Leasehold and ground-right research

Leasehold and ground-right research is the process of identifying who holds which right over a parcel or structure, how long that right runs, and what the registered documents actually permit. In Japanese real estate (不動産), the official record is not one database but a set of fragmented registries and municipal archives. The single question you need to answer is: who holds which right over which parcel or building, and what restrictions are attached to those rights? The answer is never in one document. You must assemble it from the land register (登記簿), cadastral map (地図), building confirmation records (建築確認申請), planning maps (都市計画図), and, where inheritance or tenancy is involved, the family registry (戸籍) and lease contracts.

This method is designed for property investors, tenants facing relocation, researchers, due-diligence advisers, and heirs dealing with inherited property. It is not a legal opinion; for project-specific conclusions, engage a judicial scrivener (司法書士), land and building surveyor (土地家屋調査士), or a lawyer admitted in Japan.

Why the register is only the starting point

The land register (登記簿) held at the local Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) is the authoritative record of ownership, mortgages, and easements. It is not a complete picture of who can use the property. Leasehold rights, ground rents, and use restrictions often sit in supporting instruments, planning files, or tax registers that are maintained separately. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) publishes the National Land Numerical Information (国土数値情報) dataset, which contains zoning and land-use layers for GIS analysis, but it does not replace the register (MLIT, 2024).

Start with the parcel, not the structure

Japanese property records are organised around the parcel (土地), not the building. Every parcel has a unique land number (地番) and is described in the land register (登記簿) held by the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) that has jurisdiction over the parcel’s location. The building, if any, is a separate entry in the same register or a supplementary building register (建物登記簿). When you search, you must therefore identify the parcel first, then look for the building record attached to it.

A property address (住居表示) is not the same as the parcel identifier used in the register. You need the parcel number (地番), which is shown on the cadastral map (地図) and in the fixed-asset tax notice. Use the map to confirm the parcel boundary, then request the register by parcel number.

What you are actually researching

You are resolving one question across several independent records that are maintained by different authorities and that sometimes disagree. The land register (登記簿) is the primary legal record of ownership, mortgages, easements, and leasehold rights for each parcel. The cadastral map (地図) is a separate record of the parcel boundary. The two are maintained by the same Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) but are not always perfectly aligned, especially in rural areas or after unregistered boundary changes. Building plans and confirmation applications are filed with the municipal government, not the Legal Affairs Bureau. Urban planning maps (都市計画図) are issued by the local government planning department. There is no single national portal that unifies these records for private use.

How the land register is structured

The official land register is called the 登記簿 (tōkibo), and the accompanying cadastral map is called 地図 (chizu). A parcel is identified by its 地番 (chiban, land number) and 地目 (chiboku, land category such as residential or agricultural). The register is composed of three sections: the first shows the parcel’s location and area, the second shows ownership and acquisition cause, and the third shows encumbrances such as mortgages (抵当権, teitōken), leasehold rights (地上権, chijōken), and easements (地役権, chieki ken). Since 2004 the land register has been digitised; you can obtain a current transcript online through the Registration Information Provision System, or in person at the bureau serving the parcel’s location.

Find the correct bureau

The first practical step is to identify the correct Legal Affairs Bureau that has jurisdiction over the parcel’s location. Japan is divided into multiple bureau jurisdictions, and the register is kept by the bureau that has jurisdiction over the property. The property’s lot number (地番, chiban) and address (住居表示, jūkyo hyōji) may differ; the land register is keyed to the parcel number (地番), not the street address. Use the address to find the parcel number, then request the register for that parcel. If you only have a street address, obtain the parcel number from the municipality’s tax map or the cadastral map (地図) before approaching the bureau.

Japanese search terms to retain

• 登記簿 (tōkibo), land register
• 地図 (chizu), cadastral map
• 建築確認申請 (kenchiku kakunin shinsei), building confirmation application
• 都市計画図 (toshi keikaku zu), urban planning map
• 戸籍 (koseki), family registry
• 固定資産税台帳 (kotei shisan zei daichō), fixed-asset tax register
• 市街地再開発促進区域 (shigaichi saikaihatsu sokushin kuiki), redevelopment promotion area
• 土地家屋調査士 (tochi-kaoku chōsashi), land and building surveyor
• 司法書士 (shihō shoshi), judicial scrivener
• 不動産鑑定士 (fudōsan kanteishi), real-estate appraiser