Certificate of All Historical Matters

What Is a 履歴事項全部証明書?

The 履歴事項全部証明書 (rekishi jikou zenbu shomeisho), often translated as the Certificate of All Historical Matters or Company Registry Certificate, is the most important corporate document in Japan. It is the official certified extract of a company's registration record, maintained by the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局, Houmukyoku) under the Ministry of Justice.

This document provides a complete historical record of all registered changes to the company. It is analogous to a Certificate of Incorporation or Company Extract in other jurisdictions, but contains far more detail because it includes the full amendment history, not just the current state of affairs.

Every company registered in Japan, whether a 株式会社 (KK) or a 合同会社 (GK), has a registry entry from which this certificate can be extracted.

What Information Does It Contain?

The registry certificate provides comprehensive information about the company, including:

• Company name (trade name in Japanese and, if registered, in English)
• Head office address (the registered address of the company)
• Stated purpose (the legally registered business activities the company is authorized to conduct)
• Stated capital (the amount of registered capital)
• Date of incorporation
• Directors and representative directors (both current and historical, with appointment and resignation dates)
• Company auditors (kansayaku, if the company has appointed them)
• Share structure (total number of authorized and issued shares)
• Method of public notice (how the company publishes official announcements)
• Full amendment history (every registered change with its effective date)

When Do You Need It?

The registry certificate is required in a wide variety of business and legal contexts:

• Bank account opening — Japanese banks require a recent registry certificate (usually issued within the last 3 months) to open a corporate bank account
• Contract verification — counterparties frequently request it to verify a company's legal standing and confirm who has authority to sign contracts
• Due diligence — investors, lenders, and acquirers use it to review corporate history, capital changes, and director appointments
• Visa applications — immigration authorities require it for Business Manager visas and Investor visas
• Real estate transactions — necessary when a company purchases or leases property in Japan
• Government contracts — required for bidding on public procurement
• Regulatory filings — various government agencies require it as part of permit and license applications

How to Obtain It

In Person at the Legal Affairs Bureau

You can request a registry certificate at any Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) office in Japan. Importantly, you do not need to visit the specific Bureau where the company is registered; any branch office can issue a certificate for any company nationwide. Fill out the application form (登記事項証明書交付申請書), pay ¥600 per copy, and receive the certificate the same day, usually within 30 minutes.

Online via 登記情報提供サービス

The Ministry of Justice operates the 登記情報提供サービス (Registration Information Provision Service), an online system where you can request registry information. The online fee is ¥500 per copy, slightly cheaper than in person. However, this system is entirely in Japanese and requires a Japanese-language browser setup. The certificate is mailed within 2–3 business days.

Through JapanCompanyDocs

If you need this document but do not read Japanese or are located outside Japan, JapanCompanyDocs can obtain it on your behalf. Simply provide the company name in Japanese or English, and we will procure the official certified copy from the Legal Affairs Bureau and deliver a scanned digital copy (with optional physical mailing worldwide).

Related Documents

There are several related registry certificates that serve different purposes:

• 現在事項全部証明書 (Genzai Jikou Zenbu Shomeisho) — Certificate of Current Matters. Contains only the current registered information without historical amendments. Useful when you only need to verify the company's present state.
• 代表者事項証明書 (Daihyousha Jikou Shomeisho) — Certificate of Representative Matters. A focused extract showing only the representative director(s) of the company. Often used to verify signing authority.

In most cases, the full 履歴事項全部証明書 is the safest choice because it provides the complete picture and is accepted everywhere the other variants are.