Willow Planning Guide
Who Handles What in End-of-Life Planning
A general orientation to the people and offices that deal with each part of planning ahead in Japan, and where our own help begins and ends.
Planning for the end of life involves several separate worlds: family, paperwork, money, medicine and the farewell itself. Each has its own rules and its own licensed professionals, and part of the stress comes from not knowing whom to ask. This page sets out, in general terms, who usually deals with what. It is an orientation, not advice: rules change and individual cases differ, so confirm the details with the office or professional concerned.
Illustration.
A Rough Map
| Topic | Who usually handles it | What we do |
|---|---|---|
| A notarised will (公正証書遺言) | A notary (公証人) at a notary office; a lawyer or scrivener often helps prepare the content. | Help you write down your wishes and questions beforehand. |
| A handwritten will (自筆証書遺言) | You write it yourself under strict formal rules; it can be deposited with a Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局). A lawyer or scrivener can review it. | Explain the general differences; we do not draft or check wills. |
| Disputes between heirs | A lawyer (弁護士) or the family court (家庭裁判所). | Help families talk early, so that fewer disputes arise. We do not mediate legal disputes. |
| Real estate registration after a death | A judicial scrivener (司法書士) at the Legal Affairs Bureau. | List the properties and where the title documents are. |
| Inheritance and income tax | A tax accountant (税理士) and the tax office. | List assets and papers so the accountant can start quickly. |
| Administrative paperwork | The municipal office for resident, health insurance and pension notices; an administrative scrivener (行政書士) for some documents. | Provide a checklist of notices your family may need to make. |
| Medical care and treatment wishes | Your doctor and care team. | Help you put your wishes into words to discuss with them. Our notes are not a medical directive. |
| The farewell and burial | A funeral company (葬儀社), temple or cemetery. | Record your preferences; we do not arrange funerals. |
| Online accounts | Each service provider, under its own rules. | List accounts and wishes; no passwords are collected. |
What a First Conversation Covers
To make the process less abstract, here is how a first conversation might run. It is an illustration of the structure and not an account of any real client. We begin by asking what prompted you to get in touch, because the answer shapes everything else: a parent's recent death needs a different starting point from a quiet wish to be tidy before retirement.
Next we ask about the people around you: who is close, who lives nearby, who would be affected by your decisions, and with whom you find it hard to speak about this subject. Then we look at things: roughly what kinds of accounts, property and insurance exist, and whether anyone else knows where the papers are. We do not ask for figures, account numbers or documents in this conversation.
Finally we agree what, if anything, comes next. That might be nothing, a reading list, a second session to write notes, or a plan for a conversation with a relative. If a step needs a licensed professional, we say so plainly, and we say what to bring to that meeting.
Start With a Conversation
If you would like to talk it through, write to us. The first conversation is free, nothing is booked online, and you decide what happens next.