I hereby give My sanction to the Imperial Ordinance relating to the registration of Aliens in accordance with the Imperial Ordinance No. 542, 1945, concerning the Orders to be issued in consequence of the Acceptance of the Potsdam Declaration, and cause the same to be promulgated.
Signed: HIROHITO, Seal of the Emperor
This second day of the fifth month of the twenty-second year of Showa (May 2, 1947)
Countersigned: Prime Minister YOSHIDA Shigeru
Minister for Home Affairs UEHARA Etsujiro
Imperial Ordinance No. 207
Ordinance governing Registration of Aliens
Article 1. The present Imperial Ordinance shall be designed for adquately carrying out measures in regard to the entry of aliens and for insuring just treatment thereof in all matters.
Article 2. The term "aliens" as used in the present Imperial Oardinance shall mean persons who are not of Japanese nationality except those persons who come under any or the following categories:
(1) Persons and their dependants attached to or accompanying the Occupation Forces.
(2) The personnel who are members or employees of official missions accredited to and recognized by the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers and members of their families.
(3) Those personnel who are stationed in Japan or official business for foreign government, their attendants and dependants.
Article 3. Aliens shall, for the time being, be forbidden to enter Japan (Areas designed by the Minister for Home Affairs shall be excepted. Same applies to other Articles.)
The provision of the preceding paragraph shall not apply to those aliens who enter Japan with the appro al of the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers, who may designate the harbor or airfield for entry.
Article 4. Any alien shall, as provided for by the Minister for Home Affairs, within sixty days of the landing, when he has entered Japan or within fourteen days of the alteration, when non-alien has become alien, register the necessary matters to the mayor of a city or town or the hend of a village (in the case of Tokyo Metropolis, where there is ward administration. Kyoto, Osaka, Nagaya, Yokohama and Kobe cities chief of the ward. Same applies to other Articles.)
In case where the difficulty of communication and other unavoidable cases render it impossible to make registration within the period specified in the preceding paragraph, the prefectural governor may prolong the period.
The registration mentioned in paragraph 1 shall not be made to more than one mayor of city or town or head of village.
Article 5. The mayor of city or town or the head of village shall, as provided for by the Minister for Home Affairs, prepare a register of aliens and maintain the same in the office of city, town or village.
Article 6. The mayor of city or town or the head of village, when filed the application for registration, shall, as provided for by the Minister for Home Affairs, enter the necessary matters in the register and issue a registration certificate.
Article 7. The alien who has changed his residence, shall, as provided for by the Minister for Home Affairs, within 14 days of such change register with the mayor of city or town or the head of village of his new residence.
In the case of the preceding paragraph the mayor of a city or town or the head of a village shall as provided for by the Minister for Home Affairs register the necessary matters and issue a registration certificate in exchange for that issued by the mayor of a city or town or the head of a village of the former residence.
The provisions of Article 4, paragraph 2 and paragraph 3 shall apply to paragraph 1 of this Article.
Article 8. When a change has occurred in any items of his registration, any alien shall, as provided for by the Minister for Home Affairs, within 14 days of such change, register such alteration.
In the case of the preceding paragraph the mayor of a city or town or the head of a village shall register the alteration, as provided for by the Minister for Home Affairs.
The provision of Article 4, paragraph 2 shall apply to paragraph 1 of this Article.
Article 9. When leaving Japan, any alien shall return the registration certificate to the Government or public official designated by the prefectural governor who exercises jurisdiction over the place of the harbor or airfield from which he departs.
The alien, who becomes non-alien, shall, within 14 days of such alteration, return the registration certificate to the mayor of a city or town or the head of a village where he resides.
Article 10. An alien shall have registration certificate in his possession at all times, and produce the same upon demand of government or public official designated by the Minister for Home Affairs.
When requested by the Government or public official designated by the Minister for Home Affairs, the alien shall present passport, nationality certificate or other papers showing that he is a proper possessor of the said registration certificate or that the matter entered in registration certificate is true.
Article 11. Formosans designated by the Minister for Home Affairs and Koreans shall, for the time being, be presumed to be aliens.
In case where an alien cannot make registration or other acts provided in the present Imperial Ordinance or Ordinance to be issued in accordance therewith on account of illness or other reasons specified by the Minister for Home Affairs, the person designated by the Minister for Home Affairs, shall perform the same for him.
Article 12. Any person who comes under any of the following categories shall be sentenced to not more than 6 months imprisonment with or without hard labor, or a major fine not exceeding 1,000 yen, or detention or police fine:
(1) Any alien who makes his entry into Japan in contravention of the provisions of Article 3.
(2) Any alien who, in contravention of the provisions of Article 4, paragraph 1, Article 7, paragraph 1, or Article 8, paragraph 1, fails to make registration, or who makes false registration.
(3) Any person who prevents application for registration provided for in Article 4, paragraph 1, Article 7, paragraph 1 or Article 8, paragraph 1.
(4) Any alien who, in contravention of the provisions of Article 4, paragraph 3 and Article 7, paragraph 3 makes registration to more than one mayor or a city or town or head of a village.
(5) Any alien who, in contravention of the provision of Article 9, fails to return the registration certificate.
(6) Any alien who, in contravention of the provision of Article 10, refuses to present the registration certificate, other papers corresponding to such.
(7) Any alien who gives a registration certificate to some other person, or who receives a registration certificate signed with the name of some other person or uses the same.
(8) Any alien who forges or alters a registration certificate for the purpose of use, or who uses a forged or altered registration certificate
Article 13. The prefectural governor (in the case of Tokyo Metropolitan Police the Director of the Metropolitan Police Board Same applies to other Articles) may order out of Japan any alien who comes under any of the following categories:
(1) Any alien who entered into Japan in contravention of Article 3.
(2) Any alien who has committed the offence enumerated in the preceding Article and been sentenced to a penalty heavier than imprisonment.
(3) Any alien, except the same mentioned in the preceding paragraph, who, having been punished under the preceding Article, repeats any of the acts mentioned in the same Article.
Article 14. The Minister for Home Affairs may, as provided for by the same Minister, compulsorily repatriate any alien who comes under any of the following categories:
(1) Any alien who, makes his entry into Japan in contravention of Article 3.
(2) Any alien who disobeys a departure order mentioned in the preceding Article.
Article 15. Any alien who may take exception to the disposition of the prefectural governor or the Minister for Home Affairs under the preceding two Articles, may undertake acts of procedure within ten days from the day of the decision, in the case of Article 13 or of the commencement of the disposition, in the case of the preceding Article.
The alien referred to the disposition under the preceding two Articles shall not be repatriated during the period mentioned in the preceding paragraph and during the action, if undertaken, is pending.
Supplementary Provisions:
The present Imperial Ordinance shall come into force as from the day of its promulgation; however the provisions of Article 15 (including the case where it is applied in accordance with paragraph 3 of the Supplementary Provisions), shall come into force from the day of the enforcement of the Constitutions of Japan. In this case "day of the decision in the case of Article 13, or of the commencement of the disposition. in the case of the preceding Article" mentioned in the same Article, paragraph 1 shall read "the day of the enforcement of the Constitution of Japan", so far as the disposition has been taken by the prefectural governor or the Minister for Home Affairs before the enforcement of the provisions of the same Article.
Any alien who resides in Japan on the day of enforcement of the present Imperial Ordinance shall, within thirty days from its enforcement, register, as provided in Article 4.
The provisions of Article 12 to Article 15 inclusive shall apply to the preceding paragraph.