Before my wife and I got married two years ago, I was doing a lot of research online for guides on how two Filipino nationals can get married in Japan. From what I have found, I’ve only seen either a Filipino marrying a Japanese national or a Filipino marrying another foreign national, but nothing about two Filipino nationals. That is why I’ve decided to write this blog based from our experience to at least give some guide for Filipinos who want to get married here in Japan.

There are two ways Filipino nationals can get married in Japan. You can either get married in a Japanese city hall or at the Philippine embassy. If you want to get married in a Japanese city hall, both of you will need to obtain an LCCM (Legal Capacity to contract marriage) issued by the Philippine embassy. 

On the other hand, if you want to get married in the embassy, you’ll need a DFA-Issued Marriage License.  A Marriage License issued in the Philippines is NOT VALID for use in Japan. You must obtain one through the Philippine Embassy in Japan if you plan to marry there.

To obtain either an LCCM or a Marriage License, you’ll need the following documents:

             1. Duly accomplished application form

             2. Valid Passport – Original and one (1) copy

             3. Residence Card or visa in Japan – Original and one (1) copy

             4. DFA-Apostilled PSA-issued Birth Certificate – Original and one (1) copy

             5. DFA-Apostilled PSA-issued Certificate of No Marriage (CENOMAR) – Original and one (1) copy

             6. Three (3) Passport-sized photos

             7. 600￥ Letterpack (only for LCCM applicants)

Check these links for more details

Marriage License:
https://tokyo.philembassy.net/consular-section/services/civil-registration/marraige-license/#nav-cat
LCCM or Legal Capacity to Contract Marriage:
https://tokyo.philembassy.net/consular-section/services/civil-registration/legal-capacity-to-contract-marriage-certification/#nav-cat

*The last time I checked with the Philippine embassy, non-residents CAN use their tourist visa for their application, but it’s better to confirm with them if this is still the case.

DFA Authentication or Apostille Process for your CENOMAR and Birth Certificate

Now that you have your CENOMAR and Birth Certificate from PSA, it’s time to have it DFA-Authenticated or ‘Apostilled’.

First, the DFA Authentication or Apostille can only be processed in the Philippines. Do not make the same mistake I did when I obtained my PSA documents through the PSA Serbilis system. The PSA Serbilis service DOES NOT provide a DFA-Authenticated document.

Second, make sure that there are no discrepancies between your Birth Certificate and CENOMAR. If you have earlier copies of your Birth Certificate with you, make sure to input the same details on your CENOMAR application to avoid any discrepancies.

If you are based in Japan and will not be in the Philippines to do the DFA Authentication yourself, you must have an authorized representative to process the DFA Authentication. In my case, I had my mother process both my wife’s and my documents.

Here are the requirements if you’ll have an authorized representative to process it for you:

Double check with your local DFA offices if they have the same requirements.

Now you have all the documents for the Marriage License or LCCM, what’s next? 

The Birth certificate and CENOMAR only have a validity of 6 months. Make sure to do the application process within that period from when you obtained both documents. Both parties have to be present at the Philippine embassy if you are going to submit the documents in person.

*For Filipinos residing in Japan, make sure what jurisdiction you fall under. It’s either the Philippine Embassy in Tokyo or the Philippine Consulate General in Osaka.

You’ll need to book an appointment for the application process through the link below.

Tokyo: https://tokyopeconsularappointment.setmore.com/book

Osaka: https://philippineconsulategeneralosaka.setmore.com/book

You can also apply via mail, but the application forms have to be notarized by a Japanese Notary Public. We chose the former because it’s more convenient for us to go in person.

Once you have set your appointment, it’s time to submit the documents to the Philippine embassy. Make sure that everything is complete to avoid going back and forth.

For those applying for an LCCM, the consul officer will review the documents. When everything is verified, you will be called to review them and sign the documents. Once signed and finalized, the LCCM will be sent via the 600￥ Letterpack.

If you are applying for a Marriage License, the officer will review and verify your documents. Once the documents are finalized, they will ask you to choose a date for the solemnization/wedding ceremony and ask you to come back on that date. In our experience, the latest availability is around 2 months from the submission of documents, so we chose to apply for an LCCM and get married at our local city hall instead. It’s faster and we don’t have to go back to Tokyo to get married.

Getting married in a Japanese city hall

When your LCCM arrives, you can now go to the city hall and get married! You will submit the 婚姻届(kon-in todoke) form together with the LCCM. Additional documents might be needed and may vary from city hall to city hall, but these were what was asked of us:

             1. Valid passport - Original and (1) copy

             2. Japanese translation of Passport (info page only)

             3. DFA-Apostilled PSA-issued Birth Certificate – Original and one (1) copy

             4. Japanese translation of Birth Certificate

             5. Japanese translation of the Apostille (usually attached to the PSA document)

             6. Two witnesses to sign the 婚姻届(kon-in todoke) form

The translated documents don’t need to be done by a certified translator, you can do it on your own like what my wife did with ours. The photos below are the documents we submitted to our city hall.

The city hall staff will check the documents, and once everything is verified, congratulations! You are now married in Japan!

LCCM SAMPLE

APOSTILLE SAMPLE

PASSPORT TRANSLATION SAMPLE

APOSTILLE TRANSLATION SAMPLE

Last thing to do is report your marriage to the Philippine embassy or the consulate where your prefecture is under its jurisdiction which is a whole new process but not as bothersome as this one. I’ll probably write another blog for that. For now, enjoy your wedding planning and I hope that this guide has helped in some way.

As a Japan-based wedding photographer, the recent reopening of the country’s borders has brought renewed excitement for exploring and capturing the beauty of Tokyo through my lens. While it’s understandable that many clients request photos in popular tourist spots like Shibuya and Harajuku, I strive to showcase the city’s depth and character beyond these well-known landmarks. 

Tokyo is a city where past, present, and future seamlessly blend together, and I find myself constantly drawn to its gritty, raw, and nostalgic side streets, as well as its clean and chic neighborhoods. Whether it’s capturing the vibrant street art or the charming atmosphere of an izakaya, this city never ceases to amaze me with its endless possibilities for creative expression. As a wedding photographer in Tokyo, it’s essential to showcase the city’s wide range of locations to potential clients. 

As a wedding photographer, there’s a certain degree of secrecy in the industry when it comes to sharing techniques and locations. We all have our tricks up our sleeves to gain an edge over the competition, and famous photographers often charge exorbitant fees to teach these skills. One of the most critical skills for any photographer is the ability to scout the perfect location. It’s a process that requires a lot of research, attention to detail, and a keen eye for aesthetics. 

I’ve spent countless hours researching different locations on Google Earth, carefully curating and judging which places are worth the effort of visiting. But as a result, photographers naturally tend to keep their “secret” locations to themselves to maintain a sense of exclusivity and integrity in their work.

I’ve been contemplating whether to create a collective public database of locations, including the ones I’ve researched, and it’s a decision that raises many questions. Is accessibility more important than preventing overcrowding? Is competition more important than building community? Would it be beneficial for the creative process if photographers shared their locations and inspired one another? 

These are difficult questions that each photographer must answer for themselves, but the pros of building a community and collaborating with others outweigh the cons—a pool of ideas from photographers of different and diverse backgrounds. By making a collaborative database open to all, we can collectively pick new perspectives from each other and give a fresh perspective on the hidden gems of Tokyo that I’ve come to know and love.

I invite everyone who reads this to chime in and give ideas on how we can improve this database!

Location Database:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1UBeKvNUcM2GOCFpUmf_9DLiRyGjiaJbpOv6o-1dvb_I/edit#gid=0

If you want to add your own location here is the google form link:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe4YluSbymZArMLFVmlBHQuuaQz6U4FokiteypVxJfO8SHYzA/viewform?usp=sf_link

You’ve prepared everything you needed for your much-awaited wedding day. The catering, the venue, the guests - everything! Except for your official photographer. You might think that any photographer can do it since they’re JUST taking a photo. Well, you’re making a huge mistake. 

A professional Photographer’s job isn’t that easy. It’s not just about taking photos. It’s about capturing the emotion felt at the exact moment the photo is taken. The angle where the subjects can express their genuine emotions through the photo. Of course, mastery of the technical aspect such as the lighting, angle, etc. Everything that I’ve just mentioned - you can’t get from an amateur photographer. So, are you convinced? No? Well, here’s a deep dive on the exact benefits that you can get if you hire a professional wedding photographer:

Camera Equipment Knowledge and Expertise

Sure anybody can buy a DSLR or an expensive camera, however, only the accomplished experts can use it to its maximum capacity. You need to enlist the help of a professional wedding photographer because they’re the EXPERTS because of their aptitude for using the equipment and completely use it to its full potential. An amateur wedding photographer can amaze you with their set-up of expensive cameras, lenses, etc. Of course, the hardware is as important as the individuals behind them, but the greatest photos are attributed to the person taking them, not the hardware they used. We suggest you get a professional wedding photographer that has state-of-the-art equipment while having the skills to back them up.

Photography Style

Every photographer has their style with regards to taking and editing photos to come up with the perfect image. However, not all styles fit a specific kind of vision. A professional wedding photographer will know how to work around your vision and expertise. Knowing which style works best for the result that the client wants is tantamount to being a GREAT wedding photographer. 

An amateur would most likely not be able to deliver the kind of results you want since they have limited styles to work with. Asking for a portfolio and aligning with your wedding photographer is important. It sets your expectations as the client while also communicating with the photographer what you want. It’s a matter of them finding ways on how to make your vision come to life and it’s your job to find the photographer that matches the style that you want.

Reliability

The above-mentioned were all about your professional wedding photographer having the proper skill set to get the job done. However, another benefit that you can have if you hire a professional wedding photographer is their years of experience working in the industry. Experiencing any kind of mishap or hiccups that could happen during the shoot is what makes photographers grow since they have to work around those hiccups to still give their clients the desired result.

This makes professional wedding photographers as reliable as you can imagine. No matter what kind of hiccup you experience, you can be sure to rely on the photographer to find a solution to the problem and continue with a smooth process of documenting and memorializing your important day.

You Get More Than What You Pay for With Thinking Chair Studios

Of course, everything that we’ve highlighted above is for one simple reason - to help you find the best professional wedding photographers in the Philippines! Thinking Chair Studios is here to help you memorialize and capture one of the most important days of your lives. We are a small team of photographers molded by creativity and innovation where their passion lies in creating uniquely personal and emotion-filled photos. Their work makes you understand who you are and how you see yourself.

Sit down, think, be creative, visualize, and let us turn your ideas into reality. That’s what Thinking Chair Studios is all about and that’s the reputation we have with all of our clients. Oftentimes, reality is so far from what we envision, but we at Thinking Chair Studios do not believe in this. Don’t believe us? Check out our portfolio and listen to the stories that all the photos are trying to tell.