Japan's 20-Day Property Reporting Rule: What to Prepare For

You do not need to work out the filing process alone. You do need clear answers to three questions before the transaction is complete:

1. 1 Does the reporting rule apply to you and this property purchase?
2. 2 Which date starts your 20-day deadline?
3. 3 Who will submit the report and confirm that it was filed?

This guide walks through each question, including why a low purchase price or plans to live in the home may not change the answer. It also explains what to do if you discover a required deadline has already passed.

Japan's Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act (FEFTA) requires certain people classified as non-residents to report an acquisition of Japanese real property or certain related rights. A required report goes to the Minister of Finance through the Bank of Japan, generally within 20 days after acquisition.

"Foreign" and "non-resident" are not the same thing here. A foreign national living and working in Japan may be treated as a resident under FEFTA. Someone living overseas may be treated as a non-resident. Your nationality alone does not answer the question.

If you are unsure about your status, ask a professional familiar with your transaction to check it before you assume you do or do not need to file.

Older buying guides may say that a non-resident does not need to report a property bought for residential use. That advice may not apply to acquisitions on or after April 1, 2026. Under the rules described in Ministry of Finance guidance for that date, a non-resident's acquisition of real property itself is generally reportable even when the buyer plans to live there. Limited exemptions may still apply to certain rights relating to property.

The price does not settle the question either. There is no minimum purchase price or land-area threshold for this reporting rule. A low-cost akiya (a vacant home in Japan) can raise the same filing question as a more expensive house.

If you have been browsing cheap listings, this is worth checking early. The amount you pay for the house does not tell you how much paperwork comes with it.

The deadline is generally measured from the date of acquisition, not necessarily the day you receive the keys. Ministry of Finance guidance identifies different possible acquisition dates depending on the transaction. These can include the contract date, the ownership-transfer date, or, for an inheritance, the date the inheritance is determined.

Imagine signing a contract and expecting the keys several weeks later. If you wait until key handover to ask about the report, you may have calculated the deadline from the wrong date.

Ask the professional handling your purchase which date applies to your transaction. Put the resulting deadline on your closing checklist.

No. Property registration records ownership and other property rights. Residence registration concerns a registered address in Japan, if applicable. The FEFTA report concerns a qualifying acquisition by a non-resident.

Finishing one process does not mean the others are finished. Keep the report as a separate item on your checklist.

Do not leave a required report unfiled because it is late. Ministry of Finance guidance says to submit it as soon as possible and explain the delay. Ask a professional familiar with the transaction or the appropriate authority for help if you are unsure what to submit.

This is not just optional paperwork. Failing to make a required report, or making a false report, can have real legal consequences under FEFTA. Check the facts, deal with the filing, and do not guess.

• Is each buyer considered a resident or non-resident under FEFTA?
• Under the rules that apply on our acquisition date, does this purchase require a Form No. 22 report?
• Which date counts as the acquisition date, and when is the filing deadline?
• If we are buying together, does each buyer need to file separately?
• Who will prepare and submit any required report?
• What confirmation will I receive once it has been submitted?

Ask these questions while the professionals handling your purchase are still working together. If an answer is unclear, settle it before assuming the paperwork is complete.