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Zagdim Reader Desk · Japan property transactions

Property transaction review in JapanContract, payment and transfer of ownership

From signing and payment to the transfer of ownership, what you need to check on a Japanese property differs for a buyer, an overseas seller and a transaction with a loan. The Zagdim Reader Desk first establishes your position and the stage reached, then shortlists suitable Japanese professionals.

Book a free 20-minute callSee what the service covers
A residential street in Japan
Who it is forBuyers, overseas sellers and parties to a sale with a loan
Handled byLawyers, judicial scriveners and takkenshi in Japan
LanguagesEnglish or Japanese; other languages on request
Reader Desk feeFree of charge
Rules differ by nationality

The signature, address and translation documents needed for registration depend on your nationality and on the registry office handling the filing, and the position of a seller living overseas depends on residence status. This page describes the general rule, often written from the position of readers in Taiwan and Hong Kong; passport holders of the United Kingdom, United States, Singapore, Australia, Canada and other countries should confirm the position for their own nationality.

Information checked: 29 October 2026

01 · ABOUT

Contract, payment and transfer: start with your position

A property sale involves the sale contract (売買契約), payment of the price, any loan and the registration of transfer of ownership (所有権移転登記). The parties, the property, the payment terms and the termination clauses must be consistent across the documents, and the documents needed for registration should be confirmed before the agreed payment.

Who receives the funds, when they are released and the conditions for a refund must be established from the actual contract and the banking arrangements.

  • Contract reviewConfirm the price, the conditions and the termination arrangements.
  • Payment checkThe payee name and the payment terms must be consistent.
  • Taxes and fees itemisedRegistration tax and professional fees are kept separate.

Where it is handled

Legal Affairs BureauLegal Affairs Bureau

Certificates of registered matters and registration of title. Jurisdiction depends on where the property is.

Tax officeNational Tax Agency

Handles the relevant national tax filings, tax agent notifications and related tax matters.

Logos belong to the respective bodies and are shown only to identify where a matter is handled. Zagdim is not affiliated with them.

Former main building of the Ministry of Justice, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo
Former main building of the Ministry of Justice, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo
Ministry of Finance building, home of the National Tax Agency, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo
Ministry of Finance building, home of the National Tax Agency, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo

Start with your position

Closest to your situation:

Buyer: before signing and paying

  • What to checkThe parties, the property, the payment terms and the termination clauses of the contract; for independent legal advice, a lawyer (弁護士, bengoshi) is engaged separately.
  • What to prepareThe draft sale contract, the explanation of important matters and the funding plan.
  • If the seller lives overseasWhen buying from a non-resident, you must in principle withhold 10.21% of the price; an exception applies where an individual buyer acquires the property as a residence for themselves or their relatives and the price does not exceed ¥100 million (about US$625,000).
  • CostsRegistration tax on the transfer, stamp duty on a paper contract and professional fees.

Next steps

  1. Tell the Reader Desk about the draft contract and the payment date

Overseas owner selling

  • What to checkWhether the buyer must withhold (calculated on the price, not on the gain); the signature, address and translation documents needed for registration, confirmed according to nationality and the registry office handling the filing.
  • What to prepareRegistration records, proof of identity and address, and the contract under which the property was acquired.
  • CostsProfessional fees for registration and overseas documents, and out-of-pocket costs for notarisation or translation; filing the return on the gain from the sale is engaged separately with a certified tax accountant (税理士, zeirishi).

Next steps

  1. Confirm your country of residence and how you are able to sign documents

Transaction with a loan

  • What to checkThe order of repaying the existing loan and cancelling its mortgage, drawing down the new loan, and paying the price.
  • What to prepareThe loan balance, the financial institution’s conditions and the mortgage records.
  • CostsOfficial fees and professional fees for mortgage-related registration; bank charges as quoted by the bank.

Next steps

  1. Obtain the loan balance and the drawdown conditions from the financial institution

Sources: National Tax Agency – withholding on real estate payments to non-residents; registration and licence tax. Checked 29 October 2026.

02 · SERVICE

What do the professionals check?

Who charges what

What the Reader Desk does at no charge

Establishes what you need, sets it out in a written brief, shortlists and introduces professionals, and follows up until the introduction is made.

Professional fees

Quoted by the professional handling the matter once they understand your situation. If you engage them, you contract with, pay and receive receipts from them directly.

How payments flow

Zagdim does not charge readers a matching fee and does not handle payments for professional services. Providers quote case by case, and you contract with and pay the provider directly.

  1. 01Legal review of the contract

    A lawyer examines liability, termination and special terms.

  2. 02Transaction document check

    The licensed real estate broker and the judicial scrivener (司法書士) each check the documents they are responsible for.

  3. 03Payment terms confirmed

    The price, any withholding and the order of loan payments are confirmed against the contract.

  4. 04Transfer registration

    The judicial scrivener, once engaged, files the registration and checks the registered result.

03 · CASES

What needs to be arranged separately?

In every caseHolding of funds, bank review and authority to sign on your behalf each require a separate written arrangement.

A sunlit apartment living room in Japan with wooden floor, sofa and round table
Interior of a Japanese home
Documents sorted with coloured clips beside a pair of glasses on a desk
Title and transaction documents

04 · SERVICE PROCESS

From contract review to transfer registration: who does each step?

Check the contract and the payment first; each professional then reviews and handles the transfer within the scope of their engagement.

English or JapaneseOther languages on request

  1. Confirm the parties and the title

    You provide identity documents for both parties and the registration records.

  2. Review the contract and payment terms

    A lawyer reviews the contract. Before signing, a takkenshi (real estate transaction specialist) explains the important matters.

  3. Confirm documents and payment arrangements

    The order of payment, any withholding and the loan drawdown are confirmed.

  4. Transfer and check of the result

    The judicial scrivener files the registration and checks the result.

Not included

  • The bank’s lending decision
  • Holding the price or third-party escrow
  • Testing for hidden defects
  • Litigation costs

What you need to prepare

  • Identity and residence status of both parties
  • The contract and the explanation of important matters
  • Source of funds and loan documents
  • Registration certificates and authorisation documents

05 · TIME

Which deadlines are set by law for signing, payment and registration?

Timing depends on the contract review, overseas documents and loan arrangements; the payment date and the registration date are confirmed by the parties concerned. The points below are set by law.

  1. Before the contract is concluded

    Explanation of important matters

  2. By the 10th of the month after a payment made in Japan

    Payment of withholding tax, where it applies

  3. By the end of the month after a payment made overseas, where applicable

    Payment of withholding tax

  4. Within 20 days of acquisition

    FEFTA report, where it applies

What you can do in advance: have proof of identity and residence status, and your funding or loan documents, ready.

06 · FEES

How are registration tax, stamp duty and professional fees worked out?

Taxes and official fees

  • Registration tax on transfer of land by sale1.5%(Calculated on the statutory taxable value; this rate applies until 31 March 2029; the standard rate is 2%.)
  • Registration tax on transfer of a building by sale2%(Calculated on the statutory taxable value; the conditions for the owner-occupier reduction are checked separately.)
  • Stamp duty on a paper property sale contract (example)¥10,000 / ¥30,000(Respectively for contract prices over ¥10 million up to ¥50 million, and over ¥50 million up to ¥100 million; applies until 31 March 2027.)

Professional and service fees

  • Fees for contract review and registrationQuoted once your situation is understood(By profession and scope of engagement.)
  • Zagdim Reader DeskFree of charge(Consultation, clarifying what you need and shortlisting professionals)

Professional fees are quoted separately according to the scope of contract review, registration and withholding checks. Ask the provider to state in the written quote whether out-of-pocket costs such as notarisation and translation of overseas documents are charged separately. Quotes, contracts and payments are handled by the professional concerned.

07 · EXPERTS & PROFESSIONALS

Which Japanese professionals carry out the review?

Depending on the case, different Japanese professionals are involved.

Lawyer

弁護士 · bengoshi

Reviews the contract and deals with points of legal dispute.

Judicial scrivener

司法書士 · shihō shoshi

Files the transfer of ownership and related registrations of rights on your behalf.

Real estate transaction specialist

宅地建物取引士 · takkenshi

Explains the important matters that must be disclosed by law.

MATCHING

How Zagdim shortlists the right professionals

What you need
Zagdim Reader Desk
  • Clarifying the need
  • Matching providers
  • Follow-up at key points
The right professional

Zagdim Reader Desk

Establishes what you need · shortlists and introduces · follows up

No charge to readers

Professionals in Japan

Professional advice and handling

Quote · contract · payment · receipt

Can professionals be arranged where the property is?

  1. You tell the Reader DeskThe property’s location, your position in the transaction and the planned payment date
  2. The Reader Desk checksWhether a lawyer to review the contract and a judicial scrivener to handle the registration can be arranged locally
  3. The Reader Desk repliesIf it can be arranged, we say which kind of professional will take it on. If no suitable provider is available for now, we say so plainly

08 · CONSULTATION

What happens next?

Zagdim Reader DeskFirst understand the situation, then shortlist the right professionals

Four steps after you get in touch

  1. Contact the Reader DeskArrange a call by WhatsApp or email.
  2. A written briefThe Reader Desk sets out your position, the contract and the payment stage. Once you confirm it, you agree to the introduction.
  3. Introduction to a local professionalMade according to where the property is. Before the introduction, the written quote, out-of-pocket costs and conditions for extra charges are confirmed with the provider.
  4. Quote and engagementYou read the quote and decide whether to engage. You contract with and pay the provider directly.

Have these points ready before you get in touch, so the Reader Desk can go straight to what matters.

  • Buyer or seller, and whether the seller lives overseas
  • The draft contract and the planned payment date
  • Whether there is an existing loan or a new loan
WhatsAppEmail the Reader Desk

The Zagdim Reader Desk handles contact and follow-up.

Send us your details

The more you tell us, the better the Zagdim Reader Desk understands your situation before we speak.

09 · FAQ

Property transaction review in Japan: common questions

Is a takkenshi’s explanation the same as an independent lawyer’s review of the contract?

No. A takkenshi is responsible for the statutory explanation of important matters; independent legal advice requires separately engaging a Japanese lawyer.

Which part does the judicial scrivener handle?

The registration procedures they are engaged for and the related document checks.

Does a seller living overseas affect the buyer’s payment?

It may. When buying from a non-resident, the buyer must in principle withhold 10.21% of the price; there is an exception where an individual buyer acquires the property as a residence for themselves or their relatives and the price does not exceed ¥100 million.

When is the withheld tax paid?

For payments made in Japan, generally by the 10th of the following month; for payments made overseas where applicable, by the end of the following month.

Is registration tax calculated on the sale price?

Usually not. Registration tax is generally calculated on a statutory taxable value such as the value in the fixed asset tax register.

Is registration the only formality after buying?

Not necessarily. A non-resident under FEFTA who acquires property must also check obligations such as the report within 20 days.

Check the contract and payment first, then complete the transfer.

Book a free 20-minute call

The relevant applications are received and examined by the Legal Affairs Bureau and the tax office, and official fees follow the current notices of the Japanese authorities. Quotes, contracts, payments and receipts for professional services are handled by the professional concerned; neither the Zagdim Reader Desk nor the professionals guarantee that any application or review will succeed. This page is general information and is not legal or tax advice. Information checked to 29 October 2026.

Photographs of institutions (Wikimedia Commons): former main building of the Ministry of Justice, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, Kakidai (CC BY-SA 4.0); Ministry of Finance building, home of the National Tax Agency, Kasumigaseki, Tokyo, っ (CC BY-SA 3.0)

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