Short answer: 告知事項 (kokuchi jiko, "matters to be disclosed") is a flag that the seller or agent has something they are legally obliged to tell you before you sign. Most often it is a psychological defect — a death in the property — but the same phrase covers physical, environmental and legal defects. It is not automatically a reason to walk away; it is a reason to ask exactly what the matter is, get it in writing, and price it.
In Japanese real-estate practice, the phrase 告知事項あり ("there are disclosure matters") or 心理的瑕疵あり ("there is a psychological defect") appears on a listing when the agent knows of a fact that a reasonable buyer would want to know and that is not visible from an inspection. Under the Real Estate Brokerage Act (宅地建物取引業法), the licensed agent must explain such facts in the 重要事項説明 (jūyō jikō setsumei, "explanation of important matters") before the contract, and deliberately hiding them exposes the seller to liability for non-conformity (契約不適合責任) under the Civil Code.
The four categories buyers meet in practice:
| Category | Japanese | Typical examples on an akiya |
|---|---|---|
| Psychological | 心理的瑕疵 | Suicide, homicide, fire death or a death discovered late (孤独死) in the house; a nearby incident that is widely known |
| Physical | 物理的瑕疵 | Termite damage, roof leaks, soil contamination, buried objects, asbestos in older materials |
| Environmental | 環境的瑕疵 | Odour or noise from a nearby plant, a waste facility, a religious facility, a planned road |
| Legal | 法的瑕疵 | Rebuilding prohibited (再建築不可), urbanization control area, illegal extensions, a road setback, leasehold land |
Legal defects are the most common on very cheap houses and are covered in our guides on saikenchiku fuka and urbanization control areas. This page focuses on the psychological category, because that is what agents usually mean when they write 告知事項あり without further detail.
Until 2021 there was no written standard, and agents disclosed (or didn't) case by case. In October 2021 the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) published the Guideline on disclosure of deaths by real-estate brokers (宅地建物取引業者による人の死の告知に関するガイドライン). Its core rules, in plain terms:
Source: MLIT, 宅地建物取引業者による人の死の告知に関するガイドライン (2021). The guideline is administrative guidance rather than a statute, but courts and the industry treat it as the standard of care.
The practical consequence for akiya buyers: many old houses are on the market precisely because the last occupant died there. A death from old age, even inside the house, normally will not appear as 告知事項. When the flag does appear, it is usually the non-natural kind, or the agent is being cautious.
The listing will rarely say. Ask in writing, before any deposit, and keep the reply. Three questions, in Japanese and English:
| Question (JP) | Meaning | What a good answer contains |
|---|---|---|
| 告知事項の内容を具体的に教えてください。 | Please tell me specifically what the disclosure matter is. | The category (death / physical / environmental / legal), when it happened, and where (which room, common area, next door) |
| 人の死に関する事項であれば、経緯・時期・特殊清掃の有無を教えてください。 | If it concerns a death: circumstances, date, and whether special cleaning was done. | Whether it was natural or not; year; whether the interior was replaced |
| 重要事項説明書にその内容を記載していただけますか。 | Will you write it into the explanation of important matters? | "Yes" — a refusal is itself a red flag |
Agents are generally willing to explain by phone or email once asked directly. If the answer is "the seller prefers not to say", treat the matter as unknown and price accordingly, or pass.
There is no statutory discount. Market practice, as described in Japanese appraisal literature and agent commentary, is roughly:
| Situation | Typical market treatment |
|---|---|
| Natural death, discovered promptly | Often no discount; frequently not even disclosed under the guideline |
| Late-discovered natural death with special cleaning | Modest discount, commonly cited in the range of 10–20% off comparable value |
| Suicide inside the property | Larger discount, commonly cited around 20–30%; interior often fully replaced |
| Homicide or a widely reported incident | 30–50% or more; some buyers exclude these entirely, some investors seek them out |
These ranges are rules of thumb, not measurements, and for a ¥2 million akiya the absolute amount is small. The larger cost is usually resale liquidity: you will have to disclose the same matter when you sell, and the pool of buyers shrinks. If you plan to demolish and rebuild, the psychological defect attaches to the land, not the building, but in practice buyers care less once the original structure is gone.
The guideline covers the property itself and the common areas a buyer would normally use (entrance, corridors, stairs). An incident in a neighbouring detached house is not, strictly, the agent's duty to disclose — but if it is widely known locally and would affect a reasonable buyer's decision, careful agents mention it, and you can ask. For a detached akiya, "next door" is usually outside the duty; for an apartment (マンション), a death in the shared lift or entrance is inside it.
Physical and legal defects are where the money actually goes on old houses. If the agent's answer to "what is the matter?" is one of the following, budget for it before you decide:
No. It means there is something the agent must disclose. Deaths are the most common reason for the bare phrase, but physical, environmental and legal defects use the same wording. Ask which.
The seller can be reluctant, but the licensed agent has a legal duty to disclose known facts that affect the decision, and must answer a direct question truthfully. A refusal is a reason to walk away or to price the property as if the worst case were true.
If the seller or agent knew and did not disclose, you may have a claim for non-conformity (contract termination or damages) and the agent may face administrative sanction. The claim is harder if the seller genuinely did not know. Keep every written exchange.
For sales, yes — the MLIT guideline sets no expiry for known non-natural deaths. Plan for a smaller buyer pool and a lower price when you exit.
The report parses the listing text for the phrase and related terms (心理的瑕疵, 事故物件) and flags them as RISK, with the Japanese questions to send the agent. It cannot know about a matter the listing does not mention, which is why an item can also be marked UNKNOWN.
Have a specific listing in mind? Get the official zoning, hazard and transaction data for that exact lot — plus the questions to send the agent — in one PDF.
Get a $49 risk report Free 12-point checklistThis guide is general information based on public sources cited above. It is not legal, tax, or real-estate brokerage advice. Confirm every item for a specific property with the agent, the municipality, and licensed professionals.