birth date), the purpose and intended nature of the transaction, occupation (identification data, including the name and location of the headquarters or main office, the purpose and intended nature of the transaction, type of business and the beneficial owner in cases where the customer is a legal person) by asking for their identification documents such as driver's license. However, in cases where the specified business operator is either a judicial scrivener, administrative scrivener, certified public accountant or tax account; hereinafter referred to as a "judicial scrivener, etc.), it is sufficient to verify the customers' identification data alone.

When a specified transaction is conducted with a customer’s agency or a representative of the customer’s corporation, identification data of said agency or representative must also be verified.

Regarding transactions that have a high risk of being related to ML/TF, specified business operators are required to verify items related to verification at the time of transactions with a more enhanced method than usual. Moreover, in cases where the transaction involves the transfer of assets worth more than ¥2 million, specified business operators other than judicial scriveners are required to verify information concerning customers' source of wealth and source of funds.

(For details, see the Japan Financial Intelligence Center (JAFIC) Website)

Methods of verification at the time of transactions are as shown in Figure 2-3.

## (2) Preparation and preservation of verification records (Article 6)

Specified business operators are required to prepare and keep records of verification records collected at the time of transaction, as well as measures taken for verification of the customer at the time of the transaction, for seven years from the day when the transactions were completed or terminated;

### (3) Preparation and preservation of transaction records etc. (Article 7)

Specified business operators are required to prepare and keep the record of the date and contents of transactions concerned for seven years;

## (4) Reporting of suspicious transactions (Article 8)

Specified business operators are required to file an STR with the competent administrative authority in cases where an asset received through their business operation is suspected of being criminal proceeds, or where the customer is suspected of engaging in money laundering with regard to the specified business affairs.

However, a judicial scrivener, etc. is not required to file an STR.

Following the enforcement of the amended act, judgment as to whether or not a suspicious transaction report should be submitted will be made under a method prescribed by the ordinance of the competent ministries while taking account of the contents of NRA.

## (5) Strict verification at the time of the conclusion of correspondence contracts (new provision) (Article 9 after the amendment)

When concluding a correspondent banking contract $ ^{1} $ under which exchange transactions with an exchange business operator located abroad are conducted continuously or repeatedly following the enforcement of the amended act, specified business operators who conduct exchange transactions on a regular basis are required to verify that the for-