Domestic Violence in Japan: Evidence to Keep, Protection Orders, and Help in English

Last reviewed October 16, 2026 · 27 min read · By the PEA team (Lumina Spark)

日本語版 (Japanese version)

Short answer: The evidence that carries the most weight in domestic violence (DV) cases in Japan is photos of injuries, a doctor's medical certificate, and records of consulting the police or a Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center. Injuries fade, so photograph them as soon as you can, and see a doctor even for minor injuries, telling them you were assaulted. If you apply to a court for a protection order, the application must state whether you consulted a support center or the police, so going to one early helps both your safety and any later procedure. You can get help even with little evidence. And your safety comes before evidence. In danger, call 110. For advice, call DV Consultation Navi (#8008), or contact DV Soudan Plus by phone (0120-279-889, 24 hours, in Japanese) or by chat in English (12:00 to 22:00). This article is general information about Japan, not legal advice.

Safety first

  • If you are in danger right now, or about to be attacked, call 110 without hesitating. For injuries or sudden illness, call 119.
  • DV Consultation Navi (#8008): one nationwide number that connects you to the nearest Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center. Call charges apply, and it works during each center's opening hours. If it doesn't connect, call your prefecture's or city's center directly.
  • DV Soudan Plus, the government's DV consultation service (Cabinet Office): phone 0120-279-889, 24 hours, in Japanese only; chat from 12:00 to 22:00, in English and nine other languages (Tagalog, Thai, Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Portuguese, Nepali, Vietnamese and Indonesian). Its English page says it also provides on-site interpreter services and shelters.
  • Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Centers offer counseling, referrals, safety measures and temporary protection in an emergency, and information and advice on using protection orders (DV Prevention Act Article 3). Temporary protection means staying safely, for a while, in a facility away from the abuser, free of charge.
  • Police: for non-emergencies, go to your nearest police station or call the police consultation line #9110. Even when it is hard to arrest the abuser, the police can, for example, give the abuser guidance and warnings and advise you on protecting yourself.
  • Safety and getting away come before evidence. If the abuser finds out you are collecting evidence, the violence may get worse. You don't have to stay somewhere dangerous until you have "enough" evidence.
  • There is a procedure to keep your new address from the abuser. If you apply to your city or town office and the need for support is confirmed, the abuser can be restricted from obtaining copies of your residence record and similar documents (DV support measures). Before applying, you generally consult the police or a support center first.
  • Don't search or ask for help on a phone or computer you share with the abuser. Browsing and call histories can reveal that you are asking for help.

If you're a foreign national in Japan

The DV Prevention Act protects you too. The Cabinet Office states that the Act applies even if the victim is a foreign national.

Help in English:

  • DV Soudan Plus chat (12:00 to 22:00; English and nine other languages). Its 24-hour phone line is in Japanese.
  • Foreign Residents Support Center (FRESC) Help Desk: 0570-011000 (03-5363-3013 from IP phones or from abroad), weekdays 9:00 to 17:00. Staff answer in Japanese, English and Chinese, and in eight more languages by tablet interpretation; consultations include DV.
  • Houterasu Multilingual Information Service: 0570-078377 (050-3754-5430 from IP phones and prepaid mobiles), weekdays 9:00 to 17:00, in ten languages including English: free information on the legal system and where to consult.
  • The Cabinet Office publishes an English list of Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Centers (PDF, as of July 1, 2026; see Sources).

If your visa is based on your marriage. For "Spouse or Child of Japanese National" or "Spouse or Child of Permanent Resident" status, the Immigration Control Act allows revocation when a spouse has not engaged in activities as a spouse for over 6 months, unless there are justifiable grounds (Article 22-4(1)(vii)). The Immigration Services Agency's published examples of cases where status is not revoked start with "those who need to seek temporary shelter or protection from spouse violence", and also include people in divorce conciliation or court proceedings. Before revoking on this ground, the agency gives the person an opportunity to apply for a change of status or for permanent residence (Article 22-5). Each case is decided on its facts, so ask FRESC or a lawyer about yours.

What Japanese law counts as DV, and who is covered

  • "Violence by a spouse" means physical violence by a spouse, or words and conduct equivalent to it that have a harmful effect on mind or body (DV Prevention Act Article 1). The Cabinet Office explains that the latter includes psychological and sexual violence.
  • Common-law (de facto) marriages are included. Violence by a spouse you are separated from is also covered, and so is violence that continues after a divorce if it started before the divorce.
  • The Act also applies to a partner you live with (a dating partner with whom you share your main home) (Article 28-2; see Violence by a partner you don't live with).
  • Male victims are covered too.

The Cabinet Office gives examples of physical violence: slapping, kicking, punching, throwing things, pulling hair, strangling, twisting arms, and pointing a knife or other weapon at someone. It explains that these are illegal acts amounting to the crimes of injury (Penal Code Article 204) or assault (Article 208), punishable even between spouses.

This article focuses on evidence of physical violence and on protection orders.

When you need evidence

  1. Applying for a protection order (district court). To have the abuser ordered to stay away, you need material showing that you suffered violence or threats, and that you are at great risk of serious harm from further violence (see the next section).
  2. Reporting to the police and asking for prosecution. Law firms explain that without a medical certificate, it may be impossible to show the violence caused an injury, and the case may not lead to an arrest.
  3. Divorce or compensation. If your spouse agrees to divorce, you don't need to prove a reason. If they refuse and it goes to court, law firms explain you need to show the DV is a "grave reason making it difficult to continue the marriage" under Civil Code Article 770(1)(iv).

Law firms explain that what usually has to be shown is that the violence was happening regularly, and that you were aware of harm serious enough to turn to the police or a doctor. Rather than looking for one decisive piece of evidence, aim for photos, a medical certificate and consultation records that all point to the same incidents.

Protection orders and the evidence they need

A protection order is an order by a district court, on the victim's application, forbidding the abuser from, for example, following the victim or loitering near their home. Breaching a protection order is a crime, punishable by up to 2 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥2 million (Article 29). If the abuser comes near you after an order is made, call 110.

Types of order, and the 2024 and 2025 amendments

OrderWhat it doesHow long
Stay-away orderForbids following the victim, or loitering near their home, workplace and similar places1 year
Phone and contact banForbids demanding meetings, saying the victim is being watched, grossly violent language, silent calls, repeated calls, letters, emails or social media messages except in emergencies, late-night and early-morning messages, sending filth, statements or images harming honor or sexual dignity, and obtaining location data without consent with GPS devices or lost-item trackers, among othersWhile the stay-away order lasts
Stay-away and contact ban for childrenForbids following or contacting minor children who live with the victim (consent needed from a child aged 15 or over)While the stay-away order lasts
Stay-away order for relativesForbids following relatives and others closely connected with the victim (their consent is needed)While the stay-away order lasts
Order to leave the homeOrders the abuser to leave the home you share and not loiter nearby; only if you were living together when you applied2 months (6 months, on application, if only the victim owns or rents the home)

When orders are made: a stay-away order and the related orders are made when (1) you suffered physical violence, or threats to harm your life, body, freedom, honor or property, from the abuser, and (2) you are at great risk of serious harm to your life or to your mind and body from further violence or threats (Article 10(1)). The order to leave the home is still limited to physical violence and threats to life or body.

The amendment in force from April 1, 2024 added "freedom, honor or property" to the threats covered, widened the requirement to serious harm to "life or mind and body," extended stay-away orders from 6 months to 1 year, widened the phone and contact ban, and raised the penalties for breaching an order (Cabinet Office summary). A further amendment in force from December 30, 2025 added obtaining location data with lost-item trackers without consent, or attaching them to belongings, to the banned acts.

Abusive words alone may not be enough. The Tokyo District Court's Q&A explains that insults such as "you're stupid" or "you're useless" do not by themselves count as the "threats" the requirement refers to, and that not all psychological abuse amounts to such threats. Threats to harm your freedom, honor or property, however, can count. If you apply on the grounds of serious harm to your mind, you need to attach a doctor's medical certificate (Cabinet Office Q&A).

Documents and evidence for the application

According to the Tokyo District Court (the Saitama District Court's guidance is almost the same), you submit:

  • The protection order application (a copy for the court and one to send to the abuser).
  • Material showing your relationship: for spouses, a family register or residence record. For a partner you live with, a residence record, photos of you together, copies of emails or letters, the lease, utility bills, written statements and so on.
  • Material showing you suffered violence or threats: for example, a medical certificate, photos of the injured parts of your body, and written statements by you or others.
  • Material showing you are at great risk of serious harm: for example, a medical certificate, written statements by you or others, and copies of emails or letters.
  • A ¥1,000 revenue stamp for the fee, and postage stamps (the amount differs by court).

You can apply to the district court for the place where the abuser lives, where you live or stay (including a shelter), or where the violence took place (Article 11). Where an order is urgently needed to prevent serious danger to your life or body, it may be made without first hearing the abuser.

Copies of what you submit are sent to the abuser. The Tokyo District Court asks applicants to check carefully that no contact details they want to keep from the abuser, such as a shelter's address, appear in the documents. Check photos of injuries or rooms too, for anything that could reveal where you are (the view from a window, mail, a facility's name).

Consult a support center or the police before you apply

  • The application must say whether you consulted them. It must state whether you told staff at a Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center, or police officers, about the violence or asked them for help or protection, and if so, the office's name, the date, time and place, what you discussed, and what measures were taken (Article 12(1)(v)).
  • The court gets the record directly. The court asks that center or police station for a document describing the consultation and the measures taken (Article 14(2)).
  • If you haven't consulted them, you need a notarized statement. You take a written account of the violence to a notary office, have it authenticated, and submit it with the application (Article 12(3)). The Cabinet Office says the fee is ¥11,000.
  • Some courts say a phone call isn't enough. The Tokyo and Saitama District Courts' Q&As ask applicants to go to a center or police station in advance to consult and ask for help or protection before applying, and say that consulting only by phone is not sufficient.
  • Keep your own note too: the date, the office, the person you spoke to and what you told them.

What counts as evidence of DV

Law firms' and courts' guidance list as evidence of DV: photos of injuries; medical certificates and records of seeing a doctor; records of consulting the police or a support center; photos of broken belongings or a wrecked room; threatening messages, and apologies sent after violence, plus call logs; audio or video recordings of violence; a diary or notes; and accounts by people who saw it or whom you told right afterwards (written statements).

EvidenceHow to keep itWatch out for
Photos of injuriesAs soon as possible: photos that include your face, and close-ups of the injury, several from the same angle, with something showing size. Note when you took them, and photograph how they changeDon't edit or crop; keep the original files. Don't force yourself to photograph intimate areas; ask a doctor or the police
Medical certificate and recordsSee a doctor even for minor injuries and tell them who did what. Ask for a certificate with the first visit date and treatment period; keep patient cards and receiptsWhat it says is the doctor's decision. See a doctor for mental health effects too; a certificate is needed to claim harm to your mind in a protection order
Records of consulting the police or a centerGo in person, and note the date, office, person and what you saidRequired in the protection order application. Some courts say a phone call isn't enough. Ask the office how to obtain its records
Photos of broken things or roomsBroken items, holes in walls, a wrecked room, photographed as they are before tidying up. Keep broken itemsDon't show anything that reveals where you are staying
LINE, email, call logsThreats and apologies, as full screens showing the date, time and sender's name, with the messages around them. Note the times of callsUnsent messages disappear; save them when they arrive. Don't look at the abuser's phone
Audio and videoScenes you are in, with what came before and after; keep the original files uneditedBeing found out can increase the danger. Don't record conversations where you aren't present
Diary or notesThe same day: date, time, place, what was done, where you were hurt, whether you saw a doctor or called the police, specificallyNotes written later in one go are believed less; combine them with other records
Other people's accountsWrite down what people who saw it, heard noises, or whom you told right afterwards said; you can ask them to sign a written statementTestimony alone is often given little weight

This table shows general tendencies based on law firms' explanations and courts' guidance. How evidence is weighed depends on the case.

How to photograph injuries

  1. Photograph them as soon as you can. Bruises and wounds fade. A forensic medicine specialist explains that bruises change color over time and generally heal in about 2 to 5 weeks.
  2. Include your face, so it's clear whose injury it is. Law firms explain that photos showing both the injured area and your face in one frame are more believable.
  3. Take both wide shots and close-ups: one showing which part of the body is injured, and several close-ups of the injury.
  4. Include something that shows size. Guidance on medical documentation recommends photographing a ruler or similar object alongside, and taking several shots from the same angle.
  5. Note the date and time: when the violence happened and when you took the photos.
  6. Photograph how they change. Photographing a bruise the same way as its color changes can help as a record of its progress.
  7. Don't edit. Adjusting brightness, cropping or adding filters invites suspicion of editing. Keep the original files as taken.
  8. Photograph broken things and the room too: broken furniture or appliances, holes in walls, a wrecked room, before you tidy up.

Making the photos' dates easier to show later. The date a phone records can be changed afterwards. If you send the photos to a family member or friend you trust the same day, a record stays on their side too. But apps such as LINE compress images and can strip the recorded date, so keep the original files on your phone after sending. See how to prove when a photo was taken.

For injuries to intimate areas, or after sexual violence, you don't have to photograph them yourself. Contact a medical institution, the police, or a One-Stop Support Center for victims of sexual crimes and sexual violence (#8891). #8891 is free and open 24 hours a day (0120-8891-77 from Hikari phone lines); the call goes to the nearest center. The Cabinet Office's chat service for sexual violence, Cure Time, also has an English option.

Medical certificates and records

  • See a doctor even for minor injuries. Law firms explain that a medical certificate and records of treatment are strong evidence of DV.
  • You can see a doctor with confidence. Doctors and other medical staff who find injuries caused by DV may report it to a support center or the police, but they are to try to respect the victim's wishes when doing so (Article 6(2)).
  • Tell the doctor you were assaulted. Some law firms recommend telling the doctor when, who, with what and where on your body, having even small injuries examined, and asking for a certificate showing the first visit date and the treatment period. What goes in the certificate is the doctor's decision.
  • See a doctor for your mental health too. To claim serious harm to your mind in a protection order application, you need a certificate showing symptoms requiring treatment.
  • Keep patient cards, receipts and your medication record book (okusuri techō). They show when you saw a doctor.

Records of consulting the police or a support center

  • These records are made by a third party. Law firms explain that the fact you consulted the police or a support center can help support your account.
  • They feed directly into a protection order: you state the consultation in the application, and the court asks that office for a document (see Consult a support center or the police before you apply).
  • If officers came after a 110 call, note when you called, which station the officers were from and what they did. Whether that counts as the "consultation" a protection order application asks about is something to check when you later go to a police station or support center.
  • To get a copy of the records, some law firms say you may be given a document such as a consultation card. You can also request disclosure of your personal information held by the police under the Act on the Protection of Personal Information. Ask the office what can be disclosed.

LINE, recordings, cameras and a diary

  • LINE and email. Threatening messages such as "I'll kill you" can show threats, including the "threats" a protection order requires. Law firms explain that apologies sent after violence can also be evidence that it happened. Save full screens showing the date, time and sender's name, with the messages around them. If the abuser unsends a message, it disappears from your screen too, so save messages when they arrive.
  • Call logs. Some phones don't show the date and time, so some law firms recommend noting which number called and when.
  • Audio and video. Recordings of violence can be strong evidence. But if the abuser notices you're trying to record, the violence may get worse. Getting away and calling 110 come before recording. Don't place a recorder or camera where you aren't present.
  • A diary or notes. After violence, write down the same day: the date and time, the place, what was done (with what, where on your body, how many times), where you were hurt, whether you saw a doctor, called the police or asked for help, and whether there are photos or recordings.

Where to keep evidence

  • Not on a device, photo album or cloud account you share with the abuser. Check that nothing backs up automatically to an account they can see.
  • Keep copies somewhere the abuser can't reach: with a family member or friend you trust, or as agreed with a support center or lawyer.
  • Keep paper medical certificates and consultation slips where the abuser won't find them.
  • When you leave, don't stay in danger for the sake of evidence. Take only what you safely can.

If you have little or no evidence

  • You can get help without evidence. Consulting a support center or the police itself creates a record that can be used in later procedures.
  • Your own written statement is evidence too. Courts list "written statements by the applicant or others" alongside medical certificates and photos as examples of material showing violence. Try writing down, in time order and as far as you remember, when and what violence you suffered.
  • Time passing doesn't mean it's too late. The Cabinet Office explains that even if three months have passed since the violence, an order can be made if you are judged to be at great risk of serious harm from further violence; there is no fixed cut-off.
  • But the court decides whether to make an order. Ask a support center or a lawyer what to prepare.
  • Look for what you already have: clinics you visited before, offices you consulted, messages you sent family or friends right after an incident, photos you took and forgot.
  • Start keeping records today. Next time, the same day: take photos, see a doctor, write it down and consult an office.
  • Shelter and temporary protection are separate from protection orders. Ask for help first, even without evidence.

Violence by a partner you don't live with

The Cabinet Office calls violence by a dating partner "dating DV," and tells victims that "you don't need your partner's OK to break up." Which law protects you depends on whether you live together.

A partner you live with (a dating partner with whom you share your main home): the DV Prevention Act applies, and you can apply for a protection order (Article 28-2). Living together as friends, such as flatmates, is not included. If you have stopped living together, it still applies to violence continuing from when you did. When applying, you also submit material showing you lived together.

A partner you don't live with: protection orders are not available. But:

  • Violence is a crime. Hitting or kicking can be assault or injury whether or not you are dating. Threats such as "I'll kill you" may be intimidation, and breaking your things may be damage to property. Go to your nearest police station.
  • The Anti-Stalking Act covers following and harassment. Repeatedly following you, lying in wait, turning up at your home, continuing calls or messages after you refuse, or obtaining your location without consent, out of romantic feelings or resentment, can fall under the Anti-Stalking Act.
  • A lawyer can help with other options. The Cabinet Office mentions asking a district court for a provisional disposition under the Civil Provisional Remedies Act ordering the person not to approach you. You may also claim damages for treatment costs and emotional distress.
  • Where to get help: the Cabinet Office points dating DV victims to DV Consultation Navi (#8008). DV Soudan Plus also takes consultations about violence by a partner, and its chat is available in English.

Don'ts

  • Don't confront the abuser, show them your evidence or say you'll sue. It may provoke them and increase the danger.
  • Don't provoke them into violence or abuse. Your own words and actions are recorded too.
  • Don't stay somewhere dangerous to collect evidence. Get away and get help first.
  • Don't look at the abuser's phone without permission, or log in with their ID and password. Logging in with someone else's ID and password without permission is banned by the Act on Prohibition of Unauthorized Computer Access (Article 3) and punishable by up to 3 years' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥1 million (Article 11). There is no exception for spouses or partners.
  • Don't hide recorders or cameras where you aren't present. The recordings may not be usable, and you could be held liable.
  • Don't post on social media or publish photos of your injuries. It can raise defamation and privacy issues, and posts and photos can reveal where you are.
  • Don't edit photos or recordings, or keep only the convenient parts and delete the originals. It can make all your records less believable.
  • Don't keep evidence on devices or cloud accounts you share with the abuser. They may see or delete it.

What PEA can and can't do

PEA (Professional Evidence Authenticator), from Lumina Spark in Japan, checks an image for signs of AI generation or editing with several independent analyses and shows a grade from 1 to 10. It does not decide whether violence happened. Calling 110 when in danger, seeing a doctor, taking photos and getting help come first; PEA is an extra step after that.

  • Check photos of injuries or broken things for signs of AI generation or editing. If the abuser says "that photo is edited" or "you made it with AI," the result is one piece of material.
  • Use the original file from your phone. Images sent through LINE and similar apps are compressed, leaving less to analyze. Where nothing usable is left, PEA says "Not assessed (Grade –)" instead of guessing, and suggests a human review.
  • For screenshots of threatening messages, it lists whether what identifies the conversation is shown. A screenshot with no traces of editing gets at most Grade 6 (no signs of alteration), and the certificate states that whether the content shown on screen really existed is outside its scope.
  • Fix a file's state in a form others can verify. When you run a check, PEA records the file's SHA-256 hash and seals it with an Ed25519 digital signature and an RFC 3161 timestamp from a third-party time-stamping authority (the timestamp is the time of the check). Turn it into a certificate within 7 days (¥1,000 per image, charged in yen; international cards accepted), and a lawyer or anyone else can check it by certificate number on PEA's public verification page.
  • Check photos on the day you take them, since the timestamp is the time of the check.
  • Images only (JPEG, PNG, HEIC, up to 25 MB); audio recordings and videos can't be checked.
  • PEA's photo date and location checker (Japanese page) shows the date and location recorded in a photo without uploading it. Use it before giving anyone a photo file, to check that your shelter's location isn't recorded in it.

Using PEA safely as a DV victim:

  • Don't let the abuser find out. Using it on a device or email address you share with them may reveal it.
  • The certificate's verification page shows the file name. If the file name contains your shelter's area, your name or anything similar, rename the file before checking it.
  • Don't upload nude or sexual images. Our terms of use prohibit submitting sexual images of other people without their consent.

PEA can't confirm whether violence happened, who caused an injury, when it was caused, or whether what an image shows is true. It shows that the image file existed at the time of the check and hasn't changed since, plus the analysis results. The timestamp is not one accredited by Japan's Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications, and we can't promise that a court will accept the certificate as evidence in a protection order or other case. Whether to make a protection order is for the court to decide. The account and certificate screens are in Japanese; browser translation works on them. Staff see an image only if you request a human review and consent, and free results are deleted after 7 days.

This article is general information about Japan, not legal advice.

Where to get help

  • If you feel in danger: call 110 in an emergency. DV Consultation Navi (#8008) connects you to the nearest Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center; DV Soudan Plus takes calls 24 hours (0120-279-889, in Japanese) and chat from 12:00 to 22:00 (English available). For non-emergency police consultations, call #9110.
  • Temporary protection, shelter, and applying for a protection order: a Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center. Application forms are on each district court's website (in Japanese).
  • Sexual violence: One-Stop Support Centers for victims of sexual crimes and sexual violence (#8891, free, 24 hours).
  • Help in English for foreign residents: the FRESC Help Desk (0570-011000, weekdays 9:00 to 17:00) and the Houterasu Multilingual Information Service (0570-078377, weekdays 9:00 to 17:00).
  • Legal advice about DV: Houterasu's legal consultation aid for victims of DV, stalking and child abuse can be used regardless of income. It is free if your cash and savings total ¥3 million or less; otherwise it costs ¥5,500 (under 60 minutes) or ¥11,000 (60 minutes or more). Apply through the Crime Victim Support Dial, 0120-079714 (weekdays 9:00 to 21:00, Saturdays 9:00 to 17:00; 03-6745-5601 from IP phones), in Japanese.
  • Divorce and compensation: Houterasu's free legal consultations (income and asset limits apply) or your local bar association's legal consultation center.
  • Emotional support in English: TELL Lifeline, free counseling for anyone in Japan, by phone (0800-300-8355, toll-free) and by chat (daily from 16:00); hours vary by day, so check its website.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as evidence of domestic violence in Japan?

Photos of injuries, a doctor's medical certificate or records of treatment, and records of consulting the police or a Spousal Violence Counseling and Support Center carry the most weight. Photos of broken things or a wrecked room, threatening messages and apologies after violence, recordings, a diary written the same day, and accounts by people who saw it can also help. What matters is that photos, certificates and consultation records point to the same incidents. If the abuser might notice you collecting evidence, put your safety first.

What can I do if I have no evidence of DV?

You can still consult a support center (#8008), the police, or the government's DV consultation service. Consulting creates a record, and a protection order application must state whether you consulted. Your own written statement can be submitted as evidence. From now on, if something happens, photograph it, see a doctor and write it down the same day. The court decides whether to make an order, so ask a support center or lawyer what to prepare.

How should I photograph injuries from domestic violence?

As soon as possible, take photos that include your face and close-ups of the injury, several from the same angle, with a ruler or similar object for scale. Note when the violence happened and when you took the photos, and photograph bruises as they change. Don't edit or crop; keep the original files, and see a doctor even for minor injuries. For intimate areas, you don't have to photograph them yourself; contact a doctor, the police or #8891.

Do I need evidence for a protection order in Japan?

Yes. You submit material showing you suffered violence or threats, and that you are at great risk of serious harm from further violence. Courts give examples such as medical certificates, photos of injuries, written statements by you or others, and copies of emails or letters. The application must also say whether you consulted a support center or the police; if not, you need a notarized statement. Some courts say a phone call isn't enough, so go to an office in person.

Can I get help for violence by a boyfriend or girlfriend I don't live with?

Yes. The Cabinet Office points victims of dating violence to DV Consultation Navi (#8008). Protection orders under the DV Prevention Act are only for partners you live with, but hitting or kicking can be assault or injury whoever does it, and following you after a breakup can fall under the Anti-Stalking Act. Keep photos of injuries and medical records, and go to the police.

I'm a foreign national in Japan. Can I get help with domestic violence in English?

Yes. The DV Prevention Act applies to foreign nationals too. DV Soudan Plus offers chat in English and nine other languages from 12:00 to 22:00 (its 24-hour phone line is in Japanese), and the FRESC Help Desk (0570-011000, weekdays 9:00 to 17:00) answers in English, including about DV. If your visa is based on marriage, the Immigration Services Agency lists needing temporary shelter or protection from spousal violence as a case where status is not revoked for not living as a spouse.

Sources