Can a foreigner buy property in Japan?

Yes. Japan places no nationality restriction on freehold residential property purchase. Any foreign individual or corporation can buy land (tochi — 土地) and buildings (tatemono — 建物) on the same fee-simple basis as Japanese citizens. The Real Estate Brokerage Act and the Real Property Registration Act governing the transaction make no distinction by nationality.

Does buying property in Japan grant residency or a visa?

No. Property ownership does not confer any residency right or visa. Japan has no investor-visa pathway tied to real estate alone.

What is Form 22 under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act?

Form 22 (Fudōsan Shutoku Todokede-sho — 不動産取得届出書) is the post-acquisition report a non-resident files with the Bank of Japan, addressed to the Minister of Finance, within 20 days of acquiring real property in Japan. The statutory basis is Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act Article 55-3. Since 1 April 2026, every non-resident acquisition triggers this obligation regardless of purpose.

What changed on 1 April 2026 for foreign buyers?

The prior exemption for personal-residence acquisitions by non-residents under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act was eliminated. All non-resident real-estate acquisitions — personal residence, investment, vacation use, or any other purpose — now trigger Form 22 reporting within 20 days. Nationality disclosure at ownership-transfer registration also became mandatory for all buyers (Japanese and foreign alike), though nationality is not published in the public registry.

Do I need to file with the Cabinet Office?

Only if the property sits within a Special Monitoring Zone (tokubetsu chūshi kuiki — 特別注視区域) and is 200 m² or larger. These zones cluster around defense-related facilities, critical infrastructure, and designated border-island regions. Verify zone status at the Cabinet Office zone viewer (resum2.go.jp) before signing the contract. The zone test and 200 m² threshold apply equally to Japanese and foreign buyers — the screening is tied to geographic location, not buyer nationality.

Why is it hard to get a mortgage as a foreigner?

The barrier is institutional, not statutory. Major Japanese banks (MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho, Resona) commonly require permanent residency (eijūken — 永住権), a Japanese-citizen spouse as co-borrower, or an extended record of stable Japanese employment (typically two or more years with the same employer). No law restricts banks from lending to non-permanent-residents, but underwriting practice does. Foreign-friendlier lenders include SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia), Shinsei Bank / SBI Shinsei, Tokyo Star Bank, and Sony Bank, typically at higher down-payment thresholds — 20% to 50% for non-permanent-residents is the common band.

What is the Important Matter Explanation?

The Important Matter Explanation under Real Estate Brokerage Act Article 35 is the mandatory pre-contract disclosure that a licensed Real Estate Transaction Specialist delivers in person or via approved video conference before the buyer signs. It covers registered title status, structural information, easements and restrictions, infrastructure, hazard-map status, financing conditions, contract terms, and cancellation rights. The licensed specialist presents an identification card during the explanation.

How much should I expect to pay in total closing costs?

Approximately 6–10% of the property price, excluding the down-payment portion and excluding ongoing taxes. Major components: broker commission (about 3.3% of price including consumption tax), Stamp Duty (band-dependent), Registration and License Tax (typically 1.5–2.0% across land and building), judicial scrivener fee (¥80,000–¥200,000 typical), Real Estate Acquisition Tax at the 3% residential rate billed three to six months later, and mortgage origination plus guarantee fees if the purchase is financed.

Can I file Form 22 in English?

No. The Ministry of Finance requires the report to be written in Japanese. An agent residing in Japan may file on the non-resident's behalf — brokerages and administrative scriveners (gyōsei-shoshi — 行政書士) commonly handle this filing as part of the closing package.

Does owning Japanese property create any annual tax obligation?

Yes. Two annual taxes apply: the Fixed Asset Tax (固定資産税) at 1.4% of the assessed value, plus the City Planning Tax (都市計画税) at 0.3% of the assessed value in designated urban planning zones. Both are billed by the municipality, typically in four installments per year. Property held by a non-resident may additionally generate Japan-side income-tax obligations on rental income.

Buying property in Japan as a foreign buyer

Researched from official sources · May 22, 2026

Foreign nationals can buy Japanese real estate outright on the same freehold basis as Japanese citizens.

There is no nationality restriction on residential property purchase. Four distinct layers shape the pathway: open acquisition under the Real Estate Brokerage Act; a post-purchase reporting obligation under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act for non-residents; a narrow geographic advance-notification trigger under the Important Land Investigation Act in Special Monitoring Zones over 200 m²; and a mortgage-eligibility barrier that is institutional rather than statutory, with most mega-banks requiring permanent residency or a Japanese spouse.

Estimated time

Six to twelve weeks from offer to registered title, with mortgage approval the dominant variable for financed purchases

Cost

Approximately 6–10% of the property price in one-time closing costs (broker commission, taxes, judicial scrivener fees), plus down-payment and any mortgage origination fees

I am:

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What You Need

Tap to check off items as you gather them

Identification (身分証明書 (Mibun Shōmei-sho))

Required for

Contract signing and ownership-transfer registration

Document

Passport for non-residents; Residence Card (在留カード — Zairyū Kādo) for resident foreigners

Issued by

Country of citizenship for passport; Immigration Services Agency of Japan for Residence Card
Registered seal certificate or notarised signature affidavit (印鑑証明書 (Inkan Shōmei-sho))

Required for

Ownership-transfer registration at the Legal Affairs Bureau

Resident pathway

Registered seal certificate from the municipality where the buyer is registered

Non-resident pathway

Notarised signature affidavit from the country of residence in lieu of the seal certificate

The judicial scrivener will instruct on which form of identification authentication is acceptable for the specific transaction. Non-resident pathway documents are commonly notarised and apostilled in the buyer's country of residence.
Power of Attorney (non-resident, optional) (委任状 (Ininjō))

Required for

Appointing a Japan-resident agent to act on the non-resident buyer's behalf at signing or registration

Authentication

Notarised in the buyer's country of residence and commonly apostilled

Many non-resident buyers appoint a judicial scrivener or administrative scrivener as agent to handle the registration leg and the post-purchase reporting in Japanese.
Proof of income (収入証明 (Shūnyū Shōmei))

Required for

Mortgage underwriting if the purchase is financed

Resident pathway

Japanese tax return and withholding-slip gensen-chōshū-hyō (源泉徴収票)

Non-resident pathway

Foreign tax return and equivalent income statements; specific requirements vary by lender
Japanese bank account (銀行口座 (Ginkō Kōza))

Required for

Wiring the balance to the seller on settlement day and for ongoing tax payment

Opened at

A Japanese bank or a foreign-friendlier institution such as SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia) or Shinsei Bank

Settlement requires the buyer to wire the balance from a Japanese account, and the wire must clear same-day. Open the account well before the settlement date to avoid delays.
Property registry extract (登記事項証明書 (Tōki Jikō Shōmei-sho))

Issued by

Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局 — Hōmukyoku)

Typically obtained by

The brokerage on the buyer's behalf
Important Matter Explanation document (重要事項説明書 (Jūyō Jikō Setsumei-sho))

Required for

Pre-contract disclosure under Real Estate Brokerage Act Article 35

Delivered by

Licensed Real Estate Transaction Specialist (宅地建物取引士 — Takken-shi) at the brokerage

The licensed specialist presents an identification card (shi-shō — 士証) during the explanation. The explanation may be delivered in person or via approved video conference.
Sales contract document (売買契約書 (Baibai Keiyaku-sho))

Required for

Signing the binding sales contract

Delivered by

The brokerage, per Real Estate Brokerage Act Article 37

Stamp Duty is paid by affixing a revenue stamp directly to the contract document at signing.

Additional Items

The 1 April 2026 Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act change is now in force: the prior exemption for personal-residence acquisitions by non-residents was eliminated. Every non-resident real-estate acquisition — personal residence, investment, vacation use, or any other purpose — triggers the 20-day Form 22 post-purchase report obligation, regardless of intended use.
The Special Monitoring Zone (tokubetsu chūshi kuiki — 特別注視区域) and 200 m² tests under the Important Land Investigation Act apply equally to Japanese and foreign buyers; the screening is tied to geographic location around defense-related facilities and critical infrastructure, not to buyer nationality.
The Real Estate Acquisition Tax 3% residential rate is currently scheduled to sunset on 31 March 2027 and revert to the 4% standard rate unless renewed; the reduced Registration and License Tax rates (1.5% residential land / 0.3% qualifying owner-occupied building) are scheduled to sunset on the same date and revert to the 2.0% standard rate unless renewed.
The mortgage-availability barrier for non-permanent-residents is institutional, not statutory. No law restricts banks from lending to non-permanent-residents, but the major mega-banks (MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho, Resona) commonly require permanent residency, a Japanese-citizen spouse, or extended Japanese employment tenure. Foreign-friendlier lenders include SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia), Shinsei Bank / SBI Shinsei, Tokyo Star Bank, and Sony Bank, typically at higher down-payment thresholds.
Vacant-house (akiya — 空き家) listings sit outside most mega-bank residential mortgage products. Cash purchase is the dominant pathway. Some municipalities operate dedicated matching boards (akiya bank — 空き家バンク) that connect buyers with listed properties. The Important Matter Explanation under Real Estate Brokerage Act Article 35 still applies.
Joint purchase by a resident spouse and a non-resident spouse: each owner's share is treated separately under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act. The non-resident spouse's share triggers the Form 22 reporting obligation on their portion only; the resident spouse's share does not.
From 1 April 2026, all property buyers (Japanese and foreign alike) must disclose nationality on the ownership-transfer registration application at the Legal Affairs Bureau by submitting a passport or residence card copy. Nationality is NOT published in the public real-estate registry — privacy is preserved — but the government retains the nationality record internally.
Investment-property mortgages carry stricter underwriting than owner-occupier mortgages. SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia) publishes an investment-property minimum income that is higher than its home-loan threshold, and the Form 22 post-acquisition report applies on the same 20-day deadline regardless of investment versus owner-occupier intent.

Step-by-Step

1

Engage a licensed brokerage and search listings
1. Engage a licensed real-estate brokerage that holds a brokerage license from the prefectural governor or, for multi-prefecture operators, from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
2. Listings are aggregated through the Real Estate Information Network for East Japan (REINS, fudōsan ryūtsū kikō — 不動産流通機構), a broker-side service that brokers must register listings on; consumer-facing portals (SUUMO, Homes, AtHome) republish a subset
3. The brokerage is your operational counterpart across search, the Important Matter Explanation, contract signing, settlement, and registration
💡 Tip: Foreign-buyer-experienced brokerages typically also coordinate the post-purchase report filing in Japanese on the buyer's behalf at no additional cost beyond the standard commission.
2

Make an offer with a letter of intent

買付証明書 (Kaitsuke Shōmeisho)
1. Sign a non-binding letter of intent (kaitsuke shōmeisho — 買付証明書) setting the offered price and proposed conditions
2. The seller responds with a letter of acceptance (uri-watashi shōmeisho — 売渡証明書) or a counter-offer
3. Negotiation typically takes a few days to a few weeks
3

Receive the Important Matter Explanation

重要事項説明 (Jūyō Jikō Setsumei)
1. A Licensed Real Estate Transaction Specialist (Takken-shi — 宅地建物取引士) at the brokerage delivers the Jūyō Jikō Setsumei in person or via approved video conference
2. The explanation covers registered title status, structural information, easements and restrictions, infrastructure, hazard-map status, financing conditions, contract terms, and cancellation rights
3. The licensed specialist must present a Real Estate Transaction Specialist identification card (shi-shō — 士証) during the explanation
💡 Tip: The Important Matter Explanation is a pre-contract disclosure. The contract is signed at a separate session, typically immediately after.

⚠️ Watch out: If the licensed specialist does not produce the identification card or skips load-bearing disclosure items (hazard-map status, easements, financing terms), pause the process and raise it with the brokerage. Article 35 obligations are mandatory; a deficient explanation is grounds to delay signing and is reportable to the prefectural governor's brokerage-license office.
4

Sign the sales contract and pay the deposit

売買契約 (Baibai Keiyaku)
1. Sign the sales contract (baibai keiyaku-sho — 売買契約書) with the seller, witnessed by the brokerage
2. Pay the deposit (tetsuke-kin — 手付金), typically 5–20% of the purchase price; 10% is the most common practice
3. Affix the revenue stamp to the contract for the Stamp Duty (Inshi-zei — 印紙税); the rate depends on the contract value
4. The brokerage delivers the formal contract document per Real Estate Brokerage Act Article 37
💡 Tip: Stamp Duty rates are reduced through 31 March 2027 — for a contract priced in the ¥10,000,000–¥50,000,000 band, the reduced stamp is ¥10,000 versus the standard ¥20,000.
5

Finalise the mortgage (if financed)

住宅ローン (Jūtaku Rōn)

Expat Resident
If the purchase is financed
1. The lender's internal approval (shinsa — 審査) is completed; loan documents are signed; the lender wires settlement funds on the settlement day
2. Mega-bank underwriting commonly requires permanent residency (eijūken — 永住権), a Japanese-citizen spouse as co-borrower, or two-plus years of continuous Japanese employment with the same employer
3. Foreign-friendlier lenders — SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia), Shinsei Bank / SBI Shinsei, Tokyo Star Bank, Sony Bank — publish more accessible criteria, typically at higher down-payment thresholds (20–50% for non-permanent-residents)
💡 Tip: Lenders also routinely require a Japanese bank account and an income history denominated in Japanese yen or in a recognised foreign currency the lender accepts.

⚠️ Watch out: If the mega-bank application is declined and the contract has already been signed, two recovery options exist: pivot to a foreign-friendlier lender (typically a 2–6 week approval timeline at SMBC Trust Bank or Shinsei Bank) or restructure the contract to a higher cash component. The contract typically contains a jūtaku-rōn-tokuyaku (housing-loan special clause) that lets the buyer cancel without forfeiting the deposit if financing fails — confirm this clause is present before signing.
6

Attend settlement and file ownership-transfer registration

決済と登記 (Kessai to Tōki)
1. Settlement (kessai — 決済) occurs in person, typically at the buyer's lender's branch or a designated venue
2. The buyer wires the balance to the seller from a Japanese bank account; the wire must clear same-day
3. A judicial scrivener (shihō-shoshi — 司法書士) — retained by the buyer or, more commonly, by the lender — receives the transfer documents and files the ownership-transfer registration (shoyū-ken iten tōki — 所有権移転登記) at the Legal Affairs Bureau (Hōmukyoku — 法務局) the same day
4. Registration and License Tax (Tōroku Menkyo-zei — 登録免許税) is paid at registration: 1.5% of assessed value for residential land and 0.3% for qualifying owner-occupied residential building at the current concessionary rates (sunset date listed in the additional items)
💡 Tip: The judicial scrivener's professional fee typically lands between ¥80,000 and ¥200,000 in addition to the statutory taxes.
7

File post-settlement reports
1. Non-resident buyer: file the Form 22 / Report on Acquisition of Real Estate in Japan (Fudōsan Shutoku Todokede-sho — 不動産取得届出書) with the Bank of Japan, addressed to the Minister of Finance, within 20 days of acquisition
2. All buyers: at ownership-transfer registration the Legal Affairs Bureau records nationality (passport or residence card copy submitted with the application) under the current registration framework; nationality is retained internally and is not published in the public registry. The force-date for this disclosure requirement is listed in the additional items
3. Special Monitoring Zone case: if not already filed before transfer, the advance notification to the Cabinet Office is required for properties of 200 m² or larger inside a Special Monitoring Zone — verify zone status at the Cabinet Office zone viewer (resum2.go.jp) before signing the contract
💡 Tip: The Ministry of Finance Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act leaflet states the report must be written in Japanese and may be submitted either by the non-resident who acquired the real property or by an agent residing in Japan. A gyōsei-shoshi (行政書士 — administrative scrivener) or the brokerage typically handles this filing on the buyer's behalf as part of the closing package.

⚠️ Watch out: If the 20-day filing window is missed, file as soon as possible. Late filings are commonly resolved with administrative correction; Article 70 carries a statutory ceiling of imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to ¥3,000,000 for violations of the Act, but criminal penalty is the extreme case. The conservative path is to over-file rather than under-file.

Ministry of Finance — Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act real-property reporting (mof.go.jp ↗) Cabinet Office — zone viewer (resum2.go.jp ↗)
8

Set up ongoing tax payments
1. Wait for the Real Estate Acquisition Tax notice (Fudōsan Shutokuzei — 不動産取得税) from the prefectural tax office, typically three to six months after acquisition; pay at a bank, convenience store, or designated financial institution
2. Wait for the annual Fixed Asset Tax notice (Kotei Shisanzei — 固定資産税) from the municipality, plus City Planning Tax (Toshi Keikaku-zei — 都市計画税) in designated urban planning zones; billed typically in four instalments per year
3. Set up automatic municipal payment to avoid missed instalments — non-residents commonly designate a Japan-resident representative for tax-payment correspondence (nōzei kanri-nin — 納税管理人)
💡 Tip: Designating a nōzei kanri-nin (tax representative in Japan) is a common non-resident workaround for municipal correspondence that arrives in Japanese.

Local Tips from the Community

Verify Special Monitoring Zone status at the Cabinet Office zone viewer (resum2.go.jp) BEFORE signing the contract — an advance notification is required for transfers of land or buildings of 200 m² or larger inside a zone, and the test applies equally to Japanese and foreign buyers.
Open a Japanese bank account well before settlement day. The buyer must wire the balance from a Japanese account to the seller and the wire must clear same-day; non-residents who arrive at settlement without an account in place routinely face delays.
Engage a gyōsei-shoshi (administrative scrivener) or have the brokerage handle the post-purchase report in Japanese on your behalf — the Ministry of Finance accepts agent filings.
Closing costs commonly land at 6–10% of the property price. The biggest line items are broker commission, Registration and License Tax, Real Estate Acquisition Tax (billed three to six months later), and the judicial scrivener's professional fee.
Vacant-house (空き家) listings sit outside mega-bank mortgage products; cash purchase is the dominant pathway, and some municipalities run dedicated matching boards for these properties.

What Could Go Wrong

Submit the post-purchase report on time: Twenty-day filing window missed because the buyer assumed the obligation could be filed in English or after returning to their home country

Recovery: File as soon as possible through a Japan-resident agent — a gyōsei-shoshi (行政書士) or the brokerage. The Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act carries a statutory penalty exposure under Article 70 (imprisonment up to three years or fine up to ¥3,000,000 for violations of the Act), though late filings are commonly resolved with administrative correction rather than criminal penalty in practice. The conservative path is to file regardless of the borderline status.

Check Special Monitoring Zone status before signing: Contract signed and the property is later discovered to sit within a Special Monitoring Zone and exceed 200 m²; no advance notification was filed with the Cabinet Office

Recovery: The Cabinet Office may issue recommendations or orders (kankoku / meirei — 勧告・命令) post-discovery if the proposed use risks obstructing the function of the protected facility. Always verify zone status at resum2.go.jp before signing; the brokerage is expected to flag this under the Important Matter Explanation, but ultimate diligence sits with the buyer.

Confuse the FEFTA report with the 14 June 2026 Specified Residence Card change: Press coverage of the 14 June 2026 Specified Residence Card opt-in is conflated with property-purchase rules

Recovery: These are unrelated events. Property-purchase rules are governed by the Real Estate Brokerage Act, the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (whose recent expansion of the non-resident reporting obligation is in force), the Important Land Investigation Act, and the Real Property Registration Act. The Specified Residence Card change has no bearing on property purchase. Specific force-dates are listed in the additional items above.

Open a Japanese bank account: Settlement day arrives without a Japanese bank account in place; the wire to the seller cannot clear same-day

Recovery: Reschedule the settlement date with the seller and broker; expect goodwill costs in the form of holding-deposit forfeiture risk. Open the account well before settlement — foreign-friendlier institutions such as SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia) commonly accept non-resident applications with longer remote-onboarding flows.

Costs

Item	Amount	Payment	Notes
Broker commission (statutory cap for contract price above ¥4,000,000)	¥60,000	Bank transfer or wire to brokerage at settlement	Quick-calculation method: 3% of price + ¥60,000 + 10% consumption tax. Full tiered formula: 5% on the portion up to ¥2M, 4% on the ¥2M–¥4M portion, 3% on the portion above ¥4M, plus 10% consumption tax. Statutory basis: Real Estate Brokerage Act Article 46 and Ministry of Construction Notification 1552 (1970).
Stamp Duty (印紙税) — contracts ¥10M–¥50M reduced band	¥10,000	Revenue stamp affixed to the contract document	Schedule: ¥1,000 for contracts ¥1M–¥5M; ¥5,000 for ¥5M–¥10M; ¥10,000 for ¥10M–¥50M; ¥30,000 for ¥50M–¥100M; ¥60,000 for ¥100M–¥500M. Reduced rates apply through 31 March 2027 under the current concession; standard rates resume after sunset unless renewed.
Registration and License Tax — residential land (登録免許税)	¥0	Revenue stamp at the Legal Affairs Bureau on the registration day	Reduced rate of 1.5% of the land's assessed value applies through 31 March 2027 (versus the 2.0% standard rate). Standard rate resumes after sunset unless renewed. Charged on assessed value, not market price.
Registration and License Tax — owner-occupied residential building	¥0	Revenue stamp at the Legal Affairs Bureau on the registration day	Reduced rate of 0.3% of the building's assessed value applies to qualifying owner-occupied residential buildings through 31 March 2027 (versus the 2.0% standard rate). Qualifying conditions include floor area of at least 50 m² and certain construction-date thresholds.
Judicial scrivener (司法書士) professional fee	¥80,000–¥200,000	Bank transfer at settlement	The judicial scrivener prepares and files the ownership-transfer registration on settlement day. Lender-retained scriveners are common when the purchase is financed.
Real Estate Acquisition Tax (不動産取得税) — residential rate	¥0	Bank, convenience store, or designated financial institution after the prefectural notice arrives	Reduced rate of 3% of the assessed value applies to residential properties and land through 31 March 2027 (versus the 4% standard rate). Billed by the prefectural tax office approximately three to six months after acquisition; standard rate resumes after sunset unless renewed.
Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act post-purchase report (Form 22)	¥0	No payment — filing is a reporting obligation, not a fee	Filed by a non-resident with the Bank of Japan, addressed to the Minister of Finance, within 20 days of acquisition. The Ministry of Finance does not charge a filing fee.
Important Land Investigation Act advance notification (Special Monitoring Zone, 200 m²+ only)	¥0	No payment — the Cabinet Office does not charge for the advance notification	Required before the transfer of ownership or comparable rights to land or buildings of 200 m² or larger within a Special Monitoring Zone. Applies equally to Japanese and foreign buyers.
Mortgage origination and guarantee fees (if financed)	¥0	Deducted from loan disbursement or paid separately at settlement	Typically 1–2% of the loan amount in combined origination and guarantee fees; varies materially by lender. Foreign-friendlier lenders commonly carry higher fee bands than mega-banks.
Annual Fixed Asset Tax (固定資産税)	¥0	Municipal billing — typically four installments per year	1.4% of the assessed value, billed annually by the municipality. Ongoing cost after purchase, not a closing cost.
Annual City Planning Tax (都市計画税)	¥0	Municipal billing — typically four installments per year	0.3% of the assessed value in designated urban planning zones. Billed together with the Fixed Asset Tax. Ongoing cost, not a closing cost.

Broker commission (statutory cap for contract price above ¥4,000,000) ¥60,000

Payment:: Bank transfer or wire to brokerage at settlement
Notes:: Quick-calculation method: 3% of price + ¥60,000 + 10% consumption tax. Full tiered formula: 5% on the portion up to ¥2M, 4% on the ¥2M–¥4M portion, 3% on the portion above ¥4M, plus 10% consumption tax. Statutory basis: Real Estate Brokerage Act Article 46 and Ministry of Construction Notification 1552 (1970).

Stamp Duty (印紙税) — contracts ¥10M–¥50M reduced band ¥10,000

Payment:: Revenue stamp affixed to the contract document
Notes:: Schedule: ¥1,000 for contracts ¥1M–¥5M; ¥5,000 for ¥5M–¥10M; ¥10,000 for ¥10M–¥50M; ¥30,000 for ¥50M–¥100M; ¥60,000 for ¥100M–¥500M. Reduced rates apply through 31 March 2027 under the current concession; standard rates resume after sunset unless renewed.

Registration and License Tax — residential land (登録免許税) ¥0

Payment:: Revenue stamp at the Legal Affairs Bureau on the registration day
Notes:: Reduced rate of 1.5% of the land's assessed value applies through 31 March 2027 (versus the 2.0% standard rate). Standard rate resumes after sunset unless renewed. Charged on assessed value, not market price.

Registration and License Tax — owner-occupied residential building ¥0

Payment:: Revenue stamp at the Legal Affairs Bureau on the registration day
Notes:: Reduced rate of 0.3% of the building's assessed value applies to qualifying owner-occupied residential buildings through 31 March 2027 (versus the 2.0% standard rate). Qualifying conditions include floor area of at least 50 m² and certain construction-date thresholds.

Judicial scrivener (司法書士) professional fee ¥80,000–¥200,000

Payment:: Bank transfer at settlement
Notes:: The judicial scrivener prepares and files the ownership-transfer registration on settlement day. Lender-retained scriveners are common when the purchase is financed.

Real Estate Acquisition Tax (不動産取得税) — residential rate ¥0

Payment:: Bank, convenience store, or designated financial institution after the prefectural notice arrives
Notes:: Reduced rate of 3% of the assessed value applies to residential properties and land through 31 March 2027 (versus the 4% standard rate). Billed by the prefectural tax office approximately three to six months after acquisition; standard rate resumes after sunset unless renewed.

Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act post-purchase report (Form 22) ¥0

Payment:: No payment — filing is a reporting obligation, not a fee
Notes:: Filed by a non-resident with the Bank of Japan, addressed to the Minister of Finance, within 20 days of acquisition. The Ministry of Finance does not charge a filing fee.

Important Land Investigation Act advance notification (Special Monitoring Zone, 200 m²+ only) ¥0

Payment:: No payment — the Cabinet Office does not charge for the advance notification
Notes:: Required before the transfer of ownership or comparable rights to land or buildings of 200 m² or larger within a Special Monitoring Zone. Applies equally to Japanese and foreign buyers.

Mortgage origination and guarantee fees (if financed) ¥0

Payment:: Deducted from loan disbursement or paid separately at settlement
Notes:: Typically 1–2% of the loan amount in combined origination and guarantee fees; varies materially by lender. Foreign-friendlier lenders commonly carry higher fee bands than mega-banks.

Annual Fixed Asset Tax (固定資産税) ¥0

Payment:: Municipal billing — typically four installments per year
Notes:: 1.4% of the assessed value, billed annually by the municipality. Ongoing cost after purchase, not a closing cost.

Annual City Planning Tax (都市計画税) ¥0

Payment:: Municipal billing — typically four installments per year
Notes:: 0.3% of the assessed value in designated urban planning zones. Billed together with the Fixed Asset Tax. Ongoing cost, not a closing cost.

Total: ¥150,000

After This Process

→ File the Form 22 post-purchase report with the Bank of Japan within 20 days of acquisition if you are a non-resident
→ Pay the Real Estate Acquisition Tax notice from the prefectural tax office when it arrives three to six months after acquisition
→ Set up automatic payment for the Fixed Asset Tax and City Planning Tax billed annually by the municipality
→ If the purchase is financed, retain the loan documents and the registration receipt for ongoing lender compliance and any future refinancing
→ Photograph or scan the ownership-transfer registration receipt (登記識別情報通知 — Tōki Shikibetsu Jōhō Tsūchi) and the contract document immediately on settlement day as working copies; store originals safely

Sources

Ministry of Finance — Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act real-property reporting (mof.go.jp ↗)
Cabinet Office — Important Land Investigation Act (cao.go.jp ↗)
Cabinet Office — zone viewer (resum2.go.jp ↗)
Japanese Law Translation — Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (English) (japaneselawtranslation.go.jp ↗)
Japanese Law Translation — Real Estate Brokerage Act (English) (japaneselawtranslation.go.jp ↗)

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7 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-22

T1 official portal · T2 embassy/consulate · T3 news · T4 community — higher tier wins on conflict. methodology →

T1

Ministry of Finance — Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act real-property reporting page 2026-05-22

Reporting Requirement Under the FEFTA For a Non-Resident Acquiring Real Property Located in Japan. The report must be submitted to the Minister of Finance via the Bank of Japan within 20 days after the acquisition. The report must be written in Japanese. This report may be submitted either by the non-resident who acquired the real property or by an agent residing in Japan. Since 1 April 2026, every non-resident acquisition triggers the Form 22 obligation regardless of purpose — the prior personal-residence exemption was eliminated.
mof.go.jp
T1

Cabinet Office — Important Land Investigation Office 2026-05-22

The Important Land Investigation Act (Law No. 84 of 2021) designates Monitoring Zones approximately within a 1,000-metre radius of important facilities (defense-related sites and critical infrastructure) and Special Monitoring Zones as a higher-sensitivity subset. Advance notification to the Cabinet Office is required when transferring ownership or comparable rights to land or buildings of 200 m² or larger within a Special Monitoring Zone. The law took full effect on 20 September 2022. The zone test and 200 m² threshold apply equally to Japanese and foreign buyers — the screening is tied to geographic location, not buyer nationality.
cao.go.jp
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Japanese Law Translation — Real Estate Brokerage Act (English translation) 2026-05-22

The Real Estate Brokerage Act (宅地建物取引業法 — Takuchi Tatemono Torihiki Gyōhō, Law No. 176 of 1952) governs the brokerage of residential and commercial property transactions. Article 15 requires each business office to employ at least one full-time Licensed Real Estate Transaction Specialist for every five employees handling transactions. Article 35 requires the licensed specialist to deliver an Important Matter Explanation to the buyer before the contract is signed, covering registered title, structural information, easements, infrastructure, hazard-map status, financing conditions, contract terms, and cancellation rights. Article 37 requires delivery of a formal contract document. Article 46 sets the broker-commission cap, operationalised via Ministry of Construction Notification 1552 (1970) as 3% + ¥60,000 + consumption tax for contracts above ¥4,000,000. Buyer-side identity documents the licensed specialist verifies before contract delivery include the Identification document (身分証明書 — Mibun Shōmei-sho), the Registered seal certificate (印鑑証明書 — Inkan Shōmei-sho) or notarised signature affidavit for non-residents, an optional Power of Attorney (委任状 — Ininjō) where the buyer delegates closing, and Proof of income (収入証明 — Shūnyū Shōmei) where the buyer is financing the purchase. The post-closing title-transfer registration step (登記 — Tōki) is governed by the Real Property Registration Act (不動産登記法 — Fudōsan Tōki Hō, Law No. 123 of 2004) and filed at the local Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局 — Hōmukyoku).
japaneselawtranslation.go.jp
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Japanese Law Translation — Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (English translation) 2026-05-22

Article 55-3 establishes the post-acquisition report obligation for non-residents acquiring real property in Japan. Article 6 defines a non-resident as a natural person or juridical person other than a resident, with a resident being a person with domicile or residence in Japan or a corporation with its principal office in Japan. Article 70 sets the penalty exposure for violations of the Act: imprisonment of not more than three years or a fine of not more than ¥3,000,000.
japaneselawtranslation.go.jp
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Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism — real-estate brokerage publication 2026-05-22

Real estate companies that provide brokerage services for sale, purchase, exchange or leasing are subject to regulations including obligations on advertisement, the obligation to explain important matters about properties and terms and conditions to buyers, the obligation to issue documents describing contract details, and regulations on contract details. Brokerage licensing is administered at the prefectural level for single-prefecture operators and by the Ministry for multi-prefecture operators.
mlit.go.jp
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Bank of Japan — Flows of Overseas Funds in the Real Estate Market 2026-05-22

Foreign-investor acquisition share of commercial real-estate activity in Japan has hovered at around 20 percent in recent years, confirming an active foreign-capital presence in the broader market. The residential-mortgage layer is the predominant friction point for individual non-permanent-residents, with bank underwriting criteria — not statute — being the binding constraint.
boj.or.jp
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PLAZA HOMES — Guide to Home Mortgage Loans in Japan 2026-05-22

Mega-bank residential mortgages (MUFG, SMBC, Mizuho) commonly require permanent residency or a Japanese-citizen spouse as co-borrower; non-permanent-resident approvals at these institutions are limited and typically require 30% or higher down payment. Foreign-friendlier lenders publish more accessible criteria: SMBC Trust Bank (Prestia), Shinsei Bank / SBI Shinsei, Tokyo Star Bank, Sony Bank, and Resona Bank. Typical published thresholds include a minimum annual income of ¥3,000,000 to ¥6,000,000, two or more years of continuous employment with the same employer, and a residence-card validity threshold (one year minimum at Shinsei Bank; three remaining years commonly looked for at SMBC Trust Bank).
realestate-tokyo.com

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Buying property in Japan as a foreign buyer

What You Need

Additional Items

Step-by-Step

Engage a licensed brokerage and search listings

Make an offer with a letter of intent

Receive the Important Matter Explanation

Sign the sales contract and pay the deposit

Finalise the mortgage (if financed)

Attend settlement and file ownership-transfer registration

File post-settlement reports

Set up ongoing tax payments

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⚠️ What Could Go Wrong

Costs

After This Process

Sources

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