Reporting scope expanded from April 2026
Under Japan's Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, a non-resident acquiring covered Japanese real estate or rights such as certain leasehold or mortgage interests must submit a post-transaction report within 20 days through the Bank of Japan to the Minister of Finance. Regulations promulgated on February 20 and effective April 1, 2026 expanded the scope to include categories that had previously benefited from exemptions, including certain residential, office and non-profit-use acquisitions and some acquisitions from other non-residents. The relevant concept is residency under FEFTA, not nationality alone.
A Japan-resident agent may file on the buyer's behalf
The Ministry of Finance states that the purchaser may submit the report personally or use a Japan-resident agent such as a real-estate intermediary, and online filing is available. For overseas investors, compliance therefore continues after contract signing, settlement and registration of title, and the FEFTA report should be included in the closing checklist. Foreign citizenship does not automatically mean non-resident status under the Act; a foreign national living in Japan may be classified differently. FEFTA residency, tax residency and nationality are separate concepts and should not be conflated when determining filing obligations.