How do I file a civil lawsuit in Japan for a breached contract and get a quick judgment?

Dear Sir/Madam,

Under Japanese law, it is possible to sue a supplier in a Japanese court for breach of contract to recover your losses and certain court costs, as long as you can prove the existence of the contract, the supplier’s non‑performance, your financial damage, and the causal link between the breach and that damage. If you would like tailored, step‑by‑step guidance based on your documents, you are welcome to contact via WhatsApp for a low‑cost text consultation so the options and strategy can be worked through together.​

Main steps to start the case
To begin, you generally confirm that a Japanese court has jurisdiction (for example, the supplier is domiciled in Japan) and decide whether to use ordinary litigation, the small‑claims route, or a payment‑order procedure for a faster judgment. Before filing, many Japanese practitioners recommend sending a detailed demand letter in Japanese that explains the breach, the amount claimed, and a deadline for payment, as this both clarifies your case and often helps in negotiations.​

If court action is needed, you (through a Japanese attorney) file a written complaint in Japanese with the competent court: summary court for claims up to 1.4 million yen, district court for larger claims. The complaint is submitted together with the required court fee (in revenue stamps), a deposit for postage, and basic corporate or ID documents and powers of attorney if you act through counsel.​

Key documents to prepare
Japanese courts rely heavily on written evidence, so preparing a clear documentary record is essential. In a typical supplier non‑delivery case, you should be ready to provide at least:​

The signed contract (or purchase orders and confirmations) showing the supplier’s obligations and delivery terms.​

Proof of payment or other consideration (bank transfers, invoices, receipts).​

Correspondence showing your orders, reminders, complaints, and the supplier’s failure to deliver or refusal to perform (emails, messages, letters).​

A calculation of your damages (e.g., extra costs to buy substitute goods, lost profit, or other measurable loss), with supporting documents.​

If you use a lawyer, a power of attorney and corporate registry extract or ID documents so they can represent you in court without your physical presence.Â

All court proceedings are conducted in Japanese, so contracts, emails, and other evidence in English or another language usually need certified translations, and interpreters may be required if you or your witnesses give evidence.​

Timeline and “quick judgment” options
In ordinary civil litigation, courts typically schedule the first hearing about one to one‑and‑a‑half months after the complaint is filed, and then hold further sessions every few weeks or months until the judge is ready to issue a judgment. For straightforward commercial disputes, it often still takes many months to more than a year from filing to final judgment, depending on complexity, volume of evidence, and whether either side appeals.​

If your claim is for money not exceeding 600,000 yen, you can ask for a special small‑claims procedure in the summary court; in that procedure, the case is designed to finish at the first hearing and the judge usually gives judgment immediately that day, unless the defendant objects and the case is converted to ordinary proceedings. Another option for clear, unpaid monetary claims is a “demand for payment” (payment order) procedure in the summary court: the court clerk issues a demand, and if the debtor does not lodge an objection within about two weeks and you then request a declaration of provisional execution, the order becomes enforceable relatively quickly.​

Costs, court fees, and practical points
Court costs in Japan mainly consist of a filing fee (paid by revenue stamps) plus postage and some expenses for witnesses and interpreters, and these statutory “court costs” are in principle borne by the losing party, although they do not usually include attorney fees. The filing fee is calculated on a sliding scale based on the claim amount—for example, one guide gives around 50,000 yen for a 10 million yen claim, about 110,000 yen for a 30 million yen claim, and about 320,000 yen for a 100 million yen claim, plus several thousand yen for postage deposits.​

Attorney fees are agreed privately and vary widely, but many Japanese firms use fee schedules where commercial litigation typically involves an initial retainer and a success‑based component that together can run to several hundred thousand yen or more, plus translation and interpreter costs for foreign‑language material. As a foreign claimant, you can usually conduct the case remotely by instructing a Japanese attorney through a written power of attorney; they handle filings, hearings, and communications with the court on your behalf, while you coordinate strategy and documents by email, messaging, or calls.​

If you decide to move ahead and want help organizing your documents, choosing between ordinary litigation, small‑claims, or a payment order, and preparing questions to raise with a Japanese lawyer, you are welcome to continue this discussion on WhatsApp for a low‑cost, text‑based consultation.