Our International Marriage Story: Japan and Myanmar

Introduction

On July 15, 2016, we submitted our marriage registration to the Shinagawa Ward Office in Tokyo. It was officially accepted on August 12.

Honestly, the road to completing our international marriage was not easy — it was extremely challenging. Much of the difficulty stemmed from the lack of information available about marriages between Myanmar and Japanese nationals.

We don't want future couples to go through the same struggles, so we have documented the process, required documents, and challenges we faced based on our own experience.

Steps to Marriage Registration

1. Obtain Approval from Both Families

In our case, it was an unexpected pregnancy, so I was quite nervous when going to meet my wife's parents. However, without their approval, it would be difficult to get their cooperation in gathering the necessary documents.

2. Gather Required Documents

This is particularly challenging for the Myanmar side. Details about required documents are described below.

3. Submit Documents to the Ward Office

You can submit to any local ward office. Surprisingly, many people don't know that you can submit to any office, not just your local one. If one office refuses to accept your documents, trying another office is also an option.

4. Interview by Legal Affairs Bureau

When the ward office cannot determine whether to accept the marriage registration, they refer the decision to the Legal Affairs Bureau. This is called "juri ukagai" (acceptance inquiry). Since marriages between Myanmar and Japanese nationals are uncommon, this referral happens in most cases, requiring an interview with Legal Affairs Bureau officials.

Required Documents

Documents Prepared Together

The marriage registration form needs to be prepared together. Since Myanmar nationals don't have a family name/given name distinction, you may wonder how to fill it in — just divide the name at an appropriate point.

Documents for the Japanese Spouse

• Family register (koseki tohon)
• Identification (driver's license, etc.)

These are the same documents required for marriages between Japanese nationals, so there is nothing unusual.

Documents for the Myanmar Spouse

• Certificate of single status (original)
• Family list (copy acceptable as the original is difficult to bring out of Myanmar)
• Passport
• Residence card

The certificate of single status and family list are written in Burmese, so Japanese translations must also be prepared. It is best to have family members in Myanmar obtain the documents on your behalf.

Note: Some websites mention that a written statement (shinjutsusho) is also required, but this is provided by the ward office when you submit the marriage registration, so there is no need to prepare it in advance.

Challenges We Faced

1. My Wife's Due Date Was Approaching

My wife didn't realize she was pregnant until she was 5 months along. She was later hospitalized for threatened premature labor and had to quit her job. All the paperwork fell on me. I realized how little I knew about how things worked.

2. Lack of Accurate Information

There was almost no official information available, only a few outdated personal accounts. Information also varied between websites, making it difficult to determine what was accurate.

3. Ward Office Staff Response

Despite having confirmed the required documents with the ward office in advance and preparing everything accordingly, we were told things like "This certificate of single status was issued by a judge, not a notarized lawyer, so it cannot be accepted" and "Photos of you living together are required" — claims with no basis.

In desperation, I called the Legal Affairs Bureau for advice. They instructed the ward office staff to process it as an "acceptance inquiry." The staff then accepted our documents without further issue.

When a child is on the way, the timing of marriage registration is crucial as it affects the child's nationality. Never give up easily if told your documents cannot be accepted.

Leveraging This Experience

Having gone through these challenges ourselves, we truly understand how others in similar situations feel — the anxiety of navigating procedures with limited information, the frustration of dealing with unhelpful responses at government offices.

Now as a licensed administrative scrivener, I use this firsthand experience to provide empathetic, practical support to couples pursuing international marriage with Myanmar nationals. From document preparation to application procedures, you can rely on us with confidence.