Practical guidance
What to do if someone dies in Japan
This guide explains what happens after a death in Japan, who to contact, and how to arrange for your loved one to be brought home, to the UK, Ireland or any other country. Facts for British nationals come from FCDO and government sources. Every situation is different, and if you would like us to take over the arrangements, send us the details.
Typical timeline
14-21 days
FCDO 24hr helpline
+44 (0)20 7008 5000
Japan operates on a near-total cremation default. The country’s cremation rate is 99.9%, confirmed by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare in 2022. The entire funeral infrastructure assumes cremation will happen, quickly, as a matter of course. If your family member needs to come home for burial in the UK, you must act on this the moment you are notified.
Call 119 for an ambulance. Call 110 if you need police. In Japan, a licensed physician must certify the death and issue the 死亡診断書 (Shi-bou Shindan-sho), the death notification certificate. Any sudden, unattended, or suspicious death triggers automatic police notification. The medical examiner may order a gyousei kansatsu, an administrative inspection, which functions similarly to a coroner’s post-mortem in the UK.
Your first action: stop any cremation preparation.
If the deceased is at a hospital or being transferred to a funeral home, contact that institution directly and state explicitly in writing that full-body repatriation to the UK is required and that no cremation preparation should begin. The British Embassy Tokyo (+81 3 5211 1100) can help you communicate this in Japanese if there is any language barrier.
The Embassy maintains a list of funeral directors in Tokyo and Osaka with experience in Western full-body repatriation. Outside these two cities, this expertise is rare. If the death occurred in Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagoya, or a rural area, the funeral director there may need to transfer the case to a Tokyo or Osaka specialist.
Notify your travel insurer immediately. Japan has high medical costs. If your family member received hospital treatment before death, those costs may be significant. Confirm that your policy covers full-body repatriation, not just ashes return.
The documentation process
The Shi-bou Shindan-sho is issued in Japanese only. It must be officially translated into English by a certified translator before it is valid for UK legal purposes. Embalming in Japan is available through specialist international funeral directors, but it is not a standard service. Allow additional time for sourcing a zinc-lined coffin, which is not a standard item in Japan.
The full documentation set includes the Japanese death certificate with certified English translation, police clearance if applicable, embalming certificate, export permit from the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, and the deceased’s passport. Processing takes five to ten working days after the body is released.
Japan Airlines and ANA both operate cargo services from Tokyo Narita (NRT) to London Heathrow. Flight time is approximately 12 to 13 hours direct. British Airways also has direct Tokyo-London cargo capacity.
On arrival in the UK, the receiving funeral director notifies the coroner. Certified English translations of the Japanese documents should accompany the remains. Deaths from natural causes with proper documentation are unlikely to require a UK inquest.
For the full process, costs and documentation checklist, see our repatriation from Japan guide.
First things first
What to do in the first 24 hours
The immediate period after a death abroad is disorienting. Here are the steps in the order they normally need to happen.
Contact local emergency services
Call 119 for ambulance or 110 for police. In Japan, a licensed physician must certify the death and issue a death notification document. Any sudden, unnatural, or suspicious death is automatically referred to the police (Keisatsu) and may be subject to a judicial administrative inspection. Contact your insurer and the British Embassy Tokyo immediately.
Local emergency number: 119 (ambulance), 110 (police)
Contact the embassy or consulate
Tell the embassy or consulate of your loved one's own country as soon as possible. It can register the death, give you a list of local funeral directors and explain what the local authorities will need.
For British nationals, that is the British Embassy in Tokyo.
Embassy: +81 3 5211 1100
British nationals, FCDO 24hr: +44 (0)20 7008 5000
Appoint a local funeral director
A local funeral director in Japan will take care of the body, arrange embalming, obtain the necessary documents, and coordinate with airlines. The embassy can recommend accredited directors. You can also contact a specialist UK repatriation company, who will coordinate with a local partner on your behalf.
Contact your travel insurer
If your loved one had travel insurance with repatriation cover, contact the insurer immediately. They will often have an emergency assistance line and may appoint their own funeral director. Many policies cover the full cost of repatriation, subject to the limit set out in the policy schedule.
Gather the required documents
Repatriation from Japan requires specific paperwork before a body can be transported. Your local funeral director will handle most of this.
- 死亡診断書 (Japanese death certificate) with certified English translation
- Police release document (if applicable)
- Embalming certificate
- Permission to export human remains from Japan (Ministry of Health involvement)
- Passport of deceased
- Certified translations of all Japanese documents
Documentation typically takes 5-10 working days to complete.
Official support
British Embassy in Tokyo
The embassy can provide information and a list of local funeral directors, but they cannot arrange or pay for repatriation. Contact them early to register the death with consular services.
What the embassy can do
What the embassy cannot do
What to expect
How long does it take?
Factors that can extend the timeline
- Police investigation for unnatural deaths (Keisatsu notification mandatory)
- Translation of all Japanese documents into English required
- Japanese judicial post-mortem (gyousei kansatsu) ordered
- Death in a remote area (Japan Alps, rural Kyushu, Hokkaido)
Cost guide
What affects the cost?
Nobody publishes a reliable figure for Japan alone. Our cost page sets out the ranges repatriation firms publish, each named and dated. What you pay turns on the specifics of the case.
| Where the death happened | Distance to the departure airport, and any island or overland transfer, changes the freight arrangement |
| Whether a post-mortem is ordered | An investigation holds the release and adds mortuary time |
| Documentation required | Japan paperwork, translation, and any legalisation step |
| Coffin and preparation | Airline and destination rules dictate what is needed |
| Flight availability | Direct services cost less to arrange than multi-leg cargo routing |
| Insurance | Whether a policy covers repatriation, and up to what limit |
Send us the details and we will give you a figure for your case, with no obligation.
If a post-mortem is required
In Japan, any sudden, unnatural, suspicious, or unattended death triggers mandatory police notification and a gyousei kansatsu (administrative inspection). A judicial post-mortem is ordered if the cause of death is unclear. Japan's forensic pathology infrastructure is well-developed.. Adds 7-21 days. Translation of Japanese documents adds further time. This is the most common source of extended timelines for UK families.
Common questions
Questions families ask about deaths in Japan
Repatriation from Japan typically takes 14-21 days. The fastest cases complete in 10 days where nothing is contested. Cases involving a post-mortem or a police investigation can take 35+ days.
We do not publish a figure for Japan, because the cost turns on the specifics of the case. What moves it is where the death happened, whether an investigation must conclude first, the documentation Japan requires, and the flight routing available. Send us the details and we will price your case, with no obligation.
Cremation is available in Japan. Where cremation has taken place, ashes can usually be carried to the UK in hand luggage with the cremation certificate, which is the least costly way to bring someone home. Japan has a cremation rate of approximately 99.9% (Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, 2022). Cremation is the default outcome for deaths in Japan, including deaths of foreign nationals. If your family member has religious or personal objections to cremation, you must act quickly and explicitly instruct the Japanese funeral director and hospital that full-body repatriation is required. This must be documented in writing before any preparations begin.
The documents required from Japan are: 死亡診断書 (Japanese death certificate) with certified English translation, Police release document (if applicable), Embalming certificate, Permission to export human remains from Japan (Ministry of Health involvement), Passport of deceased, Certified translations of all Japanese documents. Documentation typically takes 5-10 working days. Your local funeral director gathers most of this on your behalf.
Ashes can be transported to the UK as hand luggage. A cremation certificate issued by the Japanese crematorium and an export permit from the local ward office (kuyakusho) are required.
Full repatriation guide for Japan
Detailed information on the full repatriation process, embassy contacts, what affects the cost, cultural considerations, and more.
View full guideCremation in Japan
If local cremation is the right choice for your family, our country guide covers the documentation, airline rules, and costs.
Cremation guideSend us the details
If you need someone to take over the arrangements, tell us what has happened. We arrange repatriation from Japan to the UK, Ireland or any other country.
Send an enquiryTell us what has happened in Japan
Send us the details and we will explain what happens next and prepare a quote for bringing your loved one home, to the UK, Ireland or any other country.
Reviewed by the Repatriate Service editorial team. Information sourced from UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) guidance, official embassy contacts, and professional repatriation experience. Facts last checked September 2026; page updated .
Official lists for Japan
Published by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office for British nationals. We are not connected to the firms listed.
- Lawyers, where an estate or an investigation needs local legal advice
Sources: FCDO gov.uk · Repatriation from Japan · Frequently asked questions