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Domestic Violence Help in Japan: Shelters, Protection Orders, and Visa Status
If you are in immediate danger, call 110, the police emergency number; domestic violence help in Japan is open to every resident, whatever their nationality or visa.12 For confidential advice, DV相談＋ (DV sōdan purasu, "DV Consultation Plus") answers 0120-279-889 around the clock and offers chat in 10 foreign languages, while #8008 connects you to your nearest prefectural counseling center (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with the Gender Equality Bureau).34 This article sets out the options that follow: shelters, protection orders, keeping your address hidden, your status of residence, money and insurance, and custody.
Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details at the Gender Equality Bureau of the Cabinet Office (gender.go.jp). This article is general information, not legal or immigration advice; for your specific case, consult a licensed lawyer (bengoshi) for protection orders, divorce, and custody, or an immigration lawyer or gyoseishoshi for status renewal or change.
Overview
The 配偶者暴力防止法 (Haigūsha Bōryoku Bōshi Hō, "DV Prevention Act") is the national law behind most of the support described here. Its full English name is the Act on the Prevention of Spousal Violence and the Protection of Victims (Act No. 31 of 2001).5
The Act sets up counseling centers, temporary protection, and court-issued protection orders. It applies to residents of every nationality, with or without a valid status of residence.52
What counts as domestic violence under Japanese law
The Act defines spousal violence as physical violence, or words and conduct with comparably harmful effects on mind and body. It continues to apply to violence after a divorce or annulment.52
The Gender Equality Bureau describes three main forms: physical, psychological, and sexual. Withholding living expenses (economic abuse) is sometimes listed separately and overlaps with psychological abuse.6
The Immigration Services Agency (ISA) gives examples of psychological abuse that apply directly to foreign spouses. They include threatening "I won't do your visa paperwork" or "go back to your country", confiscating your passport, cutting you off from family and friends, and withholding living expenses.7
"Spouse" under the Act includes unregistered de facto marriage (事実婚, jijitsukon) and former spouses where the violence continues.85 Article 28-2 extends the Act to a partner you live with in a marriage-like relationship (生活の本拠を共にする交際相手, seikatsu no honkyo o tomo ni suru kōsai aite, "a dating partner sharing a principal residence"), including after the relationship ends.52
Dating partners who never lived together fall outside that extension.5 ISA's guidance adds that whether a couple shares a principal residence is not decided by the length of cohabitation or by shared finances alone.7
The Gender Equality Bureau states that the Act covers men and women alike.8 If you are unsure whether your relationship falls within the cohabiting-partner extension, a counseling center can tell you which services apply to you.
This broad definition governs counseling and support. Protection orders use narrower thresholds, explained in the protection-orders section below.52
Who can get help
Foreign nationals are within the scope of the DV Prevention Act.9 The national basic policy on spousal violence states that the Act's victims include foreign residents of Japan "regardless of whether they have a status of residence".2
Men are covered too. DV相談＋ runs a dedicated line for men on Sundays, 15:00–21:00 (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with DV相談＋).10 The basic policy also directs the prefectural Women's Consultation and Support Centers to arrange suitable facilities in advance so that temporary protection can be commissioned for men when needed.2
Some local services are for women only. Kanagawa Prefecture's foreign-language DV line, for example, is a women's service (as of December 2025).11
How the support system fits together
Several bodies share the work, and most people start with one contact who then connects them to the rest. The flow below shows the usual entry points and where each kind of help sits.
The counselor at your local Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center acts as the first-line coordinator. Centers counsel victims, secure safety, arrange temporary protection, and help with protection orders and independent living.5
| Body | Role | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Police | Emergency response, consultation, warnings to offenders, investigation125 | Prefectural police |
| DV相談ナビ (DV Consultation Navi, #8008) | Routes your call to the nearest prefectural center3 | National number, local answer |
| DV相談＋ | Phone in Japanese; chat in 10 foreign languages412 | National |
| 配偶者暴力相談支援センター (Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center) | Counseling, safety, temporary protection, protection-order help5 | Prefectures (required), municipalities (encouraged) |
| 女性相談支援センター (Women's Consultation and Support Center) | Conducts temporary protection directly or through commissioned facilities52 | Prefectural |
| District court | Issues protection orders5 | National statute |
| Municipal office | Residence-record restriction, National Health Insurance, child benefits132 | Municipal |
| Regional immigration bureau | Status-of-residence handling for DV victims7 | National agency |
| Hoterasu | Lawyer consultation for DV victims14 | National |
If you are in danger right now
Calling 110
110 is the police emergency number. For non-urgent consultation, the general police line is #9110; in Tokyo, 03-3501-0110 also works (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with your prefectural police).1
The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department states that a police interpreter will join the call if you do not speak Japanese (as of October 2026).15 Interpreter arrangements are run by each prefectural police force, so the exact process outside Tokyo may differ. The article 110 in Japan: Calling the Police covers the call itself in more detail.
What the police can do for you
When officers recognize spousal violence, the Act requires them to try to stop it, protect the victim, and take other necessary measures (Article 8).5 Through the #9110 consultation route, prefectural police offer prevention guidance, warnings to the offender, and investigation (as of October 2026).12
On your request, the police chief can provide assistance to help you prevent further harm. Under the Act this covers physical violence, and the Tokyo police state that in practice they also assist people threatened with harm to their life.1
The National Police Agency lists DV measures that include warnings and other administrative steps against stalking-type conduct or unconsented location tracking, emergency safety measures for victims and people with them, and help so victims can protect themselves (as of October 2026).16
Contacting the police also creates a record that matters later. A protection-order petition must state whether you consulted the police or a counseling center, and the court can request a written record of that consultation (Articles 12 and 14(2)).5
Hotlines and counseling centers
DV Consultation Plus (DV相談＋)
DV相談＋ (DV sōdan purasu, "DV Consultation Plus") is a national service that the Gender Equality Bureau describes as offering 24-hour phone consultation as well as chat (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with DV相談＋).34 The table below sets out each channel and its languages.
| Channel | Access | Hours | Languages | As of |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phone | 0120-279-889 (toll-free) | 24 hours | Japanese only4 | 2026-10 |
| Chat | soudanplus.jp | 12:00–22:00 | 10 foreign languages plus Japanese412 | 2026-10 |
| Men's line | Phone | Sundays 15:00–21:00 | Japanese10 | 2026-10 |
The chat languages are English, Tagalog, Thai, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Nepali, Vietnamese, and Indonesian (as of October 2026).17 The service's English page also mentions on-site interpreter services and shelters for DV victims (as of October 2026).4
The operator states that telephone consultations are available only in Japanese. If you need another language, use the chat channel during its hours.4
DV Consultation Navi (#8008)
DV相談ナビ (DV sōdan nabi, "DV Consultation Navi") is a separate service from DV相談＋. Dialing #8008 connects you to the nearest prefectural Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center (as of October 2026).3
Normal call charges apply, and the line works only during each center's reception hours (as of October 2026).3 It may not connect from some analog or fiber lines, some mobile carriers, or IP phones, and it is unavailable during major disasters (as of October 2026).3
Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Centers (配偶者暴力相談支援センター)
A 配偶者暴力相談支援センター (haigūsha bōryoku sōdan shien sentā, "Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center") is a function, not a single building. Every prefecture must have suitable facilities perform it, including its Women's Consultation and Support Center; municipalities are asked to make the effort to do the same.5
Under Article 3(3) of the Act, centers provide:5
- counseling, or referral to a women's support counselor or another body
- medical or psychological guidance
- safety in emergencies, and temporary protection
- information, advice, and liaison on employment, housing, and assistance programs for living independently
- information and help using the protection-order system
- information and help using residential protection facilities
Hours vary by facility (as of October 2026).12 The basic policy encourages center staff to accompany victims to other offices when needed.2
If you later obtain a protection order, the court notifies the center named in your petition (Article 15(4)).5
Foreign-language access is set locally. As one example, Kanagawa Prefecture runs a women-only line at 090-8002-2949 on weekdays, 10:00–17:00 (as of December 2025).11 It handles English, Korean, Spanish, and Portuguese without a reservation, and Chinese, Tagalog, Thai, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Bengali, Burmese, Khmer, and Russian by reservation; it is free apart from call charges (as of December 2025).11
Foreign-language and community support
TELL Lifeline offers anonymous English-language support at 0800-300-8355 (toll-free), with chat from 16:00 daily (as of October 2026).18 Phone hours run continuously from Saturday 09:00 to Monday 23:00, Tuesday to Thursday 09:00–23:00, and Friday 09:00–02:00 (as of October 2026).18 TELL's page does not list DV-specific services, so it serves as emotional support alongside the DV channels above.
Embassy help depends on your nationality. As one example, the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo runs an Assistance to Nationals hotline, (+81) 80-4928-7979, to coordinate with local authorities in DV cases involving Filipino nationals (as of October 2026).19 Other embassies may or may not offer similar help; check with yours.
Each regional immigration bureau has a DV対策事務局 (DV taisaku jimukyoku, "DV countermeasures office") that receives information on DV cases from government bodies, foreign missions, NGOs, and the public.7 For general residence questions in Japanese and foreign languages, ISA runs the Foreign Residents Support and Information Centers at 11 locations (as of October 2026).20
The Ministry of Justice human rights hotline is 0570-003-110 (weekdays 8:30–17:15), and the ministry runs foreign-language human rights consultation separately (as of October 2026).129 For general mental-health lines, see Crisis Resources in Japan.
Shelters and temporary protection
Public temporary protection
Women's Consultation and Support Centers operate under the Act on Support for Women with Difficult Problems.221 These centers are the body that conducts temporary protection, either directly or by commissioning a facility that meets national standards.52
| Term | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 女性相談支援センター | josei sōdan shien sentā | Women's Consultation and Support Center21 |
| 一時保護 | ichiji hogo | Temporary protection (emergency shelter placement)5 |
| 女性自立支援施設 | josei jiritsu shien shisetsu | Women's independence support facility2 |
| 母子生活支援施設 | boshi seikatsu shien shisetsu | Mother-and-child life support facility2 |
Commissioned facilities include women's independence support facilities, mother-and-child life support facilities, and private shelters.2 Temporary protection is based on your own wishes.2
You can apply in person, or be referred by another center, a welfare office, the police, or a child guidance center. National guidance says decisions should be possible at night and on holidays.2
There is no fixed length of stay. Protection is not to end mechanically after a set period, and should continue until the next stage of support is arranged.2
The short-dial #8778 (はなそうなやみ, "hanasō nayami") reaches your prefectural Women's Consultation and Support Center; the caller pays call charges, and it does not connect from some lines, such as NTT analog lines in some prefectures and some IP phones (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare).2223 Contact usually starts by phone, and in-person or outreach consultation may be available (as of October 2026).21
National guidance bases temporary protection on the victim's own wishes. Calling a center does not commit you to entering a shelter.2
Private shelters and step-up housing
Private shelters (民間シェルター, minkan sherutā, "private shelter") take commissioned temporary protection when they meet national standards, and the Women's Consultation and Support Center stays responsible as the commissioning body.2 Commissioning depends on the victim's situation and local conditions, so the facilities available differ by area.2
After temporary protection, options include women's independence support facilities, mother-and-child facilities, private shelters, returning to family, or rental housing. When the center passes your case to a municipal center, it is expected to contact that office, confirm the staff member's name, and make sure you actually meet them, not just give you a name and number.2
Public housing operators may give DV victims priority admission at their discretion, with flexible handling of income and guarantor requirements.2 DV victims are also classed as persons requiring housing consideration (住宅確保要配慮者, jūtaku kakuho yōhairyosha) under the Housing Safety Net Act.2
Life inside a shelter
Confidentiality is central. Officials must avoid letting the abuser learn where you are sheltering.2
Children are included in planning. Centers coordinate with child guidance centers, and where an accompanying child is an older boy, protection may be commissioned to a facility where parent and child can stay together.2 The child's right to education during protection is to be ensured, through safe school attendance or learning support inside the shelter.2
National policy asks that commissioned facilities be arranged in advance for men, foreign nationals, people with disabilities, older people, and sexual minorities.2 That guidance covers confidentiality and diverse needs but does not set day-to-day house rules, so ask the center what applies at a given facility.2
Protection orders under the DV Prevention Act
A 保護命令 (hogo meirei, "protection order") is a district court order restricting the abuser's conduct. The rules were revised with effect from 2024-04-01.245
Who can apply after the 2024 revision
For the approach-prohibition order and the orders attached to it, you must have suffered physical violence or a threat to harm your life, body, freedom, honor, or property. You must also face a great risk of serious harm to your life or to your mind and body from further violence.245
Before the revision, only physical violence or threats to life or body counted, and the risk had to be to life or body.245 The eviction order still keeps the older, narrower threshold: physical violence or a threat to life or body.2
The relationship scope matches the Act: spouse, former spouse facing continuing violence, de facto spouse, or cohabiting partner under Article 28-2.52
If you rely on serious mental harm, the Gender Equality Bureau says a doctor's diagnosis (for example depression, PTSD, adjustment disorder, anxiety disorder, or somatization disorder) is needed to avoid delaying the case.25
Types of orders and how long they last
The durations below come from the current text of the Act.5 Several English guides published before 2024 still show the old figures.
| Order | What it covers | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 接近禁止命令 (sekkin kinshi meirei, approach prohibition) | No following or loitering near your home, workplace, or similar places5 | 1 year (was 6 months)245 |
| 電話等禁止命令 (denwa-tō kinshi meirei, calls and messages) | Bans demands to meet, announcing surveillance, rough language, calls, letters, fax, email and SNS, repeated messages in non-emergencies, late-night contact, sending sexual images, and acquiring your location by GPS or attaching a tracker without consent245 | Until the approach order ends5 |
| Approach prohibition for children | Extends to minor children living with you; a child aged 15 or older must consent526 | Until the approach order ends5 |
| Approach prohibition for relatives | Extends to relatives and others close to you, with their consent5 | Until the approach order ends5 |
| 退去等命令 (taikyo-tō meirei, eviction) | The abuser must leave the shared home and not loiter nearby5 | 2 months; 6 months if the home is owned or rented solely by you and you request it245 |
How to apply
Petitions go to a district court (地方裁判所, chihō saibansho). At the Tokyo District Court, for example, jurisdiction covers cases where the applicant or respondent lives in the 23 wards or the Izu and Ogasawara islands, or where the violence took place (as of December 2025; confirm current figures with your district court).26
The steps below follow the Act; individual courts add their own practice.5
Your petition must state whether you consulted or sought help from a Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center or the police. If you did not, you must attach a sworn statement notarized by a notary (宣誓供述書, sensei kyōjutsusho) (Article 12).5
An order generally requires oral argument or a hearing the respondent can attend, unless that would defeat the order's purpose (Article 14(1)).5 The court can request a written record from the center or police, and it must decide promptly (Articles 13 and 14(2)).5
The order takes effect when it is served on the respondent or pronounced at a hearing the respondent attends (Article 15(2)).5 At the Tokyo District Court, a same-day interview with a judge may take place, and the court asks applicants to call before coming (as of December 2025).26
Costs differ by court. The table shows the Tokyo District Court as an example (as of December 2025).
| Item | Amount | As of | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Filing fee | ¥1,000 | 2025-1226 | Paid by revenue stamp |
| Postage stamps | ¥2,310 | 2025-1226 | Varies by court |
| Copies of petition | 2 | 2025-1226 | One for the court, one for the respondent |
| Copies of evidence | 2 | 2025-1226 | Supporting documents: 1 copy |
The Tokyo court asks for proof of the relationship (a family register or evidence of cohabitation), evidence of the violence or threats, evidence of the risk of future serious harm, and written consent from a child aged 15 or older or from relatives for extended orders (as of December 2025).26 Hoterasu offers lawyer consultation for DV victims; see the legal-aid section below.14
What happens if the order is violated
The 2024 revision raised the penalty for violating an order to up to 2 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥2 million, from up to 1 year or ¥1 million (Article 29).245
When an order is issued, the court clerk promptly notifies the police headquarters responsible for your address (Article 15(3)).5 Calling 110 on any breach puts the police, who already know about the order, on notice.
Keeping your new address hidden
The residence-record restriction
The DV等支援措置 (DV-tō shien sochi, "support measure for DV and similar victims") lets you restrict who can obtain your address from municipal records. It covers victims of spousal violence, stalking, child abuse, and comparable acts, such as violence from a partner you did not live with.132
It restricts viewing of the basic resident register, issuance of copies of your 住民票 (jūminhyō, "residence record certificate"), and issuance of copies of the 戸籍の附票 (koseki no fuhyō, the address history attached to a Japanese family register).132 Foreign residents are covered.2
The process runs through your municipal office, as below.132
You apply to the municipal mayor. The municipality hears the opinion of the police, a support center, a child guidance center, or similar body, or asks for a copy of a protection-order decision or stalking warning, and is expected to limit the burden on you.2
Once the restriction is in place, requests from the known abuser are treated as having an improper purpose and refused, as are requests from the abuser's agent.2 Lawyers' requests are checked for whether the client is the abuser, and other third parties face stricter photo-ID checks.2
The restriction lasts 1 year from confirmation, and you can request renewal from 1 month before it expires (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications).13 Counter procedures and forms vary by municipality, so ask your municipal office how it handles applications. The article Jūminhyō: Japan's Residence Record Explained covers the record itself.
The restriction is not permanent. Renewal can be requested from 1 month before the expiry date; without a renewal request, the restriction ends.13
Other places your address can leak
Residence-card holders must report a new address to the municipal office within 14 days, and failing to do so without a justifiable reason is a ground for revoking status.27 National policy treats fleeing DV as a typical justifiable reason for not reporting the address.2
National policy also asks municipal offices handling National Health Insurance, pension, nursing-care insurance, tax, child allowance, and elections to manage restricted victims' data strictly.2 Health insurers must avoid letting an insured abuser learn your whereabouts.28
Medical-expense notices (医療費通知, iryōhi tsūchi) sent to the policyholder can reveal which clinics you used. You can ask the insurer to change where they are sent.228
For pension, records are handled so the address on them is not disclosed; consult the pension office.2
For children, the receiving school may tell the previous school only that the child transferred. Children can enroll even without a residence-record entry, and daycare applications can be made in the municipality where you actually live.2
In family court proceedings, a DV victim can ask the court not to disclose their current address (住所の非開示の申出, jūsho no hikaiji no mōshide, "address non-disclosure request").29 ISA staff must keep what a DV victim tells them, including identifying details, from the abuser and related persons, with particular care when the victim is in protection.7
Your visa and residence status
What happens to your status of residence depends on which status you hold. The sections below separate spouse-type statuses, Dependent, and people without valid status.
Spouse statuses while you are separated
This section applies to people who hold Spouse or Child of Japanese National or Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident status on the basis of marriage.30 One ground for revoking these statuses is not engaging in activities as a spouse for more than 6 months without justifiable grounds (Immigration Control Act Article 22-4(1)(vii)).30
ISA's first listed example of a case where status is not revoked is a person who needs temporary shelter or protection from spousal violence. ISA decides on the actual circumstances, and its examples are not exhaustive.30
Ongoing divorce mediation or court proceedings are also listed as grounds that can justify living apart.30
National policy treats fleeing DV or needing protection as a typical justifiable reason for both the 6-month spouse-activity ground and the address-notification ground.2 Before revoking status on the spouse-activity ground, ISA must give you the opportunity to apply for a change of status or for permanent residence (Article 22-5).30
If a DV victim falls under any revocation ground, the regional bureau must refer the case to ISA headquarters with the facts, whether or not the ground arose from the violence.7
Holders of Dependent, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, or Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident status must notify ISA within 14 days of a divorce or the spouse's death.27 For the statuses themselves, see Spouse or Child of a Japanese National and Spouse or Child of a Permanent Resident; Family Life Events and Your Visa Status covers the general notification and revocation rules.
Renewing when the abuser will not cooperate
ISA's DV procedure, revised in July 2026, states that when a victim cannot submit some supporting documents for an extension or change because the spouse will not cooperate, the application is examined on the other documents submitted.7 If the decision is difficult, the regional bureau refers it to headquarters.7
ISA staff are told to treat a spouse's lack of cooperation, such as slow document submission or not appearing, as a possible sign of DV.7 If you have no passport because of the violence, ISA issues a 在留資格証明書 (zairyū shikaku shōmeisho, "certificate of status of residence") when it grants the extension or change.7
ISA has a female officer interview female victims where possible, using staff who speak your language or an interpreter. At the start, staff tell you that what you say will not be shared with the abuser.7
ISA may contact your local support center for cooperation, and it handles consultations from centers about a victim's applications case by case.7 National policy commits the government to handling extension or change applications from victims humanely, with full regard to the victim's position and individual circumstances.2
ISA does not publish a list of documents that replace the spouse's cooperation. ISA can contact your local support center about your situation, and the regional immigration bureau or a gyoseishoshi can confirm what to submit in your case.7 Extension of Period of Stay covers general renewal mechanics.
Changing to Long-Term Resident or another status
ISA states that even after 6 or more months without spouse activities, a person may be permitted to change to another status of residence where there is a reason, including raising their own child who has Japanese nationality.30 Change and extension applications from DV victims are granted when there are adequate grounds to find them appropriate.7
National policy asks agencies to connect victims whose status depends on the abuser's family relationship to the regional immigration bureau when they want to change status.2 The specific criteria for Long-Term Resident (定住者, teijūsha) and other statuses are covered in Spouse Visa After Divorce, Long-Term Resident: Japan's Quasi-PR Status, Change of Status of Residence, and Designated Activities Visa.
Dependent visa holders and people without valid status
The Dependent status (家族滞在, kazoku taizai) covers the daily activities of a spouse or child supported by someone holding certain work or study statuses, so it depends on the supporter's own status.31 Dependent holders must notify ISA within 14 days of a divorce.27
ISA's DV procedure applies to them as to other foreign victims, with cases handled individually.7 Dependent Visa: Spouses and Children of Residents covers the status in general.
Being a DV victim does not by itself qualify anyone for a status of residence, and stay may not be permitted.7 ISA must still follow its DV procedure in residence and deportation proceedings, whether or not stay is ultimately permitted.7
People without valid status are covered by the DV Prevention Act.29 Officials have a duty to report people without status under Article 62(2) of the Immigration Control Act, but the Gender Equality Bureau states that exceptions exist where reporting would defeat the purpose of the official's work.9
To regularize your stay, you must appear at immigration and seek special permission to stay (在留特別許可, zairyū tokubetsu kyoka) in deportation proceedings.9 Since the 2023 amendment there is a formal application procedure, with the factors considered set in law, and ISA revised its guideline in March 2024; DV is not a separately listed factor, but humanitarian considerations and family ties are.32
When a DV victim in deportation proceedings applies for special permission, the bureau refers the case to headquarters. ISA uses monitoring measures (監理措置, kanri sochi) or provisional release rather than detention unless, for example, the risk of flight is high, and it may ask a Women's Consultation and Support Center to provide temporary protection.7
National policy acknowledges that some victims lost their status because the abusive spouse would not cooperate with applications.2 Outcomes are decided case by case; an immigration lawyer can assess your situation.
Money, insurance, and benefits after leaving
Health insurance and pension
If you are covered as a dependent (被扶養者, hifuyōsha) on the abuser's employee health insurance, you can leave that coverage by notifying the insurer with a certificate from a support center or similar body. Accompanying children can be removed at the same time.2
The certificate is the 配偶者からの暴力の被害者の保護に関する証明書 (haigūsha kara no bōryoku no higaisha no hogo ni kansuru shōmeisho, "certificate of protection as a spousal-violence victim"); a court's protection-order notice can substitute for it.28 Current national policy describes the issuer as a support center or similar body.2
Under a 2008 national notice, if the abuser's side does not file the removal form within the deadline in the insurer's letter, the insurer removes you on its own authority.28 Until removal, the insurance still covers your treatment, with the abuser treated as a third party, and the employer or insurer can issue an eligibility certificate in an emergency if you have no insurance card.228
You can then enroll in National Health Insurance (国民健康保険, kokumin kenkō hoken) as a separate household once your actual address is confirmed and you have no other public insurance. Premium and copayment reductions may be available; consult the municipality.2 NHI Enrollment at the Ward Office covers enrollment generally.
For pension, a Category 3 spouse who is no longer supported must switch to Category 1 at the current municipality, which requires the basic pension number.2 Contribution exemptions exist, and for victims who fled DV, the abuser's income is not examined for the exemption.2
The sequence below runs from the certificate to the pension switch; the removal step happens either through the abuser's side filing the form or through the insurer acting on its own authority.228
Child benefits
The child allowance (児童手当, jidō teate) can be paid to you on request even if the abuser has not filed the notice ending their own entitlement, when the requirements are met.2 Child Benefit (Jidō Teate) covers the allowance in general.
The child-rearing allowance for single-parent households (児童扶養手当, jidō fuyō teate) can be paid for a child whose parent obtained a protection order, when the requirements are met.2 It is also available on grounds of abandonment for a year or more, which is in principle shown through the applicant's statement certified by the welfare office and an abandonment survey.2
Public assistance and legal-aid costs
Public assistance (生活保護, seikatsu hogo) is available to foreign nationals only as an administrative measure, and only for lawful residents with certain statuses.33 These are Permanent Resident, Long-Term Resident, Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident, Spouse or Child of Japanese National, Special Permanent Residents, and recognized refugees; some Designated Activities holders may also qualify.33
Welfare offices must consider your safety when contacting relatives about support obligations. People in temporary protection are treated as having no residence and are covered by the area of the facility.2
If you leave a job because you relocated to escape DV, you qualify as a 特定理由離職者 (tokutei riyū rishokusha, "a person who left for a specified reason") under employment insurance, so no benefit-restriction period applies.2
Hoterasu (the Japan Legal Support Center) offers lawyer consultation for DV victims. The table summarizes its terms (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with Hoterasu).
| Item | Detail | As of |
|---|---|---|
| Eligibility | DV, stalking, or child-abuse victims, or those at risk, regardless of means14 | 2026-10 |
| Free if | Cash and savings, less certain necessary expenses, of ¥3 million or less14 | 2026-10 |
| Fee above that | ¥5,500 under 60 minutes; ¥11,000 for 60 minutes or more14 | 2026-10 |
| Scope | Civil and criminal matters related to preventing further harm14 | 2026-10 |
| Contact | Crime Victim Support Dial 0120-079714 (weekdays 9:00–21:00, Saturdays 9:00–17:00); from IP phones 03-6745-560114 | 2026-10 |
Hoterasu's page does not list a nationality or status-of-residence requirement for this consultation, though it does not explicitly address the point either.14 Its general line is 0570-078-374 (weekdays 9:00–21:00, Saturdays 9:00–17:00), with a multilingual line at 0570-078-377 (as of October 2026).12 Hoterasu: The Legal-Aid Center covers the organization in more detail.
Divorce, custody, and your children
Divorce when violence is involved
Divorce by agreement (協議離婚, kyōgi rikon) is filed at the municipal office, which creates a risk of a forged or coerced filing. A 不受理申出 (fujuri mōshide, "non-acceptance request") stops the municipality from accepting a divorce notification unless you appear in person and are confirmed.34
The request is valid until withdrawn and carries no fee (as of October 2026; confirm current figures with the Ministry of Justice).34 You file it at the municipal office for your registered domicile or address, in principle in person with photo ID; foreign nationals can file for notifications involving a Japanese national.34 It also covers marriage, adoption, dissolution of adoption, and voluntary acknowledgment of a child.34
In family court mediation (家事調停, kaji chōtei), courts often use web conferences and other measures so the parties do not meet in the building.29 You can also ask the court not to disclose your current address.29 The Four Divorce Paths and The Kyogi-Divorce Form and Its Limits explain the routes to divorce.
The April 2026 joint custody reform and DV
The revised Civil Code on raising children after divorce took effect on 2026-04-01 and introduced joint parental authority (共同親権, kyōdō shinken) as an option.3536 Under new Article 819(7), the court must name one parent as sole holder of parental authority (親権, shinken) in two situations.36
The first is when a parent is found likely to harm the child's mind or body. The second is when joint exercise is found difficult, considering the risk that one parent will suffer physical violence or other harmful words and conduct from the other, and other circumstances.36
One parent may act alone when there are urgent circumstances (急迫の事情, kyūhaku no jijō) for the child's benefit. The Ministry of Justice's Q&A gives the need to escape DV or abuse, including moving the child, as an example.36 The Q&A adds that urgent circumstances can continue even during periods when the abuse is not currently taking place.36
Daily matters that do not seriously affect the child can be decided by one parent. School enrollment, transfer, relocation, and major medical decisions are not daily matters.36
After custody is set, serious circumstances that come to light later but predate the decision can be raised in a petition to change custody. Parents who divorced before the reform can also petition for a change, including to joint custody.36
The Ministry of Justice provides multilingual pamphlets on the reform, including English (as of October 2026).35 For more, see Child Custody (Shinken) and the Sole-Custody Reality and Child Support (Yoiku-Hi).
When children are abused or exposed to violence
Under Article 2(4) of the Child Abuse Prevention Act, violence against a spouse in a household where a child lives counts as psychological abuse (心理的虐待, shinriteki gyakutai) of the child.37 Children who accompany a victim may also have been abused directly, and centers coordinate with child guidance centers (児童相談所, jidō sōdanjo).2
Dialing 189 ("ichi-haya-ku") connects you to the nearest child guidance center for a report or consultation. Calls are free, anonymous reports are possible, and confidentiality is protected (as of October 2026).38
Taking children abroad
Japan's Hague Convention implementation act covers children under 16.39 Removing a child across a border can lead to a return application even when the parent left to escape abuse, because grave risk is something the court must find, not a status that applies automatically.39
The court must not order a child's return if there is a grave risk that return would harm the child's mind or body or otherwise place the child in an intolerable situation (Article 28(1)(iv)).39 In judging that risk, the court considers whether the child would face violence from the applicant, whether the taking parent would face violence of a kind that would traumatize the child, and whether either parent would struggle to care for the child in the country of habitual residence (Article 28(2)).39
Fleeing abuse does not by itself stop a Hague return order. The court decides whether grave risk exists on the evidence, and a lawyer can assess the risk before any move abroad with a child.39
International Divorce and the Hague Convention covers the return procedure.
Good to know
Gather documents and evidence when it is safe
Victims often arrive at temporary protection without money or an insurance card.2 ISA staff look for photos or videos of injuries or broken property, audio recordings, and SNS posts, though they must not conclude there was no DV just because such material is missing.7
A protection-order petition needs evidence of the violence and of future risk, at least in the Tokyo court's practice (as of December 2025; confirm current figures with your district court).26 A claim based on mental harm needs a doctor's diagnosis, and switching pension category later requires a document showing your basic pension number.252
Phone and account safety
Since the 2024 revision, an order can prohibit acquiring your location by GPS without consent or attaching a tracking device. Covert tracking is therefore an order violation, not just a privacy concern.245
Medical-expense notices go to the policyholder and can show where you were treated. You can ask the insurer to send them somewhere else.2
Hotline language coverage is uneven
DV相談＋ takes phone calls in Japanese only, and its chat covers 10 foreign languages (as of October 2026).412 The #8008 and #8778 short-dials route to prefectural centers and both carry normal call charges, while the DV相談＋ phone line is toll-free (as of October 2026).3422
Support differs from one prefecture to the next
Counseling center hours vary by facility (as of October 2026).12 Foreign-language access is set locally, as with Kanagawa's reservation system for some languages (as of December 2025).11 Which facilities take commissioned temporary protection also depends on local conditions.2
Protection-order postage differs by district court (as of December 2025).26 The residence-record restriction lasts 1 year and has to be renewed from 1 month before expiry (as of October 2026).13
Your spouse cannot simply cancel your status
ISA lists fleeing DV as its first example of a justifiable reason against revoking spouse status.30 When your spouse will not cooperate, ISA examines an extension or change application on the documents you can submit.7
Expiry dates and renewal deadlines still apply, and the 14-day notification of a divorce applies to Dependent and spouse statuses.27 The visa section above sets out how each status is treated.
See also
- The Ministry of Justice Human Rights Hotline
- Kokumin Nenkin: Japan National Pension
- Unemployment Benefits (Shitsugyo-Hoken)
- The Gyoseishoshi for Visa and Immigration
- Address Change in Japan: Tenshutsu, Tennyu, Tenkyo
- The Dependent (Fuyo) System