死亡診断書 / 死亡届
Certified translation of Japanese death certificates
Settling an estate, claiming insurance, or stopping a pension abroad requires proof of death that the foreign institution can read. We provide certified English translations of Japanese death documentation.
$21.95 per pageMost certificates are a single page
Certificate of accuracy included · Delivered within 48 hours
The Japanese death certificate (shibo shindansho) is a medical form completed by a physician, containing structured fields — cause of death, time, place, certifying doctor. Our translation reproduces the form’s layout field by field, so claims examiners can verify each entry against the original.
Death is also recorded in the family register; where an institution requires register-based proof, we translate the koseki entry showing the death annotation, or the certificate of acceptance of the death filing (juri shomeisho).
Medical terminology is translated precisely — including cause-of-death entries — which insurance examiners check carefully.
Common questions
The insurer asked for an "official death certificate". Which document is that?
Usually the shibo shindansho (death certificate completed by the physician) — often the copy attached to the death filing. Some institutions accept the koseki annotation instead. If you are unsure, send what you have through the order form and we will identify it.
Part of the certificate is handwritten. Is that a problem?
No — physician-completed sections are often handwritten. If a passage is genuinely illegible we flag it as such in the translation rather than guessing, which is the practice authorities expect.
More in the general FAQ, including certification requirements by country.