Chinese-Speaking Criminal Defense Lawyer in Tokyo: Mandarin Consultation, WeChat Contact and Nationwide Police Station Visits
2026/10/13
Last updated: October 13, 2026. Written by Daisuke Matsumura, Attorney at Law (Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association, Registration No. 59077), Funado International Law Office. WeChat ID: matsumura1119.
Funado International Law Office is a Tokyo law firm where Japanese attorney Daisuke Matsumura defends Chinese-speaking clients in criminal cases, working with a Chinese-language interpreter and a lawyer qualified in China on staff. Families and employers can contact us in Chinese by WeChat (matsumura1119), and we visit police stations anywhere in Japan.
This page is written for people searching in English on behalf of someone else: a Chinese friend who has been arrested, a spouse whose Japanese is limited, or an employee from China, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Macau. It explains how a Mandarin-speaking defense works in practice, the real difference between a Japanese attorney (弁護士, bengoshi) and a Chinese lawyer (律师, lushi), and what to check when choosing a lawyer. For the criminal procedure itself, see Arrested in Japan: What Happens Next.
Key points
- In Japan, defense counsel in a criminal case must be a Japanese attorney (bengoshi). Our attorney is Daisuke Matsumura, Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association, Registration No. 59077.
- Police station visits are made with the firm's own Chinese-language interpreter or the Chinese lawyer on our staff, so the suspect can speak in Mandarin in confidence.
- We visit police stations throughout Japan. Travel and other actual expenses are explained before engagement.
- At the first visit, we explain the risk of losing residence status under the Immigration Control Act, and we actively request that a lawyer be allowed to attend interrogations.
- Contact: WeChat matsumura1119, phone +81-50-7587-4639. Working languages: Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin).
Can a Chinese national arrested in Japan get a Mandarin-speaking defense?
Yes. The defense lawyer must be a Japanese attorney, but the defense can be conducted in Mandarin through an interpreter who works for the defense side, so the suspect can explain the facts in their own language.
Japanese criminal procedure is conducted in Japanese. The police and prosecutor arrange interpreters for interrogations, and the court must provide an interpreter at trial for a person who does not understand Japanese (Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 175). Those interpreters, however, work for the investigation or the court. What a Chinese-speaking suspect needs during the investigation is a confidential channel to their own lawyer in Mandarin.
At our firm, that channel is provided in-house. Attorney Matsumura visits the suspect with the firm's Chinese-language interpreter or with the Chinese lawyer on our staff. Under Article 39(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure, the defense lawyer meets the suspect without a police officer present, and the defense team's interpreter takes part in that confidential meeting. The suspect can therefore describe what happened, including matters they do not want the investigators to hear yet, and receive advice in Mandarin.
What is the difference between a Japanese bengoshi and a Chinese lushi?
A bengoshi is an attorney licensed in Japan and is the person who can act as defense counsel in a Japanese criminal case. A lushi is a lawyer qualified in China. A lushi cannot be defense counsel in Japan, but can work alongside the Japanese attorney on matters involving China.
English-language searches sometimes blur this point, and families can be told that a "Chinese lawyer in Tokyo" will handle the case. It is worth being precise.
| Japanese attorney (弁護士, bengoshi) | Chinese lawyer (律师, lushi) | |
|---|---|---|
| Qualification | Licensed in Japan and registered with a Japanese bar association | Qualified under the law of the People's Republic of China |
| Can be defense counsel before Japanese police, prosecutors and courts | Yes | No |
| Confidential visits to the suspect at the police station | Yes, as defense counsel (Article 39(1)) | Can accompany the Japanese attorney as part of the defense team, for example as interpreter |
| Advice on Chinese law and documents from China | Generally relies on specialists | Yes |
| Communication with the family in China | Through an interpreter | Directly, in Chinese |
At our firm, Attorney Matsumura is the Japanese attorney responsible for the defense. Matsumura is Japanese; the firm is not a Chinese law firm. The Chinese lawyer on our staff supports the work in Chinese: accompanying police station visits as interpreter, explaining the Japanese procedure to the family, and handling matters that involve China, such as documents the family needs to obtain there.
Can you visit a police station outside Tokyo?
Yes. We visit police stations throughout Japan, accompanied by our Chinese-language interpreter or Chinese lawyer. Travel and other actual expenses are explained before engagement.
Chinese nationals are arrested in every region of Japan. Because the suspect is usually held at the police station that made the arrest, the lawyer has to travel there. We accept cases from all prefectures and also handle matters before courts outside Tokyo. For an overview by prefecture in Japanese and Chinese, see the related pages at the end of this page.
Distance does affect how often visits can be made, and the family should discuss the visit schedule and expenses with us at the start. We aim to make the first visit as early as possible, because the first days of the investigation are when the suspect most needs advice.
How can a family in China contact the firm and hire a lawyer?
A family member in China can message us on WeChat (matsumura1119) in Chinese. A spouse, parent, child, grandparent or sibling can appoint the defense lawyer independently (Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 30(2)), so the family does not need to travel to Japan.
When you contact us, please send the person's full name as it appears in the passport (Chinese characters and pinyin if possible), date of birth, the place of arrest or the police station if known, and what you have heard about the case. We explain the expected work and fees before the family decides. After engagement, we visit the suspect, confirm their wishes, and report to the family in Chinese within the limits of the suspect's confidentiality.
If you are an English-speaking friend or partner of the suspect, you can help most by putting a Chinese-speaking family member in touch with us, or by contacting us yourself with the information above. Our working languages are Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin).
For nationals of mainland China, the Chinese Embassy and Consulates-General in Japan provide consular protection under the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and the Japan-China consular agreement; Hong Kong and Macau residents are also covered by them as Chinese nationals. For Taiwanese nationals, the contact point is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan. A consulate can help with contact and information, but it does not act as defense counsel.
What happens at the first police station visit?
At the first visit, we explain the suspect's rights in Mandarin, hear their account, agree on how to handle interrogations, and explain how the case could affect their residence status in Japan.
- Rights. The suspect may remain silent (Constitution of Japan, Article 38(1); Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 198(2)) and may refuse to sign a statement written by the police (Article 198(5)). We explain what these rights mean in practice and how to use them.
- Residence status. Depending on the offense and the residence status, even a fine or a suspended sentence can be a ground for deportation. We explain the specific risk for the suspect's situation. See Will a Criminal Case Affect My Visa in Japan?
- Interrogations. We request that a lawyer be allowed to attend interrogations of foreign suspects. Such requests are rarely granted in Japan at present, but by discussing the interrogation with the officer in charge just before it begins, we have in many cases been able to influence how it was conducted and contribute to more favorable outcomes.
- Next steps. We discuss detention, contact with the family, settlement with any victim, and the goal of non-prosecution where it is realistic.
What should you check when choosing a lawyer for a Chinese-speaking suspect?
Check who the Japanese attorney is, who will interpret, how quickly the first visit can be made, whether immigration consequences will be explained, and how fees are presented.
- Registration. Confirm the name and bar association of the Japanese attorney who will be defense counsel. Registration can be checked through the lawyer search of the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
- Interpreter. Ask who will interpret at the police station and whether that person is part of the defense team.
- Timing and distance. Ask when the first visit can be made and how travel to the police station will be handled.
- Immigration. Ask whether the lawyer will explain the residence status consequences of each possible outcome and can handle deportation proceedings or special permission to stay if they arise.
- Communication with the family. Ask how and in which language the family will receive reports.
- Fees. Ask for the fees and expected expenses to be explained before engagement.
What kind of cases has the firm handled?
Our work covers criminal defense and immigration cases for foreign nationals, including administrative litigation against the government.
- A partial acquittal (一部無罪) in a criminal case.
- Relief for a person wrongly treated as a stalker, and relief for a person wrongly accused of facilitating illegal employment.
- Special permission to stay obtained for clients facing deportation.
- Withdrawal of an unlawful administrative disposition.
- Issues from our administrative cases have been discussed in Japanese legal journals, including Hogaku Kyoshitsu No. 534, p. 124 (Masao Okitsu) and Jichi Kenkyu Vol. 102, No. 6, p. 3 (Yasutaka Abe).
Every case is different, and past results do not predict the outcome of another case.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Chinese lawyer (lushi) defend someone in a Japanese criminal case?
No. In a Japanese criminal case, the defense lawyer must be a Japanese attorney (bengoshi) registered with a Japanese bar association. A lawyer qualified in China can help with matters involving Chinese law and the family in China, but cannot act as defense counsel before Japanese police, prosecutors or courts.
Who interprets when your attorney visits the police station?
Our attorney, Daisuke Matsumura, is accompanied by the firm's own Chinese-language interpreter or by the Chinese lawyer on our staff. The suspect can speak in Mandarin with the defense team without an investigation-side interpreter present.
Can you visit a police station outside Tokyo?
Yes. We visit police stations throughout Japan. Travel and other actual expenses are explained before engagement.
Can I contact the firm in English?
Our working languages are Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin). If you are writing on behalf of a Chinese-speaking friend, spouse or employee, the easiest route is often for a Chinese-speaking family member to contact us by WeChat (matsumura1119).
Can an employer hire a lawyer for an arrested employee?
An employer can contact us and help arrange the defense, but the appointment of a defense lawyer is made by the suspect or by a close family member such as a spouse, parent, child, grandparent or sibling (Code of Criminal Procedure, Article 30). We confirm the suspect's own wishes at the police station.
Legal basis
- Constitution of Japan, Article 38(1)
- Code of Criminal Procedure, Articles 30, 39(1), 175, 198(2) and 198(5)
- Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, Articles 24 and 50
- Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, Article 36; Consular Agreement between Japan and the People's Republic of China
Contact
| Firm | Funado International Law Office (舟渡国際法律事務所) |
|---|---|
| Attorney | Daisuke Matsumura (松村大介), Attorney at Law, Daiichi Tokyo Bar Association, Registration No. 59077 |
| Address | 3F Fuse Building Main, 3-4-10 Takada, Toshima-ku, Tokyo, Japan |
| Phone | +81-50-7587-4639 (in Japan: 050-7587-4639) |
| matsumura1119 | |
| Languages | Japanese and Chinese (Mandarin) |
| Fees | Explained before you engage us |
| Website | https://matsumura-lawoffice.jp/ / Contact form |
Related pages
- Arrested in Japan: What Happens Next and What Family Members Can Do
- Will a Criminal Case Affect My Visa in Japan?
- Criminal Defense and Immigration Lawyer in Tokyo for Foreign Nationals (firm overview)
- Drug Offenses and Residence Status in Japan
- 中国人の刑事事件 (Japanese: criminal cases involving Chinese nationals)
- Arrests of Chinese nationals by prefecture (日本語)
- Arrests of Chinese nationals by prefecture (简体中文)
- Lawyer attendance at interrogations (简体中文)
- 简体中文 (Chinese top page)
- 外国人の刑事事件 (Japanese: criminal cases involving foreign nationals)
- About the attorney
This page provides general information about Japanese law as of the date above. It is not legal advice for any particular case, and it is not a promise of any particular result; the outcome of each case depends on its own facts and evidence.
