Japanese police certificates will not contain information about criminal convictions when:
1. The period of suspended sentence has ended;
2. The penalty of the crime was a fine, and the crime occurred more than five years ago;
3. The term of the prison sentence ended more than ten years ago; or
4. The conviction was vacated or the criminal was subject to a pardon or amnesty.
Persons convicted of crimes in Japan may obtain court conviction records indefinitely. The headquarters' records section of the Metropolitan or Prefectural police issues certificates which include a nationwide criminal records check.
Records of court judgment are maintained at the relevant office of the District Public Prosecutor's office (chiho kensatucho kirokuka).