Question about Divorce
Q. How do I get divorced if my wife is in Japan and I am in the United States?
A. If you got married outside Japan and then registered it in Japan you will need to have shown the Shiyakusho the original marriage certificate. In the same way if you are getting a divorce outside Japan and want to get it registered in Japan you will need to provide proof of the divorce.
Mutual consent divorce in Japan - Kyougi Rikon 協議離婚 is very easy and fast.
If your wife is agreeable to Kyougi Rikon then the absolute fastest way is to get on a plane, meet her at the Shiyakusho where her family register is kept. Show your passport; fill in two forms, pay a small fee, wait 10-15 minutes and the marriage is over.
If not, she can do it without you being there but you will have to get the forms sent to you, fill them in and get them notarized, sent back together with two valid forms of ID. Still fast and easy.
If she is not agreeable then you will have to come to Japan and start divorce proceedings here. You can’t do this from outside Japan. It can be slow, tedious and expensive. If children are involved you will not get custody.
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