Guide · 2026-10-09

How to read a Japanese property registry (登記事項証明書) before you buy: owner, mortgages, seizures, land category and unregistered buildings

Short answer: before you pay a deposit on a Japanese house, get the registry certificate (登記事項証明書) for both the land and the building. It is issued by the Legal Affairs Bureau, it costs a few hundred yen, and under the Real Property Registration Act anyone may request it, not only the owner. It tells you what the property physically is on paper (location, land category, area, structure), who the registered owner is, and what claims are registered against it, such as a mortgage or a seizure. It does not tell you whether the boundaries are accurate, whether the building really matches the paper, or whether the seller can legally sell. Use it to check the seller's identity and the claims before signing, then ask the agent about every line you do not understand. The $49 Akiya Check report covers the lot's hazard, zoning and market data; the free checklist includes the registry checks below.

What the registry is and who can request it

Japan keeps a public register of land and buildings. Each parcel of land and each building has its own record. The register is maintained by the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局). Requesting a certificate does not require ownership or a reason: the Real Property Registration Act (不動産登記法) lets any person request a certificate of the registered matters. Foreigners and people abroad can request one online or by post; where you cannot use the online system, you can ask a judicial scrivener (司法書士) or the buying agent to obtain it.

Three versions matter:

What	Japanese	Use
Complete certificate	全部事項証明書	Shows everything, including entries that have been deleted. Best for due diligence
Current matters certificate	現在事項証明書	Shows only what is currently in force. Quick to read
Registry Information Service	登記情報提供サービス	On-screen view for a small fee, not an official certificate

Fees are published by the Legal Affairs Bureau: since April 2025, one certificate costs 600 yen requested at the counter, 520 yen when requested online and mailed, and 490 yen when requested online and collected at the office; the Registry Information Service displays the record but issues no certificate (Legal Affairs Bureau guidance, Japanese). Fees can change, so check the page. Always check the date of issue at the bottom: a certificate more than a few weeks old may not show recent changes. Ask the agent for a fresh one close to the contract date.

The structure of a registry record

Each record has a title part and a rights part, and the rights part is split in two. The names below are the same on the land record and the building record.

Part	Japanese	What it contains
Title part	表題部	The physical facts. For land: location, parcel number (地番), land category (地目), area (地積). For buildings: location, building number (家屋番号), type, structure, floor area
Rights part, section A	権利部（甲区）	Ownership: the owner's name and address, the date and cause of acquisition (sale, inheritance, gift), and also seizures, provisional seizures and provisional registrations
Rights part, section B	権利部（乙区）	Rights other than ownership: mortgages and revolving mortgages (抵当権・根抵当権), easements (地役権), leases and leasehold (賃借権・地上権)

The descriptions of the parts follow the standard layout used in Legal Affairs Bureau certificates; the Bureau publishes sample certificates and guidance on its website. Entries that have been deleted are shown with an underline in a complete certificate. A new building may have no section B if nothing has ever been registered there.

What to check, line by line

Title part: does the paper match the listing?

• Address and parcel number: the registered parcel number (地番) is not the postal address. Make sure the listing's lot and the registry record are for the same parcel; large lots may consist of several parcels.
• Land category (地目): 宅地 means residential land. 田 or 畑 (paddy or field) means the land is registered as farmland and a transfer may need a farmland permit; see our guide on buying an akiya with farmland. 山林 or 雑種地 also deserve questions.
• Area (地積): this is the registered area, which may differ from the true area if the lot has never been surveyed. See boundary surveys.
• Building structure and floor area: compare the structure (for example wooden, tile-roofed, two storeys) and floor area with what you see. Extensions, a rebuilt annex, or a demolished outbuilding that is still on paper are common in old houses.
• Date of construction: older records may list the year; compare with the seismic standards discussed in pre-1981 houses.

Section A: is the seller really the owner?

• The last owner entry should match the seller's name and address. A different name usually means the seller is an heir or the record is outdated.
• An owner who has died. If the last registered owner is a parent or grandparent, the heirs must register the inheritance before or together with the sale. Since April 2024 inheritance registration is mandatory, as we explain in our guide on inheritance registration. Ask the agent how and when it will be done, and whether all heirs have agreed to the sale.
• Co-owners (共有). Several names with fractions mean all co-owners must agree to sell. Check that every one of them is party to the contract.
• Seizure or provisional registrations. A seizure (差押) means a creditor or tax authority has frozen the property. Do not proceed without a plan, from the agent and a judicial scrivener, for how it will be removed before you pay.
• Address changes. If the seller has moved since registration, a change of address must be registered first; this is routine but must be in the settlement plan.

Section B: what claims sit on the property?

• Mortgage (抵当権): very common. A mortgage does not stop a sale, but it must be removed at settlement. The standard practice is that the seller repays the lender from the proceeds and the judicial scrivener registers the deletion on the same day. Ask for the agent's written plan.
• Revolving mortgage (根抵当権): usually business-related. Removal needs the creditor's cooperation, so ask early.
• Easements (地役権), rights of way: someone may have a right to cross or use part of the land. Compare with what the lot looks like. See also private roads and consent letters.
• Leasehold (地上権・賃借権): a leasehold on the land changes the nature of what you buy; see leasehold akiya.
• Deleted entries: older, deleted entries are history, but they explain the property's past (loans, previous disputes).

The 3 things buyers miss

1. The building may not be registered, or may not match

In old rural houses the building is sometimes unregistered, or registered with a structure and area that no longer match reality. The agent may say "the building is unregistered" (未登記). It can still be sold, but the new owner will need a registration of the building (表題登記), often done by a land and house investigator (土地家屋調査士). It can be needed for a loan, for insurance, and for resale. Ask who pays and whether it is a condition of the sale.

2. Registered area is not surveyed area

The registered land area may come from an old survey. A listing price per square metre based on registered area can be wrong. Our boundary survey guide explains how to ask for a survey drawing, and when the seller or buyer pays.

3. The registry does not show everything

The registry does not show building code compliance, road status, hazard zones, or whether the house is safe. It does not list unpaid taxes or utility bills, and it does not show tenants with unregistered rights. For that you need other checks: our guide on how to check a house before buying, the important matters explanation, and the hazard maps.

Costs: registry and settlement

• Certificates: 490 to 600 yen each (see above). Plan for at least two per property, one for the land and one for the building, and more if the lot has several parcels or the road is separate.
• Registry view: the Registry Information Service charges a small fee per record view; it is useful for a first check.
• Registration of ownership transfer: normally done by a judicial scrivener on the settlement day. The registration and license tax are set by law and the scrivener's fee by agreement; ask for an itemised estimate. For taxes after purchase see fixed asset tax and acquisition costs.
• Deletion of the seller's mortgage: normally paid by the seller; confirm in the contract.
• Building registration or correction: quote from a land and house investigator if needed.

Checklist: what to do with the certificates

1. Get a land certificate and a building certificate, dated within a few weeks of signing (complete certificates if you can).
2. Check that parcel number, land category, area, structure and floor area match the listing.
3. Match the owner's name and address to the seller's identification.
4. If the owner is deceased or there are co-owners, ask for the plan to register inheritance and the consent of all.
5. List every mortgage and seizure and ask for the plan and date to remove each.
6. Look for easements and leases and compare with the site.
7. Ask whether the building is registered and whether the registered details match reality.
8. Request the settlement-day plan: who registers the transfer, who removes mortgages, in what order.

Questions to send the agent

Japanese	English
登記簿上の所有者と売主は同一人物ですか。相続登記は済んでいますか。	Is the registered owner the same as the seller? Has the inheritance been registered?
抵当権や差押など、乙区・甲区に登記されている権利はありますか。決済までにどう抹消されますか。	Are there mortgages, seizures or other registered rights? How will they be deleted before or at settlement?
建物は登記されていますか。登記内容は現況と一致していますか。	Is the building registered, and does the registration match the actual building?
地目は宅地ですか。地積は測量済みですか。	Is the land category residential? Has the area been surveyed?
共有者はいますか。全員が売却に同意していますか。	Are there co-owners, and have all agreed to sell?

FAQ

Can a foreigner request a Japanese property registry certificate?

Yes. The Real Property Registration Act allows any person to request a certificate, so no ownership or reason is needed. If you cannot use the Japanese online system, ask the agent or a judicial scrivener.

Is the Registry Information Service the same as a certificate?

No. The Legal Affairs Bureau explains that the service lets you view the record on screen but does not issue a certificate. For an official document, request a certificate.

Does a mortgage on the property mean I cannot buy it?

No. Mortgages are normally removed at settlement from the sale proceeds. What matters is the written plan and that the lender agrees. Do not pay the balance until the removal is arranged.

Does the registry prove the house is safe to buy?

No. It records ownership and claims, not building condition, road legality or hazard exposure. Use it as one document among several.

Related reading

See questions to ask the agent, deposits and cancelling a purchase contract, checking sold prices and all guides.

Sources: Real Property Registration Act (不動産登記法); Legal Affairs Bureau, online certificate guidance and fees (fees as listed from April 2025; check the current page). The structure of the record follows Legal Affairs Bureau sample certificates.

This 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.