Can a foreign national own land in Japan?

Japan places no nationality or residency requirement on owning land or buildings. You do not need a visa, you do not need to live here, and the title you receive is the same freehold title a Japanese buyer receives. There is no expiry date and no ground lease hiding underneath it.

The two exceptions

Since 2022, a small number of areas near defense installations and national borders require a notification when land changes hands. None of the areas we work in fall inside them, but it is worth asking about any plot before you commit.

The second is agricultural land. Farmland is governed by a separate committee and cannot simply be bought and built on, whoever you are. If a listing looks unusually cheap for its size, this is usually why.

What actually slows people down

Not the law — the paperwork. Registration, the seal certificate and the tax filings that follow are all in Japanese, and all have deadlines. That part we handle for you.