Guide
Can Foreigners Buy Property in Japan?
Yes — and with fewer restrictions than almost anywhere else in Asia. Here is what you actually get, what it costs, and what buying a home in Japan does not give you.
The short answer
Yes. Japan places no nationality or residency restriction on owning land or buildings. A foreign buyer receives the same freehold title as a Japanese citizen — registered in their own name, held indefinitely, and free to sell or pass on. No visa, no residence card and no Japanese partner is required.
You own the land, not a lease
In much of Asia, a foreign buyer gets a long lease, a company structure, or a right to the building but not the ground under it. Japan is different. What you acquire is shoyuken (所有権) — freehold. The land and the building are registered separately, and you can own both outright.
The title goes into the national property register (登記簿) under your own name and your overseas address. There is no expiry date on it. You can sell it, rent it out, renovate it, or leave it to your heirs, on the same terms as any Japanese owner.
What buying property does not give you
This is the single most common misunderstanding, so it is worth stating plainly: buying property in Japan does not grant you a visa, residency, or any path to either. Japan has no golden-visa or investor-residency scheme tied to real estate.
Ownership and immigration are separate systems here. Many of our buyers own a home in Kansai and visit on a tourist entry several times a year. If you intend to live in Japan, the visa is a separate application on its own merits.
Ownership and immigration are separate systems. Buying a home does not create any right to live in Japan.
The exceptions that do exist
There is one restriction worth knowing about. Under the Act on the Regulation of Land Use Around Important Facilities, which took effect in 2022, land near defence installations, certain borders and nuclear facilities sits in designated zones. Transactions there above a set size require advance notification to the government.
In practice this rarely touches residential property in Kyoto, Osaka, Nara or Kobe. Your agent should check the designation before you make an offer — we do this as a matter of course.
What it costs on top of the price
Budget roughly 6–8% of the purchase price in addition to the price itself. This is the figure people are most often surprised by, so here is the breakdown for a detached house at ¥85,800,000.
| Item | How it is calculated | On ¥85.8M |
|---|---|---|
| Agency fee | 3% + ¥60,000, plus consumption tax (legal maximum) | ¥2,899,600 |
| Registration & licence tax | Rate applied to the assessed value, not the price | ¥300,000–700,000 |
| Judicial scrivener | Fee for handling the registration | ¥100,000–200,000 |
| Real-estate acquisition tax | One-off, billed months after purchase | ¥200,000–600,000 |
| Stamp duty | Fixed by contract value | ¥30,000–60,000 |
| Fire & earthquake insurance | Varies by structure and cover | ¥100,000–400,000 |
Every listing on this site shows this calculation for that specific property, and you can change the price to test other budgets. We would rather you see the real number early than discover it at contract.
Set aside 6–8% of the price on top of the price. On an ¥85.8M house that is roughly ¥5–7M.
The taxes you keep paying
Two annual taxes apply to the owner on record as of 1 January each year: fixed asset tax (固定資産税) and city planning tax (都市計画税). Together they typically run around 1.4–1.7% of the assessed value — which is usually well below the market price.
If you live outside Japan, you must appoint a tax agent (納税管理人) to receive and pay these bills on your behalf. This is a simple filing, and it is a step overseas owners often miss until a notice arrives at an empty house.
Can you get a mortgage?
Usually not from a Japanese bank, if you live overseas. Most domestic lenders require Japanese residency, a residence card and local income. A small number of banks lend to non-residents, generally with a larger deposit, a higher rate and a Japanese-speaking guarantor.
In practice, most of our overseas buyers purchase in cash, or finance against an asset in their home country and remit the funds. If financing is essential to your plan, tell us before you start looking — it changes which properties are realistic.
Can you buy without coming to Japan?
Yes. This is the part most people assume is impossible, and it is routine.
A Japanese seller signs with a registered seal and a seal certificate. As a non-resident you will not have one, so you use a signature certificate or a sworn affidavit from your local notary or your country's Japanese embassy or consulate instead. It performs the same function.
From there, a judicial scrivener (司法書士) handles the registration. Viewings can be done by video walkthrough, contracts and the explanation of important matters can be delivered online, and funds move by international transfer. We have completed purchases for buyers who saw the house in person for the first time after they owned it.
A signature certificate from your local notary or a Japanese consulate replaces the registered seal. This is what makes a remote purchase possible.
How long it takes
From a serious offer to keys in hand is typically one to three months. The offer and the explanation of important matters take a week or two; the contract and deposit follow; then the balance, registration and handover. Where a property is occupied or under construction the handover date moves accordingly — the model home on this site, for example, hands over about six months after contract because it is still in use.
Common questions
- Do I need a Japanese bank account to buy?
- Not to complete the purchase itself — funds can be remitted internationally. You will want one afterwards for utilities, taxes and management fees, and your tax agent can help arrange this.
- Can a foreign company buy property in Japan?
- Yes. Companies registered outside Japan can hold Japanese real estate. The documentation differs from an individual purchase, and your judicial scrivener will tell you what your jurisdiction requires.
- Is there an extra tax for foreign buyers?
- No. Japan does not levy a foreign-buyer surcharge or stamp duty premium of the kind seen in Singapore, Hong Kong or parts of Canada and Australia. You pay the same taxes as a domestic buyer.
- Can I rent the property out while I am away?
- Yes, and many owners do. A management company handles tenants, rent collection and maintenance for a percentage of the rent. Short-term holiday letting is a different matter — it is licensed separately and restricted in many residential areas, especially in Kyoto.
- What happens to the property when I die?
- It passes under Japanese inheritance procedure, and Japanese inheritance tax may apply to the Japanese asset regardless of where you live. This is worth planning for with an advisor in both countries before you buy, not after.
Where to start
If you are early in this, the useful first step is not a property — it is a conversation about what you actually want the house for. A base for a few weeks a year, a rental asset, and a place to eventually retire lead to very different neighbourhoods and very different budgets.
Tell us what you are looking for and we will reply within three business days, in English, Japanese or Chinese.
This article is general information, not legal or tax advice. Confirm your own circumstances with a professional in Japan and in your country of residence. Accurate as of the date shown.
