Promissory note (借用書)

How it works

1. Choose 借用書 for money lent, or 受取書 for money handed over.
2. Type the amount. It is printed twice — in figures and in the formal numerals — which is what stops it being altered later.
3. Fill in both names and addresses, and add the repayment terms if there are any.
4. Download, print, and have the borrower sign and seal it.

Frequently asked questions

What is a 借用書?

A one-page acknowledgement that one person has borrowed money from another, signed by the borrower. It is the ordinary form for a private loan in Japan — between family, friends or colleagues — and it exists so that a year later there is no argument about what was agreed.

Why is the amount written twice?

The figures are for reading; the formal numerals — 壱, 弐, 参, 拾 — are for not being tampered with. 一 becomes 二 or 三 with one stroke of a pen, 壱 does not, which is why Japanese practice has used those forms on financial documents for centuries. The page writes both, as 金壱拾萬円也, from the number you type.

Does it need revenue stamps?

A 借用書 for more than ¥10,000 is a taxable document and needs a 収入印紙 stuck on and cancelled — ¥200 for amounts from ¥10,000 to ¥1,000,000, rising from there. The template leaves room for it. Without the stamp the document is still valid between the two of you; the penalty is a tax matter.

Is it legally binding?

A signed acknowledgement of a debt is good evidence in Japan, and for an ordinary private loan this form is what is used. It is a template, not legal advice — for a large sum, property as security, or anything contentious, have a 司法書士 or a lawyer look at it, and consider a notarised 公正証書 instead.

Is it free?

Yes. The free plan adds a small line at the foot of the sheet; Pro leaves it off.