Guide to Application for JRA Owner Registration(for Non-Residents of Japan)

Thank you for your interest in the JRA owner registration.
Beginning 2009, the JRA accepts applications for owner registration from
non-Japanese residents.
Horseracing managed by the JRA is subject to its own specific rules. It is quitepossible that many of these differ from the situation to which you are accustomed ashorse owners in your country or region. We have therefore prepared this Guide and theattached “FAQs on JRA Owner Registration” to aid your understanding about the JRA
rules, and would ask you to read them both thoroughly before your application.
We should also point out that JRA Owner Registration application will need to beaccompanied by various types of supporting documents. While we appreciate howdifficult it may be to gather all relevant materials, we hope you will understand that thisprocess is necessary to ensure rigorous review of applications.
Japan Racing Association

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Guide to Applications for JRA Owner Registration / CONTENTS
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Flow Chart (from Application to Registration)
The System of Owner Registration in Japan (by JRA)
Conditions for JRA Owner Registration
Documents Required
Requirements Concerning Liaison Officers
Other Matters
FAQs

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●Flow Chart (from Application to Registration)※Period from application to registration: about 5-6 months

Request for documents related to owner registration applications(should be made by candidate Liaison Officer)

Application for approval of Liaison Officer
Interview Liaison Officer by JRA
JRA approval of Liaison Officer

Application for Owner Registration* May be submitted together with application for approval of
Liaison Officer* Application accepted when all documents are complete※連絡責任者の承認申請と同時提出でも可・Confirmationof application documents※すべての書類が揃った時点で受理する
・Inquiries (via Liaison Officer )Consultation with owner etc.
JRA Owner Registration
Application Review Board(April, July, November)

Notification of screening result
Submission of documents needed for registration
Payment of Owner Registration Fee (10,000 yen)
* Applicant must have a bank account inJapan
Owner Registration

Payment of Registration License Tax (90,000 yen)Registration of racing colors
Training agreement for owned horse(s)– and other activity as an owner4

● The System of Owner Registration in Japan (by JRA)For horseracing to maintain wholesome growth as an industry, races must be heldin such a way that there is no room for any impropriety. We see this as a globally sharedawareness.
In Japan, gambling was originally prohibited by one of our fundamental laws, theCriminal Code. Since the 19th century, however, horseracing has become sociallyacceptable, and this has helped the sport to grow. In the process, holding races and betting
on their outcome have come to be permitted by a special law, as activities that can make acontribution to society.
Given this background, horseracing in Japan is still expected to maintain a highlevel of integrity today, in both legal and social terms.
JRA races are held under the strict supervision of the Japanese government, in linewith the special law mentioned above. As JRA racing has grown, upholding the integrityof horseracing has come to be seen as its most important task. The same applies to the“owners” who play an extremely important role in horseracing. We are expected torigorously screen their eligibility at the time of registration; detailed conditions forineligibility are clearly set out in laws and regulations.
As such, we hope you will understand that the system of ownership in Japanesehorseracing has been applied with utmost stringency ever since it was first devised.
Of course, applicants domiciled in Japan are subjected to the same screening forowner registration as those not domiciled in Japan. Non-residents are expected to submit
an equally wide range of documents, and their eligibility is rigorously checked in a
number of respects, starting with their personal and financial status.
You should therefore be aware that owners who are already active overseas arechecked with the same rigor as those domiciled in Japan, and that, as a result of review,
an application for registration may not be approved.
Specific grounds for ineligibility, as summarized in this Guide, are set out in the
JRA’s “Rules of Racing” and “Screening Standards for Owner Registration”. Besides
these, there are other rules specifically governing JRA racing, many of which willprobably differ from those that apply to racing in other countries. We have attempted to
explain these differences in the attached “FAQs on JRA Owners Registration”. We would
ask you to read the material carefully and make sure you understand important aspects of
JRA Owner Registration before your application.
The application documents will need to be drawn together by your Liaison Officer
in Japan, who should then bring your application to the JRA Main Office. Please also
understand that all JRA communication regarding your application will, in principle, bemade through your Liaison Officer.
Should you be unclear about any aspect of the application process, please contact
one of the following as convenient.

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(Contacts for inquiries)
・JRA Head Office (Owner Registration Section, Racing Dept.)
Tel:
FAX:
Address:
Website:+81-3-3591-5251+81-50-3139-9718
1-1-1 Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003 JAPAN(Japanese) http://jra.jp(English) http://japanracing.jp/

JRA Oversea Representative Offices:
・London Representative OfficeTel:Address:+44-20-7437-5053
4th Floor, 11 Argyll Street, London W1F 7TH, UK

・New York Representative OfficeTel:Address:+1-203-554-5763
250 Park Avenue, 20th floor, NY, NY 10171, USA・Hong Kong Representative OfficeTel:Address:+852-2840-1566
1705, Prosperity Millennia Plaza, 663 King’s Road, North Point,
HONG KONG

・Sydney Representative OfficeTel:Address:+61-2-9089-8884
Suite 24, Level 26, 44 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000,
AUSTRALIA

・Paris Representative OfficeTel:Address:+33-1-49-10-22-61
46 Place Abel Gance 92100 Boulogne Billancourt, FRANCE

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● Conditions for JRA Owner Registration
Anyone applying for JRA Owner Registration (excluding special registration for
JRA international races) must satisfy the registration conditions set forth below.
Preconditions
・ Application for JRA Owner Registrations is accepted for individual owners only.
・ The applicant must have been active in owning and racing horses for more than one
year as individual owners or representatives of corporate owners, etc., on an
independent basis, after being registered or licensed as an owner under an overseas
recognized racing authority.
・ The applicant must have applied for approval of a “Liaison Officer” domiciled inJapan, either before applying for owner registration or at the same time as applying,
and this Liaison Officer must have been approved by the JRA.
Personal status
・ The applicant must not be one who cannot appropriately form perceptions, makedecisions, or conduct communication required for his or her horses to enter races in aproper manner due to disorder of their mental faculties.
・ The applicant must not have been sentenced to imprisonment without hard labor or aheavier punishment, and must not have completed such a sentence within the last ten
years.
・ The applicant must be at least 20 years old.
・ The applicant must not be a person who is bankrupt and has not been rehabilitated, ora person equivalent to this.
・ The applicant must not be equivalent to any of the above in a country outside Japan.
・ The applicant must not be a person who could endanger the integrity of horseracing.
・ The applicant must not fall under any of the descriptions specified in Article 7 Items(1)-(10) and (13), and the Items of Article 14–5 of the JRA Rules of Racing,including the foregoing.
Financial status
・ The applicant’s income must have been at least or equivalent to 17 million yen
in each of the last two years. Salaries, business revenue, real estate and otherincome may only be included in this calculation if they are expected to be receivable
on a continuous basis in future.
・ Assets in the name of the applicant (including deposits, government bonds,
shares and investment trusts, etc.) must be worth at least or equivalent to 75
million yen. Real estate owned outside Japan may not be included in this calculation.
Also, any liabilities should be subtracted from the amount of assets to reach thevaluation.
*

Amount of income and assets will be converted using the assessed value andexchange rate nearest to the date of the review board.
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*

*

Income is calculated by subtracting necessary expenses from revenues. The
amount of salary income is determined using the JRA’s prescribed method of
calculation.
Besides the above, further detail on owner registration can be found in the “JRARules of Racing” and “Screening Standards for JRA Owner Registration”.

8● Documents Required(1) Application form (JRA designated form)(2) Three(3) passport-size photographs (4.5 x 3.5cm)(3) An official document stating the applicant’s name, date of birth, place of birth,family composition.
(4) A copy of the applicant’s passport(5) A document certifying the applicant’s current address(6) A document outlining the applicant’s career (JRA designated form)(7) Certification of owner status issued by an overseas recognized racing
authority(8) Documents that certify that the person does not fall under the category of
those who cannot appropriately form perceptions, make decisions, or conduct
communication required for his or her horses to enter races in a proper
manner due to disorder of their mental faculties, and is not a person who
would be treated as such under foreign law(9) A document certifying that the applicant is not a person who is bankrupt andhas not been rehabilitated, or a person who would be treated as such under
foreign law(10) A document certifying that the applicant has not been sentenced to
imprisonment without hard labor or a heavier punishment(11) Declaration (JRA designated form)(12) Documents related to Liaison Officers * See next section(13) Copies of tax return documents for the last two consecutive years (including
attachments)(14) Official documents showing the amount of tax paid or income received (forthe last two consecutive years; copies acceptable)(15) A document certifying assets owned(16) A document certifying the amount of debts(17) Declaration of Personal Assets and Debts (JRA designated form)(18) Official copy of registration of the applicant’s all companies (whether asowner or employee)(19) All statements of accounts of the applicant’s companies (whether as owner or
employee)(including Profit and Loss Calculations and Balance Sheet; for the last two
fiscal terms)(20) A document certifying that the applicant has a bank account in Japan(may be submitted after the end of screening)***

If the document submitted to JRA was written in the language other than English,
please submit English or Japanese translation along with the particular document.
Please be aware that, besides the documents specified above, the JRA may request
the submission of additional documents at its own discretion.
The above documents should be brought to the JRA Head Office by the applicant’s
9registered Liaison Officer. All questions and other comments from the JRA
concerning application documents for owner registration will be communicated via
the Liaison Officer.
***

The submitted documents will not be returned. The JRA will take all due care in its
handling of the submitted documents, and will not use personal information for any
purpose other than JRA owner registration.
All certifying documents issued by public bodies or financial institutions should be
dated no more than three months before the date of application.
An owner registration fee of 10,000 yen will be payable upon registration, as well as
registration license tax of 90,000 yen after registration.

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● Requirements Concerning Liaison Officers
JRA regulations state that the person without a domicile in Japan who wishes toapply for JRA Owner Registration must appoint one or more “Liaison Officer(s)” who isresident of Japan. The purpose of this is to ensure smooth and prompt communication
between JRA, racing personnel and the non-Japanese resident JRA owner. Liaison
Officers need to be fluent in both Japanese and a language in which they can maintainclose communication with the applicant.(including reading and writing)
The work undertaken by the Liaison Officers is detailed below, together with adefinition of persons who are ineligible to become Liaison Officers.
Work undertaken by Liaison Officers
・ Undertaking all administrative procedures related to applications for ownerregistration, communicating with the applicant whenever necessary, and responding
to questions or requests from the JRA.
・ Reliably conveying communications from the JRA to the owner after the applicant
has been registered as a JRA owner.
・ Representing the owner in all administrative matters (e.g. notifying changes).
・ Receiving schedules of prize money as well as other documentation, prizes, etc., onbehalf of the owner.
Persons who are ineligible to be Liaison Officers
・ A person who cannot appropriately form perceptions, make decisions, or conduct
communication required for his or her horses to enter races in a proper manner due todisorder of their mental faculties, or who is bankrupt and has
・ not been rehabilitated.
・ A person who has been sentenced to imprisonment without hard labor, or a heavier
punishment.
・ A person who has been punished with a fine for violating the provisions of the Horse
Racing Law or other racing-related laws.
・ A person who has been prohibited or suspended from participating in horseracing.
・ Including the above, persons falling under Article 4 of Notification No. 45 of the
President of the Japan Racing Association, 2008.
Documents required from Liaison Officers(1) Application form (JRA designated form)(2) Two(2) photographs (4 x 3cm)
(3) Official copy of the candidate’s family register(4) Copy of the candidate’s resident card(5) A document outlining the candidate’s career (JRA designated form)(6) Documents that certify that the person does not fall under the category of
those who cannot appropriately form perceptions, make decisions, or conduct
communication required for his or her horses to enter races in a proper
manner due to disorder of their mental faculties(7) An identification certificate issued by the head of the municipality in which
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(8)

*

*

the candidate’s permanent domicile is locatedA copy of a contract or other document signed by both the JRA Owner
Registration applicant and the Liaison Officer(If not in Japanese or English, this should be accompanied by a Japanesetranslation)

Please refer to Article (2) of “Matters concerning Liaison Officers” of the“Screening Standards for JRA Owner Registration” for standards for exceptional
cases when a Liaison Officer is to carry out works for several Owners.
In principle, Liaison Officers are expected to come in person to the JRA Head Office,where they will be interviewed by the JRA.

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● Other Matters
When applying for the JRA Owner Registration, please be fully acquainted withthe following points.
・ Please be aware that ownership by lease or syndicate, as is quite common overseas,
is not permitted for non-domicile owners.
・ For an owner’s horse to be registered with the JRA, it must be entrusted to a JRA
licensed trainer. (This does not apply in case a foreign-trained horse is entered in a
JRA international race.) A foreign-bred horse that has raced overseas may not be
entrusted to a JRA trainer.
・ Maximum number of horses for active training to be stabled at JRA facilities is 90
horses, which is the same number of horses as owners resident of Japan.
*

As well as the above, applicants are asked to familiarize themselves with the JRA
Rules of Racing and ensure they are fully conversant with JRA rules before
applying.

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● FAQs
About JRA Owner Registration and Racing Colors registration
Q1.
Q2.
Q3.
Q4.
Q5.

What are the conditions for a non-Japanese resident to be registered as JRA owner?
Where should I direct my inquiry or application?
How long does it take to be registered after applying for owner registration?
How is eligibility screening conducted?
The number of documents needed when making an application seems excessive.
Is it possible to reduce this requirement?
Q6. I have previously entered my horse in JRA international races. What happens tothat owner registration?
Q7. What sort of procedures will be required if I take up residence in Japan?
Q8. Are there any special conditions for applicants and owners not domiciled in Japan?
Q9. What happens when an owner not domiciled in Japan whose overseas ownerregistration has become invalid?
Q10. Will my owner registration be cancelled if I no longer own a racehorse with theJRA?
Q11. What is the cost to be registered as an owner?
Q12. What is the system of racing colors registration?
Q13. Am I not allowed to use the same racing colors as overseas, when entering aforeign-trained horse in a JRA international race?
About Liaison Officers
Q14.
Q15.
Q16.
Q17.
Q18.
Q19.
Q20.
Q21.

What is the role of Liaison Officer?
Can the Liaison Officer be a foreign national domiciled in Japan?
Who is not eligible to be a Liaison Officer?
Can I ask someone who has already been approved as another JRA owner’s
Liaison Officer to take care of my application?
I have no problem at all with communicating in Japanese; do I still need toappoint a Liaison Officer?
What must I do if I want to change my Liaison Officer?
What should I do if my Liaison Officer is temporarily absent due to an accident,etc.?
Can the JRA recommend liaison officers for applicants who have noacquaintances domiciled in Japan?

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Q1.

What are the conditions for a non-Japanese resident to be registered as JRA
owner?
A. Non-Japanese residents must not fall under the ineligibility conditions specified in
Article 7 Items (1)-(10), (13) and Article 14–5 of the JRA Rules of Racing. Other
requirements are:・ that they have been active in owning and racing horses as individual owners or
representatives of corporate owners, etc., on an independent basis for more than one
year after being registered or licensed under an overseas recognized racing authority
with good standing; and・ that they have appointed a “Liaison Officer” domiciled in Japan who has been
approved by the JRA.
Q2. Where should I direct my inquiry or application?
A. Please contact the relevant office below. When applying for registration, your
Liaison Officer should come in person to the JRA Head Office.
・JRA Head Office
Tel:
FAX:
Address:

Owner Registration Section, Racing Dept.

+81-3-3591-5251+81-50-3139-9718
1-1-1 Nishi-shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0003 JAPANJRA Oversea Representative Offices:
・London Representative OfficeTel:Address:+44-20-7437-5053
4th Floor, 11 Argyll Street, London W1F 7TH, UK

・New York Representative OfficeTel:Address:+1-203-554-5763
250 Park Avenue, 20th floor, NY, NY 10171, USA・Hong Kong Representative OfficeTel:Address:+852-2840-1566
1705, Prosperity Millennia Plaza, 663 King’s Road, North Point,
HONG KONG

・Sydney Representative OfficeTel:+61-2-9089-8884
Address: Suite 24, Level 26, 44 Market Street, Sydney NSW 2000, AUSTRALIA・Paris Representative OfficeTel:Address:+33-1-49-10-22-61
46 Place Abel Gance 92100 Boulogne Billancourt, FRANCE
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Q3. How long does it take to be registered after applying for owner registration?
A. The JRA owner registration involves a very rigorous process of eligibility
screening by our review bodies. Consequently, it takes about 4-5 months fromacceptance of an application before an owner can be registered, even for Japanese
residents.
While the exact time taken depends partly on the state of the documents submitted,
the screening process is expected to take little longer for those without a domicile inJapan.
We accept applications all year around, and when the JRA has concluded its
preliminary examination, the applications are presented for screening by our review
bodies, which take place three times a year (April, July and November). Please note thatyour Liaison Officer will need to be approved before you can apply for ownerregistration.
Q4. How is the ownership eligibility review conducted?
A. The main details subject to screening are the applicant’s personal and financial
status.
For the personal status, we check that there is no problem with the applicant interms of upholding the integrity of horseracing. As to the financial status, we check
whether the applicant has sufficient income and assets with which to maintain aracehorse in training with a JRA-licensed trainer on a continuous basis. The specificrequirements are an income of at least equivalent to 17 million yen in each of the last twoconsecutive years, which is expected to be receivable continuously in the future, andowned assets of at least equivalent to 75 million yen. (Real estate owned
outside Japan may not be included in this calculation.)
Based on the result of screening by two review bodies, the JRA then makes the
final decision on the registration.
Q5.

The number of documents needed when making an application seems excessive.
Is it possible to reduce this requirement?
A. Besides the applicant’s personal status, the JRA also investigates whether theapplicant has the financial means with which to maintain a racehorse in training with a
JRA -licensed trainer on continuous basis. We hope you will understand that, since thesustainability of the applicant’s income is subjected to particularly rigorous screening,
the applicant needs to submit documents related to final tax returns and the statement ofaccounts of the applicant’s all companies (whether as owner or employee), among others.
It should be added that we require a wide range of documents to be submitted not
only by applicants without a domicile in Japan, but also by residents of Japan.
Q6.
A.

I have previously entered my horse in JRA international races. What happens tothat owner registration?
Owner Registration for JRA international races falls under different category from16

the JRA Owner Registration for Non-residents of Japan whereby a horse is permanently
entrusted to a JRA-licensed trainer. As such, the latter should be seen as an application
for a completely new owner registration. For this reason, the owner registration Fee(10,000 yen) and registration license tax (90,000 yen) must also be paid anew.
Moreover, the JRA does not permit a single person to hold more than one ownerregistration. Therefore, the special registration for JRA international races will becancelled after proper non-resident owner registration is complete.
Q7. What sort of procedures will be required if I take up residence in Japan?
A.
You will need to submit the necessary documents again if you become a resident ofJapan.
Please contact JRA Owner Registration Section as soon as possible if you areplanning to take up residence in Japan.
Q8.

Are there any special conditions for applicants and owners not domiciled inJapan?

A.
The main conditions for registration are that you must have appointed a Liaison
Officer, and that you must be registered or licensed as an owner under an overseas
recognized racing authority. Also, the maximum number of horses in active training to bestabled at JRA facilities is 90 horses, which is the same number of horses as owners
resident of Japan.
Q9.

What happens when an owner not domiciled in Japan whose overseas ownerregistration has become invalid?
A.
Since one of the conditions for owners not domiciled in Japan is that the applicants
are duly registered (or licensed) as owners with recognized overseas racing authorities,
the JRA owner registration will also be cancelled.
Q10. Will my owner registration be cancelled if I no longer own a racehorse with theJRA?
A. If an owner goes a whole year without owning a JRA registered racehorse (except
foreign-trained horses for JRA international races), the owner must either immediately
acquire a registered racehorse or forfeit owner registration. However, the cancellation ofowner registration may be deferred for two years if a “Request for Deferred Cancellationof Owner Registration” is submitted. In this case, a JRA registered racehorse must be
acquired within two years after submission of the deferment request.
Q11. What it the cost to be registered as a JRA owner?
A. Application for the JRA for owner registration is free of charge. If, as a result of
screening, the applicant is to be registered as an owner, an owner registration fee of
10,000 yen will then be payable to the JRA.
Besides this, a “registration license tax” of 90,000 yen must be paid to the Japanese
government upon completion of owner registration procedures.
17Q12. What is the system of racing colors registration?
A.
The JRA permits owners to enter horses in races under their own colors, but thosecolors must be registered in advance. Application forms should be submitted to the Mihoor Ritto Training Center via your JRA-licensed trainer, accompanied by a registration feeof 3,000 yen.
There are restrictions on the colors and patterns that may be used; owners may notregister the same or similar colors to those that have already been registered. Therefore,
the racing colors you have used overseas may not be permissible for use in JRA races.
Also, only one type of racing colors may be registered by a single owner. There is no
system of cap color registration. Jockeys must wear designated cap color according to thepost number.
In rare cases when the registered racing colors cannot be used in a race forunavoidable reasons, or when the owner has not registered any racing colors, the racingcolors determined by the JRA will be used.
Q13. Am I not allowed to use the same racing colors as overseas, even when entering
my foreign-trained horse in an international race?
A.
Only when entering a foreign-trained racehorse in a JRA international race, suchowner is allowed to use his/her own racing colors registered in the country where thehorse is trained. In this case, an application for racing colors registration has to be made,together with a fee of 3,000 yen.
However, since JRA-trained horses must wear JRA registered colors in all cases,
when the same owner enters a foreign-trained horse and a JRA-trained horse in the samerace, the colors used for the two horses may be different. (There is no problem withforeign-trained horses wearing JRA registered colors.)
Q14. What is the role of Liaison Officers?
A.
Liaison Officers act on behalf of owners who domicile overseas. As well as taking
care of all administrative work related to applications to JRA for owner registration,
Liaison Officers also assist in ensuring smooth and prompt communication between
non-resident owner and the JRA and the JRA-licensed trainer after the applicant has beenregistered as an JRA owner.
Liaison Officers must be domiciled in Japan and be able to communicate fluently
in Japanese (including reading and writing).
Q15. Can the Liaison Officer be a foreign national domiciled in Japan?
A. The Liaison Officer may be someone who has been recorded in the basic resident
register in Japan. In that case, the documents needed when applying are different fromthose required for a Japanese national.
The work of a Liaison Officer requires that the person is not in violation of the
Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act or other legislation.
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Q16. Who is not eligible to become a Liaison Officer?
A.
Among others, the eligibility rules disqualify anyone who cannot appropriately
form perceptions, make decisions, or conduct communication required for his or her
horses to enter races in a proper manner due to disorder of their mental faculties, anyone
who is bankrupt and has not been rehabilitated, anyone who has been sentenced to
imprisonment without hard labor or a heavier punishment, anyone who has beenprohibited or suspended from participating in horseracing, JRA-registered owners,
trainers and other stable-related personnel (including those involved in local government
racing), and anyone who is not fluent in both Japanese and the language in which he or
she can maintain communication with an owner (or applicant) not domiciled in Japan.
Q17. Can I ask someone who has already been approved as another JRA owner’s
Liaison Officer to take care of my application?
A.
Please refer to Article (2) of “Matters concerning Liaison Officers” of the“Screening Standards for JRA Owner Registration” for standards for exceptional cases
when a Liaison Officer is to carry out works for several Owners.

Q18. I have no problem at all with communicating in Japanese; do I still need toappoint a Liaison Officer?
A. The work of a Liaison Officer includes completing various administrative
procedures and receiving prizes on the behalf of the owner. This work should be carriedout by someone domiciled in Japan. Therefore, all non-residents of Japan(even those
who are fluent in Japanese or have Japanese nationality) are expected to appoint a
Liaison Officer.
Q19. What must I do if I want to change my Liaison Officer?
A.
You will need to submit the necessary documents related to Liaison Officers andgain the JRA’s approval. When a change is likely to occur, you are asked to file anapplication as soon as possible, to ensure there is no break in your representation between
Liaison Officers.
Q20. What should I do if my Liaison Officer becomes temporarily absent due to an
accident, etc.?
A. You should appoint a new Liaison Officer as soon as possible. Please note that, as aresult of the JRA’s review, candidate Liaison Officers are not always approved.
(If the absence continues into the long term, the owner registration will be cancelled.)
Q21.
A.

Can the JRA recommend liaison officers for applicants who have noacquaintances domiciled in Japan?
The JRA does not offer such a service.

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