Buying Property in Japan from Overseas: The Remote Steps

Guide

As of 30 October 2026, various formal steps in purchasing property in Japan can be done while you stay overseas: the explanation of important matters can be given online^[1], and the explanation document and agreement documents can be delivered electronically if you consent^[2]. Other steps require preparation in your home country, such as evidence of address for the land registry^[3] and a decision on a domestic contact for the registration^[4], and a non-resident purchaser has a report to file with Japan's Ministry of Finance within 20 days of acquiring the property^[5]. Ask the broker and the judicial scrivener at the start how money transfer, settlement, identification checks and signing will work, and whether any of them needs you in Japan.

This handbook is for buyers of second homes and family homes with budgets in the hundreds of millions of yen. For every step it gives what to check and what to ask the broker and the judicial scrivener (shiho-shoshi, the registration expert), with the official reference in a footnote. It does not tell you how a rule applies to your own situation; that is for the experts handling your acquisition.

The short answer: what can be done from overseas

Step	From overseas?	What to check	What to ask	Official source says
Explanation of important matters (juyo jiko setsumei)	Online	You have the document before the call; you can read the specialist's card on screen	"Will the explanation be online, and when will I have the document?"	Online explanations meeting set conditions are treated like in-person ones^[1]
Explanation document and contract documents	Electronic, with your consent	You were asked for consent	"Do you deliver electronically? How do I consent, or ask for paper?"	Electronic delivery needs consent^[2]
Proof of address for the land registry (foreign nationals living abroad)	Prepared in your country	Which form your judicial scrivener wants	"A government address certificate, or a notarised statement with a passport copy?"	Both forms are listed for foreign nationals living abroad^[3]
Domestic contact in the land registry	Decided before the application	Who agrees to act, or whether you state there is none	"Can you act as the contact, and for how long?"	Contact details, the contact's consent and seal certificate, or a statement that there is none^[4]
Report to the Ministry of Finance (non-residents)	Can be filed by an agent in Japan	Who files it and the deadline	"Who files it, and will I get a copy?"	Within 20 days; a resident agent such as the broker may submit it^[5]
Money transfer and settlement	Ask	Who confirms receipt of funds, and when	"How many days before settlement must funds arrive?"	Not covered by the sources in this guide
Identity check and signing	Ask	Whether a video call is enough	"Do you need me in person for identity checks or signing?"	Not covered by the sources in this guide
Address change after you move	Owner's duty from 1 April 2026	Who you will ask to file it	"How would I file a change from overseas?"	Apply within 2 years of the change^[6]

Can you buy property in Japan without visiting?

It depends on three things the official references do not decide for you. Use this to plan the number of visits:

Situation	What it usually means for trips	Ask
Agent and judicial scrivener accept online identity checks, electronic documents and couriered originals	The paperwork may be completed from overseas	"Is any step in person? Which one?"
You have not seen the property or the area	Plan a viewing trip, or arrange an independent inspection	"Can you arrange a video viewing and an inspection report?"
Someone requires you in person (identity, signing, settlement or keys)	Plan a trip around that date	"Which date, and can it be done by power of attorney?"

The explanation of important matters, online

Check: the explanation document arrives before the session, and you can view the specialist's card on screen. Ask: for the file several days ahead, so you can read it with a translation.

The briefing is given by a real estate transaction specialist (takken-shi)^[7]. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) began full operation of the remote version for property sales on 30 March 2021^[8], and an online explanation given under specified conditions is treated the same as one delivered face to face^[1]. The requirements listed on MLIT's page include sending the briefing document and its attachments to you in advance, and the expert showing their takken-shi ID so that it is confirmed you could view it on screen^[7]. If the session starts before you have the paperwork, ask to reschedule. Our guide to the documents to request before you buy a condo lists related documents to ask for.

Electronic documents, only with your consent

Check: you were asked whether you consent to electronic delivery. Ask: how paper originals will be sent if you favour paper.

Since 18 May 2022, the explanation document and contract documents can be delivered electronically, and to do so the broker must confirm your intention and obtain your consent^[2]. Electronic delivery avoids courier time between continents. If you choose paper, or a document must be signed and returned, build the courier time into the schedule.

Proof of address for the land registry

Check: what form of proof the judicial scrivener wants, before you book anything. Ask: for the precise wording if you need a notarised statement.

For applications filed on or after 1 April 2024, Japan's Ministry of Justice sets out the address proof for foreign nationals and foreign companies living or located outside Japan who become registered owners^[3]. For an individual, one form is an address certificate issued by the government of their home country or country of residence; another is a sworn declaration of name and address certified by a notary in that country, coupled with a copy of a passport valid on the day the declaration was made or the day the application was received^[3]. The page treats foreign companies separately^[3], so if you buy through a company, ask what documents apply.

A domestic contact in the land registry

Check: who will act as the liaison, or whether you will state there is none. Ask: the agent or the judicial scrivener whether they can act, for how long, and what happens if they stop.

Since 1 April 2024, when an overseas resident (an individual or a company) is registered as the proprietor, the application must give the name and address of a contact person in Japan, or declare that there is none^[4]. The contact can be an individual or a company; the Ministry of Justice gives real estate businesses and judicial scriveners as the anticipated examples^[4]. The application additionally needs the contact's agreement and their seal certificate (or electronic signature and certificate)^[4], so the party you choose has documentation to prepare too.

The report to the Ministry of Finance after buying

Check: who files it and by what date. Ask: for a copy of what was filed.

Under Japan's foreign exchange rules, when a non-resident acquires property in Japan, or rights in it such as a mortgage or a lease, the non-resident must submit a report to the Minister of Finance, via the Bank of Japan, within 20 days of the acquisition^[5]. The filing can be prepared and filed by the non-resident or by an agent resident in Japan, such as the real estate broker^[5].

The reporting requirement changed in 2026. On 20 February 2026 the Ministry of Finance issued an amendment that added to post-acquisition reporting the acquisition of property in Japan for residential, non-profit work or office use, and acquisitions from other non-residents; it took effect on 1 April 2026^[9]. If you read advice written before April 2026, check it against the present rule with whoever submits your report.

If your address changes later

Check: who you will ask to submit an address update from overseas. Ask: the judicial scrivener at closing.

From 1 April 2026, an owner whose name or address changes must apply to register the change within 2 years of the change (Real Property Registration Act, Article 76-5)^[6]. Changes made before this date that were never registered are also included and must be recorded by 31 March 2028^[6]. This matters if you may move between countries, or are buying a family home before relocating to Japan.

Check whether the location has extra rules

Check: whether the plot is in a designated area. Ask: your broker, before you make an offer, especially for seaside or island properties.

Under Japan's Act on the Review and Regulation of the Use of Real Estate Surrounding Important Facilities, monitored areas are designated within about 1,000 metres of important facilities such as defence facilities and on isolated border islands^[10]. For some land in a "special monitored area", the signatories to a contract that conveys or sets up ownership are asked to inform the government^[10].

Who does what, and when

When	You	Agent	Judicial scrivener	Ask
Before the offer	Decide whether to visit	Check designated areas^[10]		"Is any step in person?"
Before the contract	Consent (or not) to electronic delivery^[2]	Send the explanation document in advance^[7]		"When will I have the document?"
Before settlement	Prepare address proof in your country^[3]; arrange funds		Tell you the form of address proof; arrange the domestic contact^[4]	"Which date must funds and documents arrive?"
After settlement	Keep a copy of the report	File the report if agreed^[5]	Tell you how to file future changes^[6]	"Who reminds me of later deadlines?"

What remote buying does not solve, and what changes the answer

The procedures above make much of the documentation possible from abroad. They do not replace judgement about the property, and some circumstances change the picture:

You have not seen the property. An online explanation covers what is in the documentation; it is not a visit. For a holiday property, the building's state after winter, the approach road and the administration of shared facilities are easier to judge on site or through an independent inspection you organise.
Management while you are away. Ask who the property's management company or owners' association will contact, where the keys are stored, and who checks the premises after storms or deep snow.
You rely more on one company. When the explanation, documents and report run through one broker, check the agent's licence and the specialist's certificate. Our guide English-Speaking Real Estate Agents in Japan: How to Check One Before You Buy explains how.
Your country of residence changes. The domestic contact pertains to overseas residents as registered owners^[4], and the report applies to non-residents under the foreign exchange rules^[5]; they are distinct rules that use differing terms. If you relocate to Japan around settlement, ask the judicial scrivener and whoever files the report.
You buy through a company. Address proof for overseas companies differs from that for individuals^[3].
The location is in a designated area. A filing may be required in connection with the agreement^[10].
Address proof is late. Ask early by when the address documentation the judicial scrivener requires^[3] must arrive to meet the settlement date.
Tax and finance. This guide does not address taxes or loans. Consult a tax accountant in Japan before you sign.
The rules change again. The reporting rule changed in April 2026^[9] and the address change obligation started the same month^[6]. Check the official webpages before you sign.

A checklist for a remote purchase

Before the offer:

Agent's licence and the name of the specialist who will give the explanation
Whether the property is in a special monitored zone^[10]
Whether any step requires you in person
Digital or paper documents^[2]

Before the agreement:

Explanation statement received before the remote explanation^[7]
Specialist's card legible on screen^[7]

Before closing:

Address proof in the format the judicial scrivener wants^[3]
Domestic contact arranged, with their consent and seal certificate, or a choice to state there is none^[4]
Who submits the report to the Ministry of Finance, and by which date^[5]
Deadline by which funds must arrive, and who verifies receipt

After settlement:

Duplicate of the report submitted
Who manages the property and holds the keys while you are absent
A plan for registering any address change within 2 years^[6]

FAQ

Can I buy property in Japan without travelling to Japan? The explanation of important matters may be given online^[1] and papers can be provided electronically with your permission^[2]. Address proof for foreign nationals living abroad is prepared in your home country^[3]. Whether every stage can be completed remotely depends on the vendor, the agent, the judicial scrivener and your paperwork, so ask at the outset.

Who can be the domestic contact in the land registry? An individual or a corporation; the Ministry of Justice gives real estate businesses and judicial scriveners as examples. The contact's consent and seal certificate are needed, and if there is no one, the application can say so^[4].

Who files the report to the Ministry of Finance? The non-resident buyer, or an agent resident in Japan such as the broker, within 20 days of the acquisition^[5].

Did the reporting rule change in 2026? Yes. An amendment in force from 1 April 2026 added acquisitions of property for residential, non-profit work or office use, and acquisitions from other non-residents, to post-acquisition reporting^[9]. Ask whoever submits your report how it applies to your acquisition.

What happens if I move after buying? From 1 April 2026, owners must apply to record a change of name or address within 2 years of the change^[6].

Next steps

Browse properties for sale in Japan or our area guides. For second-home areas, consult Second Homes Near Tokyo: Karuizawa, Kamakura and Atami and Hakuba Property for Sale: Chalets, Condos and Lodges. When you contact us about a property, tell us where you live and whether you plan to visit, and we will explain who handles each step for that purchase. We are paid a brokerage commission when a purchase closes.