Nationality Declaration Becomes Mandatory for Property Ownership Registration From October 5, Covering Japanese Nationals Too
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On October 5, 2026, an amending ministerial ordinance to Japan's Real Property Registration Rules took effect, requiring individuals who will be recorded as the registered owner to declare their nationality when applying to register the preservation or transfer of ownership of real estate. Registrations arising from purchases of condominiums, land, and buildings, as well as gifts and inheritances, are covered.
The Ministry of Justice has explained that the measure is needed to understand the extent of real estate holdings by foreign nationals from the standpoint of appropriate use and management of national land. The requirement applies to natural persons — corporations are excluded — and covers everyone regardless of whether they are Japanese or foreign nationals, and regardless of whether they reside in Japan or abroad. Applicants must in principle attach documentation evidencing nationality: for Japanese nationals, a copy of a residence record showing the registered domicile or a residence record code; for foreign nationals, a copy of a residence card or passport.
The declared nationality information is held internally by the Legal Affairs Bureau as "search information" and does not appear in the property register or in registration certificates. Nor does the rule retroactively require declarations from people who already owned property as of the effective date. The measure appears to give concrete form to a government policy outlined in December 2025 to build a database of nationality information for tracking real estate acquisitions by foreign nationals.
Current status: How the collected nationality information will be used, and when any tally of foreign nationals' property holdings might be compiled or published, remain unclear as of this writing. This article will be updated as further details emerge.
Editorial Perspective
Responses at the municipal level play a role in bridging the gap between national policy design and residents' lived experience. Whether a move like this spreads to other municipalities will be worth watching going forward. In particular, whether information-sharing between municipalities facing similar challenges leads to wider adoption of successful approaches may shape how effective this policy area becomes overall.