Japan’s Civil Code has changed, so you no longer have to go to court over branches overhanging your property line.
The article below explains it in detail (in Japanese).
Trouble with the neighbors! Can you cut tree branches that cross onto your property? | Custom wooden homes, renovation and real estate in Kyoto | Kobayashi Komuten, founded in 1864. Many people struggle with branches growing over from a neighbor’s property and find the problem hard to resolve. In fact, the amended Civil Code that took effect on April 1, 2023 significantly changed the rules on cutting branches, and you can now cut off branches that stick out from a neighboring property. Let’s look together at how the rules changed under the amendment.If the owner won’t cut them, it looks like we can cut them ourselves on their behalf and bill them for it, so I plan to use this as leverage in negotiations.
