Unclaimed assets in Japan

Overview

Under the Dormant Deposits Utilization Act, in force since January 2019, Japanese bank deposits with no activity for 10 years or more are transferred to the Deposit Insurance Corporation of Japan and the funds are used to finance public-interest work. This is widely misunderstood as confiscation — it is not: the Act explicitly guarantees repayment to anyone who comes forward, with no deadline. Around ¥120 billion becomes dormant each year; roughly ¥40–50 billion is reclaimed by owners, and about ¥70 billion funds public-interest grants through JANPIA. The practical difficulty is different from the legal one: Japan has no central search portal, and claims are made bank by bank, often branch by branch.

How to search

1. 1

   Identify the bank — and ideally the branch

   This is the hard part, and there is no shortcut. Japanese banking is branch-centric: accounts are held at a specific branch, and that is where a claim is handled.

   • Look for a passbook (tsūchō). It names the bank and branch and is the single most useful document.
   • Check the deceased's papers for a cash card, statements, or a bank's name seal.
   • Look for standing payments — utilities, rent, insurance premiums — which reveal the account behind them.
   • Check the local area where the person lived or worked. Regional banks and shinkin banks dominate outside the big cities.
2. 2

   Apply at that branch

   Whether the money is still with the bank or has already been transferred to the DICJ, the claim is made at the bank. The bank verifies entitlement and then recovers the funds where necessary.

   • Take photo identification and, where required, a residence certificate (jūminhyō).
   • Bring the passbook or account details if you have them.
   • A personal seal (inkan) is still required by many institutions for account procedures.
   • For a deceased account holder, bring the full inheritance paperwork.
3. 3

   For an estate, expect a heavy document set

   Japanese banks apply a demanding standard to inheritance claims, and this is where timelines stretch.

   • A family register (koseki) trace covering the deceased's life, used to establish every legal heir.
   • Identification and seal certificates for each heir.
   • The bank's own inheritance forms, signed by all heirs or by an appointed representative.
   • A will, where one exists, and any probate documentation.

   Assembling the koseki records is usually the longest single step, particularly when the deceased moved between municipalities.

Asset types held

Documents you'll typically need

• Photo ID, and a residence certificate where the bank asks for one
• The passbook or account details, if they survive
• A personal seal (inkan) where the institution requires it
• For an estate: the family register trace, heir identification and seal certificates, and the bank's inheritance forms