Disclaimer

Last updated: October 26, 2026

Please read this page before you rely on anything on birchriverhorizon.com. It says plainly what this site and Birch River Horizon are, and what they are not.

General information only

The content of this site is general information about end-of-life preparation (shukatsu) in Japan. It is not legal, tax, medical, financial, insurance or funeral advice, and it does not take your circumstances into account. Laws, procedures and fees change. Please check with a licensed professional or the public office concerned before you act.

What we are not

Birch River Horizon is a planning-support service. It is not a law office, a judicial scrivener’s or administrative scrivener’s office, a tax accountant’s office, a notary, a medical or care provider, a funeral company, or an insurance or trust company. This site does not state that we or anyone working with us hold any such qualification, and none should be assumed. We have no named partner firms, and the site is not a referral service.

No guarantees

We do not promise any outcome: not that a plan will be followed, that a family will agree, that a document will be valid, that tax will be lower, or that any particular result will be reached. Descriptions of what a step “can” or “may” achieve are possibilities, not assurances.

Medical and emotional matters

Notes about care and treatment wishes are a way of preparing for a conversation with your own doctor. They are not a substitute for medical advice. If you are unwell or worried about your health, speak to your doctor. If someone is in immediate danger, call 119. If preparing for the end of life brings up distress that does not ease, please talk to your doctor or a counsellor; our service cannot provide treatment or counselling.

Images and examples

The photographs on this site are illustrations and do not show our clients, staff or premises. The sketches of situations on the home page are invented examples, not accounts of real people, and the site contains no client testimonials, ratings or awards.

Third-party links

We link to official organisations and to Google Maps. We do not control them and are not responsible for what they publish or for whether the links keep working.

Questions

If something here is unclear, please use our contact page.