Terms of Service

1. Service Provider

Japan Translations is a sole proprietorship operated by Jo Mio, located in Wakayama, Japan ("we", "us", "our"). Contact: contact@japantranslations.com.

2. Services

We provide translation of standard documents between Japanese and English, including family registers, civil status certificates, bank statements, payroll and tax documents, insurance documents, corporate registry documents, and vehicle export certificates. Unless otherwise agreed, each order includes: the translation, reproduction of the original document’s layout, a Certificate of Translation Accuracy, and delivery in PDF and editable (docx) format by email.

We provide translation services only. We do not provide legal, immigration, or tax advice.

The following are outside the scope of every order unless expressly quoted in writing: notarization (available as a separately quoted add-on), apostille or consular legalization, obtaining or procuring source documents on your behalf, and filing or submitting documents to any authority. We translate documents you have already obtained.

3. Customers

We serve customers worldwide, including customers residing in Japan. We collect your country of residence at the time of ordering. Orders from customers residing in Japan are subject to Japan's Act on Specified Commercial Transactions; the required disclosure is published on our Commercial Disclosure page.

4. Quotes, Orders, and Payment

Prices are listed on our pricing page and quoted per page or per document of the source material. Where source documents are unusually long, handwritten, or non-standard, we will provide a custom quote before you commit to the order.

All orders are prepaid. We begin work after payment is confirmed. Payment is processed through the payment link or bank transfer details we provide; we do not store your card details.

5. Turnaround

Standard turnaround is 48 hours from the later of (a) payment confirmation and (b) our receipt of complete, legible source documents. Expedited turnaround (24 hours) is available for the fee shown on our pricing page. Turnaround times are measured in calendar hours, including weekends. If we cannot meet the applicable turnaround, we will notify you promptly; if the delay is caused solely by us, and exceeds 24 hours, we will refund any expedite fee paid.

6. Your Responsibilities

You are responsible for: providing complete and legible copies of the source documents; providing correct spellings of personal names and place names where an official romanization exists; confirming the translation and certification requirements of the authority you are submitting to before ordering; and using the deliverables lawfully. We may decline any order at our discretion, including where we suspect the source document has been altered or the translation is intended for unlawful use. Declined prepaid orders are refunded in full.

7. Acceptance by Receiving Authorities

Acceptance of any translation is at the sole discretion of the receiving authority. We prepare translations to meet the published requirements of common receiving authorities (for example, USCIS in the United States, UKVI in the United Kingdom, the Department of Home Affairs in Australia, and IRCC in Canada) as they exist at the time of translation, but we do not and cannot guarantee acceptance. Rejection by a receiving authority is not, by itself, grounds for a refund. Exception (acceptance guarantee): if USCIS, UKVI, or the Australian Department of Home Affairs rejects a submission because of the translation or the certificate we delivered, we will redo the translation and certificate free of charge; if the same authority rejects it again for the same reason, we will refund the translation fee for the affected document in full. To claim, send us the written notice from the authority within 90 days of receiving it. The guarantee does not cover state or provincial agencies (for example US state DMVs), IRCC affidavit orders, or rejections for reasons unrelated to the translation.

8. Revisions and Corrections

If a translation contains an error (a mistranslation, omission, or typo, measured against the source documents you provided and the instructions given at the time of ordering), we will correct it free of charge at any time. Preference-based changes that are not errors (for example, choosing an alternative valid romanization) are corrected free of charge within 30 days of delivery. Work arising from replacement or amended source documents, or from requirements introduced by the receiving authority after delivery, is a new order.

9. Refunds

Before work begins: full refund on request.

After work has begun but before delivery: refund of the portion of the fee corresponding to undelivered documents.

After delivery: if the translation contains a material error and we fail to correct it within a reasonable time after you notify us, we will refund the fee for the affected document. Refunds are not available for delivered translations on other grounds, including rejection by a receiving authority (Section 7), except under the acceptance guarantee in Section 7 or where required by law.

Third-party costs included in a quote (for example, notary fees or postage for notarized orders) are refundable only until we incur them. Once the appointment is held or the item is dispatched, that portion of the fee is not refundable, even if the rest of the order is cancelled or refunded.

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability arising out of or in connection with an order, whether in contract, tort, or otherwise, is limited to the total fees you paid for that order. We are not liable for indirect or consequential losses, including visa or application outcomes, missed deadlines of receiving authorities, or costs of re-application.

Nothing in these terms excludes liability that cannot be excluded under applicable law, including mandatory consumer protections of the country where you reside.

11. Privacy

Our handling of your personal information, including uploaded documents, is described in our Privacy Policy.

12. Intellectual Property

Upon full payment, you receive the right to use the delivered translation for any lawful purpose. Our translation templates and the format of our certificates remain our property.

13. Governing Law and Jurisdiction

These terms are governed by the laws of Japan. Any dispute that cannot be resolved amicably shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the Wakayama District Court, Japan, except where mandatory consumer protection law of your country of residence provides otherwise.

14. Changes

We may update these terms from time to time. The version in effect at the time of your order applies to that order.