As a general rule, a Signature Certificate of a person such as a representative of a foreign company (e.g., CEO) or a person to be appointed as a director of the company to be incorporated in Japan, must be notarized by a notary public located in the country of which the signer is a citizen, or by the embassy or consulate of that country in Japan. Notarization by the embassy or consulate of the relevant country located in a third country is also accepted.

However, if there are unavoidable circumstances, such as the unavailability of notarization services in the country of nationality, notarization by a notary public in the country where the signer resides may be exceptionally permitted.

Please note that, as a general rule, the Affidavit must be notarized either by a notary public located in the home country of the foreign company, or by the embassy or consulate of that country located in Japan. Therefore, if the home country of the foreign company and the nationality of its representative are different, care must be taken, since the place of notarization for the Affidavit and the Signature Certificate may differ.