Japan Property Registry Nationality Rule Covers Japanese Too

The short answer: from 5 October, everyone declares nationality for ownership registration

* As of 5 October 2026. Based on the Ministry of Justice notice (Civil Affairs Bureau No. 872) and the public comment results (published 31 March 2026)[e-Gov public comment results (in Japanese)].

Documents to prepare - Japanese nationals: resident record with registered domicile; foreign nationals: residence card or passport copy

You attach a document proving the nationality you declare to the registration application. A copy is enough - if you write on it that it's a true copy of the original, you don't need the separate procedure to get the original returned.

• If you still need to file inheritance registration: inheritance registration, which has a deadline of 31 March 2027, is covered too. On top of the full set of family-register documents, think of it as one extra document - the heir's own resident record showing a registered domicile (or their resident record code). The deadline and procedure are covered in the inheritance registration deadline of 31 March 2027.
• Your resident record code is shown if you ask for it on your resident record copy (an 11-digit number, separate from your My Number). If you're using a judicial scrivener, telling them the code means fewer trips to re-obtain your resident record.
• The online application software was updated on 5 October, but the Legal Affairs Bureau's own system update is expected to finish after the effective date; the Bureau says it will separately announce how applications are handled until then.

Why now - tracking foreign-held property and confirming the governing law for inheritance

The Ministry of Justice gives two reasons. One is tracking how much real estate foreign nationals actually hold. The other: when an owner dies, nationality determines which country's law governs the inheritance (the governing law), so knowing it in advance lets inheritance registration go more smoothly[Notice, Part 1 (in Japanese)].

• The change was written into the government's Comprehensive Response Package from the 23 January 2026 Ministerial Meeting on Accepting Foreign Nationals and Building an Orderly Society of Coexistence, as a ministerial-order amendment to capture nationality when transfer registration is applied for (measure 217). It also says the government will consider, as "sensitive information," which staff may access nationality data[Cabinet Secretariat, Comprehensive Response Package, 23 January 2026 (in Japanese)].
• The public comment period (23 December 2025 - 3 February 2026) drew 28 submissions. To the objection that this was "an amendment to discriminate against foreign nationals," the Ministry of Justice replied that Japanese nationals are covered too; to the view that it "should be shown on the register," it replied that it's personal information and stays non-public. The draft went forward unchanged.
• The Tokyo Judicial Scriveners Association submitted comments arguing that nationality isn't a registrable matter, that nationality must not be visible to third parties viewing attached documents, and raising concern about delays to registration processing[Tokyo Judicial Scriveners Association, 3 February 2026 (in Japanese)].
• This is not a restriction on acquisition. The rules for foreign nationals acquiring land are being debated separately, in a Cabinet Secretariat study group that started in March 2026.

The actual figures so far track only whether an address is overseas, not nationality. In a Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism survey, among people who acquired new condominiums from January to June 2025, those with an overseas address made up 7.5% in Tokyo's six central wards (3.2% in 2024) and 3.5% across the 23 wards. Overseas residents accounted for under 3% of short-term resales within a year, and the ministry says it sees no sign of active flipping of high-value properties[Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, 25 November 2025 (in Japanese)]. For forestland, foreign corporations and others acquired 714 hectares in 2025, bringing the cumulative total since 2006 to 11,699 hectares[Forestry Agency, September 2026 (in Japanese)].

Four procedures that overlap for a foreign buyer - the registration nationality declaration is just one

When a foreign national or someone living overseas buys real estate in Japan, this new declaration overlaps with other procedures that began in 2024 and 2026.

• The Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act report turns on whether you're a non-resident, not nationality - a foreign national living in Japan doesn't need it, while a Japanese national living overseas does.
• Taxes don't change with nationality. Real estate acquisition tax and fixed asset tax are levied on acquiring and holding property; nationality and residence only matter for inheritance and gift tax, in determining whether overseas assets get taxed too[National Tax Agency No. 4138 (in Japanese)]. Taxes on real estate for foreign nationals and non-residents are covered in taxes on Japanese real estate for foreign nationals and non-residents, and the scope of inheritance tax in foreign nationals, overseas assets, and inheritance tax.

Summary

• From 5 October 2026, individuals newly becoming owners through ownership registration (sale, gift, inheritance) declare their nationality when applying. Japanese nationals are covered too; corporations are not
• Japanese nationals attach a resident record copy with registered domicile or a supplementary family-register record (not needed if you write your resident record code); foreign nationals attach a residence card, passport, or special permanent resident certificate copy
• Nationality doesn't appear on the register or a certificate of registered matters - it's internal information at the Legal Affairs Bureau, though it is shared with the real-estate base registry for government agencies
• There's no retroactive obligation for existing owners, and no penalty for not declaring (recorded as "not Japan" or "nationality unknown" based on the attached documents)
• Inheritance registration, due by 31 March 2027, is covered too. This is separate from a non-resident's Foreign Exchange Act report (within 20 days, any purpose from April 2026) and the special-monitoring-zone advance notification

Sources

• Ministry of Justice Civil Affairs Bureau Director-General Notice, "Handling of registration affairs following the partial amendment to the Real Property Registration Rules (nationality declaration)" (Civil Affairs No. 872, 4 September 2026, PDF) (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Justice, "On declaring the nationality of a registered owner" (in Japanese), Legal Affairs Bureau, "Real property registration application forms (for use from 5 October)" (in Japanese)
• e-Gov, "Results of the public comment period on the draft ministerial order amending the Real Property Registration Rules" (31 March 2026) (in Japanese)
• Cabinet Secretariat, "Comprehensive Response Package toward Accepting Foreign Nationals and Building an Orderly Society of Coexistence" (23 January 2026, PDF) (in Japanese), same, "Study Group on Rules for Land Acquisition by Foreign Nationals" (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Justice, "Registering a domestic contact address for overseas residents and a Roman-alphabet name for foreign nationals (effective 1 April 2024)" (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Finance, "Report on acquisition of domestic real estate by non-residents" (in Japanese), same, leaflet (June 2026, PDF) (in Japanese)
• Cabinet Office, "Important Land Survey Act: notification for special monitoring zones" (in Japanese)
• Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, "Actual acquisition of new condominiums by people with an overseas address" (25 November 2025) (in Japanese), Forestry Agency, "Results of the survey on forestland acquisition by foreign capital" (September 2026) (in Japanese)
• Tokyo Judicial Scriveners Association, "Comments on the draft ministerial order amending the Real Property Registration Rules" (3 February 2026) (in Japanese)
• National Tax Agency No. 4138, "When an heir lives abroad" (in Japanese)

* This article is general information based on the Ministry of Justice's notice, guidance, and government materials as of 5 October 2026. Points not spelled out in the notice, such as the treatment of corporations, are read from the rule's wording limiting the requirement to "natural persons." For individual registration procedures, check with your local Legal Affairs Bureau or a judicial scrivener; for tax questions, check with a tax office or tax accountant.