The Japanese Words You Need to Know When Buying Property

Any unoccupied residential property. Can be anything from a modern suburban house to a century-old farmhouse. The word describes occupancy status, not condition. Japan has over 9 million of them. See why Japan has so many.

A standalone single-family home — the standard Japanese house. Most akiya are kodate. Listings abbreviate this as 戸建.

A traditional Japanese farmhouse or rural home, usually built before 1950 with wood, clay, and thatch. Often large, with exposed beams and tatami rooms. Highly sought after for renovation projects but expensive to restore properly.

A narrow, deep urban townhouse found in historic districts like Kyoto, Kanazawa, and Takayama. Ground floor was traditionally a shop, upper floors residential. Some are protected by preservation rules that restrict renovation.

A reinforced concrete apartment building — not a "mansion" in the English sense. Individual units are bought and sold. Has monthly management fees (管理費) and repair reserve funds (修繕積立金).

The standard way Japanese listings describe floor plans. The number before LDK = bedrooms. 3LDK = 3 bedrooms + combined living-dining-kitchen. Variations: DK (dining-kitchen, no separate living), K (kitchen only), S (service room / storage).

Room sizes are measured in tatami mats. One jō ≈ 1.62 m² (varies slightly by region). A 6-jō room ≈ 9.7 m². Listings say "6畳" meaning a 6-mat room. Multiply by 1.62 for approximate square metres.

Land area is often quoted in tsubo. One tsubo = 3.31 m² (roughly 2 tatami mats). A 100-tsubo lot = 331 m². Land prices are sometimes listed per tsubo rather than per square metre.

The real estate agency or agent. They handle listings, viewings, negotiations, and the sales contract. Commission is capped at 3% + ¥60,000 + tax for properties over ¥4 million. See how the buying process works.

The licensed professional who handles property registration at the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局). This is how ownership transfers become legally recorded. Not optional — no scrivener, no legal transfer. Budget ¥100,000–200,000.

Required for non-resident property owners. This person in Japan receives tax notices and handles filings on your behalf. Without one, you won't receive your annual tax bills. Can be a tax accountant, lawyer, or trusted individual with a Japanese address.

Annual property tax based on assessed value — approximately 1.4%. Paid by all property owners, resident or not. The assessed value (評価額) is set by the municipality and is usually lower than the purchase price.

An additional annual tax of approximately 0.3%, applied to properties within designated urban planning areas. Not all properties are subject to this — rural akiya outside city planning zones are exempt.

A one-time tax paid after purchase, calculated on the assessed value (not purchase price). Approximately 3% for land, 3% for residential buildings. Reductions apply for newer or smaller properties.

The brokerage fee paid to the real estate agent. Legally capped at 3% of the sale price + ¥60,000 + consumption tax (for properties over ¥4M). For properties ¥8M or less, the maximum is ¥300,000 + tax.

Fees for registering the ownership transfer at the Legal Affairs Bureau. Includes registration and license tax (登録免許税) plus the scrivener's professional fee. Total typically ¥200,000–400,000.

Municipal databases of vacant properties listed for sale or rent by local governments. Over 700 exist across Japan. Mostly in Japanese, fragmented across hundreds of municipal websites. The Akiya Labs directory indexes 730+ in one place.

A legally required pre-contract disclosure where the agent explains all material facts about the property — zoning, building restrictions, rights of way, known defects, hazard zone status. Conducted by a licensed agent (宅地建物取引士). This is your last chance to back out before signing.

The binding contract between buyer and seller. Signed after the important matters explanation. A deposit (手付金, tetsuke-kin) — typically 5–10% of the price — is paid at this stage. Withdrawing after signing means forfeiting the deposit.

A document authorizing someone to act on your behalf during the transaction. Essential for foreign buyers who cannot be physically present in Japan for every step. Must be notarized and in some cases apostilled.

The maximum percentage of the lot that a building can cover. If a 200 m² lot has a kenpei-ritsu of 60%, the building footprint cannot exceed 120 m². Set by zoning and listed on every property listing.

The maximum total floor area relative to the lot size. A 200 m² lot with 200% yōseki-ritsu can have up to 400 m² of total floor space across all stories.

The most common construction type for Japanese houses. Wooden structures have a statutory useful life of 22 years for tax depreciation purposes. Most akiya are mokuzō.

Pre-1981 buildings follow the old standard (旧耐震, kyū-taishin). Post-1981 follow the new standard (新耐震, shin-taishin). A 2000 revision further strengthened requirements for wooden houses. Always check the construction confirmation date. The Property Hazard Score helps assess risk for any address.