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Hoterasu: The Legal-Aid Center

法テラス (Hōterasu, "Japan Legal Support Center") is the government-funded body that keeps legal help within reach of lower-income residents. It offers free initial consultations and means-tested representation support, with a multilingual line routing foreign residents to the right office.12

Confirm current details with official sources

Procedures, fees, and requirements can change. Confirm current details with the Japan Legal Support Center English pages linked below. This article is general information, not legal advice; for your specific problem, consult Hoterasu staff or a bengoshi about eligibility and next steps for your case.

Overview​

The single most misunderstood fact comes first: Hoterasu aid is a repayable loan, not a grant. Hoterasu advances counsel fees up front and the user repays the full amount in installments as a rule.1

That structure still changes the math completely. Without upfront money, a qualifying resident gets counsel now and repays over time instead of going without.1

The three aid types​

Consultation aid covers up to three free consultations on a single matter. Sessions run at a local Hoterasu office or at a contracted attorney or judicial-scrivener office.1

Representation aid advances attorney or judicial-scrivener fees for trial, mediation, or negotiation when a matter needs counsel throughout. Documentation aid advances fees for preparing court documents where the user represents themselves.1

Three free consultations stretch further than they sound

Use the first to test eligibility, the second to frame strategy, and the third to review documents before filing. Arriving with papers organized multiplies each session.1

Eligibility: income, assets, residence, merits​

Monthly-income guidelines use take-home annual income including bonuses: single-person households around 182,000 yen, two-person around 251,000, three-person around 272,000, and four-or-more around 299,000 yen (as of 2026-09; confirm current thresholds with Hoterasu). Large-city bands run higher, rent payments add room within limits, and medical or education expenses may be deducted.1

Asset guidelines count cash plus deposits for consultation aid: single 1,800,000 yen, two-person 2,500,000, three-person 2,700,000, and four-person 3,000,000 yen (as of 2026-09). Representation aid adds real property beyond the applicant's own residence plus securities to the count.1

HouseholdMonthly-income guidelineAsset guidelineAs of
Single~182,000 yen1,800,000 yen2026-091
Two-person~251,000 yen2,500,000 yen2026-091
Three-person~272,000 yen2,700,000 yen2026-091
Four-or-more~299,000 yen3,000,000 yen2026-091

Applicants must reside lawfully in Japan, with a narrow exception for suing the authority that decides residence status. Representation aid additionally requires a prospect of success and consistency with the purpose of civil legal aid.1

The multilingual entry point​

Non-Japanese speakers start at 0570-078377 on weekdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm (as of 2026-09; standard call rates apply). The call becomes a three-way conversation with an interpreter and Hoterasu staff, who connect you to your preferred local office.2

Ten languages are covered as of October 2025: English, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Portuguese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Nepali, Thai, and Indonesian (as of 2025-10; confirm current language coverage with Hoterasu). Fifty local offices plus branches back the phone service with in-person counters.3

Repayment: the loan structure​

Hoterasu pays counsel up front according to its own fee standards, in a lump sum. Users then repay Hoterasu in installments, with monthly practice commonly described around 5,000 to 10,000 yen (as of 2026-09; confirm current repayment terms with Hoterasu).1

Japan has no loser-pays rule that would shift these costs to the other side. Initial payments and remuneration stay with the aided party regardless of outcome, except in narrow cases such as a complete loss.4

No court victory erases the repayment

Budget the installments from day one rather than treating a likely win as funding. Exemptions exist for narrow hardship cases only.4

Good to know​

Aid is a loan you repay, not a grant​

Every budgeting decision in this article assumes repayment. The interest-free advance removes the timing barrier, not the cost itself.1

Civil legal aid covers civil, family, and administrative matters handled in civil procedures. Criminal defense follows the separate court-appointed counsel track.1

Start with the multilingual line before visiting an office​

The line exists to route you: staff plus interpreter identify the fitting office or consultation center and explain what to bring. Walking into a random office skips that triage.2

See also​

References​

Footnotes​

  1. 法テラス (English). 「Civil Legal Aid」 (loan basis; lawful residence; thresholds; criminal exclusion; three consultations). https://www.houterasu.or.jp/site/english/civillegalaid.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14 ↩15 ↩16

  2. 法テラス (English). 「Multilingual Information Service」 (0570-078377; weekday hours; three-way calls). https://www.houterasu.or.jp/site/english/multilingualinformationservice.html ↩ ↩2 ↩3

  3. 法テラス. 「業務概況 (as of March 2026)」 (ten languages as of October 2025; office network). https://www.houterasu.or.jp/uploaded/attachment/7461.pdf ↩

  4. 法テラス (English). 「For those who apply for the Legal Aid」 (installment repayment; no loser-pays recovery). https://www.houterasu.or.jp/site/english/forthosewhoapplyforthelegalaid.html ↩ ↩2