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Buying a home in Japan while living abroad: what to clarify and who to ask

You can buy a home in Japan while living abroad. What changes is who signs for you, how your documents travel, how your funds arrive, and which reports and notices follow you home. This guide is for a buyer living in Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan or elsewhere abroad who wants a house or apartment in Japan for their own use from ¥450 million. Each stage is set out as the questions to clarify and the professional who answers them; a brokerage gives neither legal nor tax advice. It is written by Lewis Corporation, a licensed real estate brokerage in Tokyo working in English & Japanese; our home buying service describes what the brokerage itself does.

Can you buy a home in Japan without living there?

Yes. Japan places no general restriction on a foreign national or a non-resident acquiring land or a building; a Cabinet Secretariat review of the rules in March 2026 described the framework as reporting and monitoring, with no prohibition on acquisition. Three things do apply to a buyer abroad.

First, ownership gives no residence status. The Immigration Services Agency lists the statuses of residence and owning property is not among the grounds; how long and on what basis you may stay is a question for an immigration lawyer.

Second, since 1 April 2026 a non-resident who acquires real estate in Japan files a report with the Minister of Finance through the Bank of Japan within 20 days, whatever the price and whether or not you will live there yourself. The form is in Japanese and a resident agent may file it. Clarify at the first consultation who will prepare it.

Third, since 1 April 2024 a buyer with no address in Japan names a domestic contact when title is registered, and a foreign individual's name is recorded with the romanised spelling in the passport. The judicial scrivener (司法書士, shiho shoshi) who registers the title handles both.

Who does what in a remote purchase

Eight parties appear in a remote purchase, and the most common delay from abroad is a question asked of the wrong one.

You, the buyer
What this party does: Sets the brief and budget, decides, signs what only you can sign, sends the funds
What to clarify with them: What you can do from home and what needs a trip

Lewis Corporation, your brokerage
What this party does: Search, viewings in person or by video, seller-side documents, offer, negotiation, explanation of important matters, contract documents, settlement coordination. No legal, tax, financing, architecture or construction services; we coordinate with the professionals you appoint (our home buying service)
What to clarify with them: Which documents you will see before deciding; how viewings run; who else to appoint, and when

The seller's brokerage
What this party does: Represents the seller's side, supplies the property documents, receives the offer, arranges access
What to clarify with them: Which documents exist and which are missing; whether the seller accepts a remote buyer and a settlement date set around transfers

Judicial scrivener (shiho shoshi)
What this party does: Files the ownership registration, verifies identity and intent, usually drafts any power of attorney, receives your notarised documents
What to clarify with them: Which documents to produce abroad, in what form, notarised or apostilled how, translated by whom; who your domestic contact will be

Notary public or apostille authority where you live
What this party does: Certifies your signature and identity; issues the apostille or legalisation
What to clarify with them: Whether they can notarise a document in Japanese; how long it takes

Your remitting bank and the receiving side in Japan
What this party does: Move the earnest money and the settlement balance; ask for source of funds and the contract
What to clarify with them: What releases the transfer; how the yen amount is fixed; what confirms receipt

Tax representative (nozei kanrinin)
What this party does: Receives tax notices in Japan and pays on your behalf when you have no address there
What to clarify with them: Whether you need one for a home you occupy yourself; who may act

Your legal and tax advisers, at home and in Japan
What this party does: Advise on the contract, your status and the tax consequences in both places
What to clarify with them: Everything in this guide that reads as a question

Remote consultation: how the search runs from abroad

The first consultation is a video call in English or Japanese. Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan are one hour behind Japan, so same-day scheduling is simple. We take the brief in the call: what the home is for, who will live there and when, the budget range, the areas you know or a description of the life the home should support, timing, and whether a viewing trip is planned.

From the brief we search listed inventory and the brokerage network and send a shortlist. Each candidate comes with its source documents where the seller side has released them: the registry extract, floor plans, the listing sheet and, for a condominium, the management documents. Questions on law, tax or finance we note for the professional who can answer them.

Viewings by video: what to ask to see

A video viewing is a live call from the property, walked by us, with you directing. It works when you decide in advance what you need to see and what you need measured.

Live walkthrough checklist

Ask to see the home in daylight and, if possible, again in the evening, since light and street noise change. Ask for every room, including storage and mechanical spaces; the exterior on all sides; the street in both directions; the neighbouring buildings and the sight lines from the main windows. Ask us to measure on camera whatever matters to you, and to say what we notice that a camera flattens: smells, damp, the state of the common areas, how the neighbourhood sounds at that hour.

What video cannot confirm, and where the answer comes from

Boundaries and survey status come from the registry and any boundary confirmation documents held by the seller side. Structure and condition come from a building inspection you may commission from a qualified inspector under the national scheme; since April 2018 a brokerage has been required to state in its brokerage agreement whether it can arrange one, and the inspection does not certify the absence of defects. Age and seismic standard come from the registry and permits: buildings completed before June 1981 were designed under the earlier seismic standard, and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism notes that many have insufficient seismic performance, so for an older house or apartment ask what assessment or reinforcement has been done.

Before you sign, a licensed real estate professional must explain the important matters of the property and the contract to you with a written document; at Lewis Corporation this is delivered by a bilingual licensed real estate professional (宅建士). Since March 2021 the explanation may be given by video call for a sale, and since May 2022 the written explanation and the contract documents may be provided electronically with your consent, so a buyer abroad can receive both without travelling.

Power of attorney and notarisation basics

A power of attorney in a Japanese purchase is most commonly used for the registration and settlement steps the judicial scrivener carries out, such as filing the transfer of title. Whether you sign the sale contract yourself, by courier or electronically is agreed between the parties. Clarify the signing route with us and the scrivener before the contract date is fixed.

The scrivener usually drafts the power of attorney and tells you the form your signature proof must take. A person in Japan proves identity for registration with a registered seal and a seal certificate; a buyer abroad without one substitutes a signature certificate. The Ministry of Justice accepts a signature certificate issued by a Japanese consul and, where reaching a consulate is difficult, one prepared by a notary public in your country.

Where a foreign notary's certificate is used, the question is how Japan recognises the notary's seal. For jurisdictions in the Hague Apostille Convention an apostille from the designated authority does this in one step; for jurisdictions outside it an alternative legalisation route applies, and the scrivener will say what the Legal Affairs Bureau accepts.

What to clarify: which documents, in what form, notarised where, apostilled or legalised how, valid for how long, translated by whom, and by which date they must be in Japan. Who to ask: the judicial scrivener first, then the notary or authority at home.

Country notes: Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan (documents)

Singapore. Singapore joined the Apostille Convention with effect from 16 September 2021 and the Singapore Academy of Law issues the apostille; a private document such as a power of attorney is notarised by a Singapore notary public first. A Singaporean buyer should confirm with the scrivener that an apostilled notarial certificate is what the Legal Affairs Bureau expects, and ask the notary whether they can certify a document drafted in Japanese.

Hong Kong. The Convention applies in Hong Kong and the High Court Registry issues apostilles for documents certified by a notary public, including powers of attorney and declarations. Confirm the same two points with the scrivener.

Taiwan. Taiwan is not listed among the contracting parties in the Convention's status table, so an apostille is not the route, and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association states that it does not itself perform authentication. Ask the scrivener which form of Taiwanese notarisation and authentication the Legal Affairs Bureau will accept, and confirm the route with the notary before you start.

If your name is written in Chinese characters, clarify with the scrivener how it will be recorded and which passport spelling governs.

Funds transfer basics

Payment is a schedule with two main dates. At contract you pay the earnest money (tetsukekin), an amount agreed in the contract; ask us for the figure and timing for your purchase, since it is a term of the deal rather than a fixed rule. At settlement you pay the balance, and the brokerage fee, the scrivener's fee and the registration tax fall due around the same day. The figures belong in the offer-stage cost estimate we prepare; how they apply to you is a question for your tax adviser.

What to clarify, in order. Whether you need an account in Japan at all, or whether settlement funds are received through the scrivener's client account or paid directly to the seller; the answer depends on the scrivener, the seller's bank and your own bank, so ask all three rather than assume. How the yen amount is fixed and who carries the exchange movement between contract and settlement. How many banking days a transfer takes to clear, so the settlement date is set with margin; ask both banks rather than rely on a general figure.

Two Japanese reporting rules sit behind the bank's questions. A non-resident's acquisition of real estate is reported through the Bank of Japan within 20 days, as above. Separately, a resident who receives more than ¥30 million in one payment from a non-resident files a payment report; that is the seller's side's obligation.

Financing. Most purchases at this level by buyers abroad are settled in cash or arranged with the buyer's own bank at home. Lewis Corporation does not arrange financing; if you intend to borrow, speak to your bank before the search.

Country notes: Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan (funds)

Singapore. Confirm with your bank whether it needs the signed contract or the scrivener's invoice before releasing the transfer, and how much notice it needs. Ask your home tax adviser whether the purchase, or the ownership that follows, needs to be reported to anyone in Singapore.

Hong Kong. The same three questions to your bank and the same question to your adviser.

Taiwan. Confirm with your bank the rules for an individual's foreign exchange settlement in the year you remit, including any annual amount that needs prior approval or extra documentation; these rules are set by Taiwan's central bank and applied by your bank, so ask the bank rather than rely on a figure from a website. Ask whether the purchase contract must be shown, and in what language.

Nothing here describes the stamp duties, property taxes or reporting rules of your home jurisdiction; those belong to your adviser there.

Tax representative and obligations after purchase

Japan collects taxes from a homeowner by post: a one-time acquisition tax notice, then annual fixed asset tax and city planning tax notices sent to the owner recorded on 1 January. In Tokyo's 23 wards the standard rates are 1.4 percent for fixed asset tax and 0.3 percent for city planning tax. If you have no address in Japan, the tax office needs a person in Japan to receive the notices and pay: a tax representative (nozei kanrinin). The Tokyo Bureau of Taxation asks owners who live overseas to file a tax representative notification for fixed asset tax, and the National Tax Agency requires a non-resident with a national tax filing obligation, for example rental income, to appoint one; the NTA describes a suitable representative as a person residing in Japan, such as a relative or a tax accountant.

What to clarify: whether you need a tax representative for a home you occupy yourself with no rental income, who will act, and how and when the notifications are filed. Who to ask: a tax accountant (zeirishi) in Japan, and your home tax adviser for the consequences where you live.

What a remote purchase looks like from start to keys

The order is stable; durations depend on the seller, the banks and the documents.

Consultation and brief, by video call. You at home; Lewis Corporation in Japan.
Shortlist and video viewings, with the source documents sent ahead. In Japan.
Optional viewing trip, timed if possible so a notary or scrivener meeting falls in the same week. You in Japan.
Offer and negotiation through the seller's brokerage. In Japan.
Judicial scrivener appointed; the documents to produce abroad agreed: power of attorney, signature certificate, identity and address proof, translations. You at home.
Explanation of important matters, by video call if you are abroad; then contract and earnest money. You at home or in Japan.
Documents notarised and apostilled or legalised where you live, then sent to the scrivener. You at home.
Settlement funds remitted, with margin for clearing. You at home.
Settlement and registration of title, with your domestic contact recorded; key handover in person or by an arrangement agreed in advance. In Japan.
Report of acquisition filed through the Bank of Japan within 20 days; tax representative notifications filed; the first tax notices arrive. In Japan, by whoever you have appointed.

Notes for readers in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan

This guide is written for a home you will live in, for the whole year or part of it. The registry, the contract and the explanation of important matters are in Japanese. Lewis Corporation works with you in English & Japanese: we explain each document in English, negotiate in Japanese, and the explanation of important matters is delivered by a bilingual licensed real estate professional.

Plan a viewing trip around the document steps: if the scrivener can meet you in the week you view, identity checks and signatures that would otherwise travel by courier are done in one visit. Nothing here touches your visa position, your tax residence or reporting where you live; those belong to your adviser at home, and the moment to ask is before the offer rather than after settlement.

Questions to bring to a first consultation

For the brokerage (Lewis Corporation):

Which documents will I see for each shortlisted home before I decide on a viewing?
How is a video viewing run, and what will you measure or check on request?
Do you also hold the seller's listing on any home you show me?
What will the brokerage fee be for a purchase at my budget, in writing?
Who prepares the report of acquisition to the Bank of Japan after settlement?

For the judicial scrivener:

Which documents do I produce abroad, in what form, notarised and authenticated how, and by when?
Who will be my domestic contact for the registry, and how will my name be recorded?
How are settlement funds received and confirmed on the day?

For your bank:

What do you need before releasing the transfer, and how many banking days to clear in Japan?
How is the yen amount fixed, and what happens if the settlement date moves?

For your tax adviser:

Do I need a tax representative in Japan for a home I occupy myself?
What follows at home from owning a home in Japan?

When you are ready, send an inquiry to start a remote consultation through the inquiry form. Tell us your budget range, where you live, the areas or the kind of home you have in mind, your timing and your preferred language, and we will arrange a video call in English or Japanese.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy a home in Japan without visiting? Yes, in law. Japan places no general restriction on acquisition by a non-resident, the explanation of important matters may be given by video call, contract documents may be provided electronically, and registration can be handled by a judicial scrivener under a power of attorney with your notarised signature certificate. Whether you want to buy a home you have never stood in is a separate question, and a viewing trip timed with the document steps is the usual answer.

Do I need a Japanese bank account? Clarify this with the judicial scrivener and both banks rather than assume either way. Settlement funds may be received through the scrivener or paid to the seller's account depending on the parties, and the earnest money and the fees have their own routes. The answer shapes your schedule, so ask it at the first consultation.

Who signs for me if I am not in Japan? The judicial scrivener typically acts under a power of attorney for the registration and settlement steps, supported by your signature certificate from a Japanese consul or a notary public where you live. Whether the sale contract itself is signed by you directly, by courier or electronically is agreed with the seller's side. The scrivener sets the documents; we coordinate the timing.

Do I need a tax representative? If you have no address in Japan, the tax offices need someone in Japan to receive notices and pay. The Tokyo Bureau of Taxation asks owners overseas to file a tax representative notification for fixed asset tax, and the National Tax Agency requires one where a non-resident has a national tax filing obligation. Whether your case requires one, and who should act, is a question for a tax accountant in Japan.

Does buying a home give me a visa? No. The statuses of residence listed by the Immigration Services Agency are based on activities or on family and residence history, and owning property is not among them. How long and on what basis you may stay is a question for an immigration lawyer, separate from the purchase.

Does Lewis Corporation give legal or tax advice? No. We are a licensed real estate brokerage, licence number Tokyo Governor (1) No. 110843, and our work is the search, the viewings, the documents, the offer, the explanation of important matters, the contract documents and the coordination of settlement. Legal, tax, financing, architecture and construction questions go to the professionals you appoint, and we coordinate with them. Details are on company information and about Lewis Corporation.

Which areas does Lewis Corporation cover? Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, with Kyoto also available. Our office is in Ebisu, Tokyo, and the first consultation for a buyer abroad is a video call.