' hoarded wealth. "I'm so grateful for this tax measure, ...
National Nov 12, 2013
The Cabinet approved a bill Tuesday to amend the Civil Code so that it will grant the same inheritance rights to legitimate and illegitimate children in line with a Supreme Court decision in September, but critics say it falls short. The Diet is expected to ...
Editorials Sep 6, 2013
It is unfortunate that it took so long for the Supreme Court to declare unconstitutional a Civic Code provision that discriminated against children born out of wedlock.
National / Crime & Legal Sep 4, 2013
Top court shoots down unequal inheritance rights
by Tomohiro Osaki and Reiji Yoshida
In a landmark ruling, the Supreme Court declares unconstitutional the Civil Code clause that denies full inheritance rights to heirs born out of wedlock.
National | CHUBU CONNECTION Aug 2, 2013
As an insurance salesman in Tsushima, Aichi Prefecture, Hisao Ito, 55, has seen times when family members and relatives fight over inheritances. To reduce such disputes, Ito established the Japanese Inheritance Association, bringing together lawyers, tax accountants and judicial scriveners to study past cases. The ...