Before the date as referred to in the provision of the previous paragraph there shall be a lapse, of four years for a steel ship of 100 gross tons or more, of two years for a steel ship of less than 100 gross tons, and of one year for a wooden ship, after the date of the delivery of the certificate of nationality or of the previous inspection thereof.

In case the owner is, for such unavoidable reasons as in the case where a ship is in a foreign country and so forth, unable to submit the certificate of nationality by the date to be fixed by the competent Minister in accordance with the provision of paragraph 1, the marine authorities having jurisdiction over its port of registry will, when the owner has, stating the reason, applied to them by the said date, be authorized to extend the date for submitting the certificate. This shall also apply to the case where the owner is unable to submit the certificate by the new date which was fixed by way of extension.

In case the owner of a Japanese ship fails to submit the certificate of nationality by the date to be fixed by the competent Minister in accordance with the provision of paragraph 1 or by the date which has been fixed by way of extension in accordance with the preceding paragraph, the said certificate shall lose its validity. In this case, the marine authorities having jurisdiction over its port of registry shall ex officio cancel the registration of the said ship on the ship's register.

The provision of the preceding paragraph shall not apply in case the ship has displayed the Japanese flag with the object of avoiding capture.

The provisions of the preceding two paragraphs shall apply in case a Japanese ship has displayed a flag other than a Japanese flag with the object of misrepresenting her nationality.