Research property and company records | NEEDS Property Research

Japanese real estate research is not one search. It is a sequence of checks across separate official systems: the land register at the local Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局), cadastral maps, municipal planning files, and, for corporate owners, the company registry. No unified national portal exists for private use, so the practical question is not “where do I look” but “which record answers which question, and in what order.”

The core principle: identifiers and primary records first

Japanese property research is a sequence of cross-checks, not a single lookup. The records are fragmented across multiple local Legal Affairs Bureaus (法務局), municipal planning departments, and archived corporate registries. The practical consequence: if a source contradicts the official registry, the registry wins. Archived consultancy notes, sales brochures, and agent summaries are secondary evidence and should be treated as leads, not proof.

Start with identifiers before any narrative claim:

Parcel number (地番), the unique identifier for the land parcel.
Building number (家屋番号), the identifier for the building record in the register.
Address (所在地), the administrative address, which may not match the cadastral parcel name.
Koseki reference (戸籍), needed for inheritance chains when an owner has died.
Fixed asset tax parcel number (固定資産税の課税番号), useful for matching municipal tax records to the land register.

Then move to dates. Every official record carries an entry date, a cause of registration, and a registration date. Record all three. The single most common error in Japanese property research is treating the most recent entry as the current legal state without checking whether a later application is pending.

What counts as a primary record

For a property purchase or redevelopment study, the primary records are the land register (登記簿), the cadastral map (地図), the building confirmation application (建築確認申請), the urban planning map (都市計画図), and the fixed asset tax ledger (固定資産税台帳). These are the records that create or limit legal rights. Archived consultancy notes, news summaries, and unverified project websites are secondary evidence. Use them only to generate leads, never to conclude a question.

The land register is maintained at the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) that has jurisdiction over the property’s location. It is not a single national database. A parcel in Tokyo is registered with the Tokyo Legal Affairs Bureau, and a parcel in Osaka with the Osaka one. The register is composed of the land section (土地の部), the building section (建物の部), and the rights section (権利部). Ownership, mortgages, easements, and leasehold interests appear in the rights section. Cadastral maps (地図) are separate records, kept by the same bureau but not always fully aligned with the register.

Before you search, collect the parcel identifiers: the prefecture (都道府県), municipality (市区町村), district (丁目), lot number (地番), and building number (家屋番号) if one exists. The fastest official route is to request a “登記事項証明書” (certificate of registered matters) from the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) that has jurisdiction over the parcel. You can also search the 登記情報提供システム (registry information provision system) operated by the Legal Affairs Bureau. A full certificate shows the ownership section (甲区), the rights section (乙区), and the parcel area. The cadastral map (地図) is a separate record. It shows boundaries, not ownership. Do not assume the map and the register agree. Survey errors, road realignments, and unregistered transfers can create mismatches.

The main records and what each one answers

Record	Japanese term	What it contains	Primary use
Land register	登記簿	Ownership, mortgages, easements, and restrictions for each parcel	Verify the registered owner and encumbrances before purchase
Cadastral map	地図	Parcel boundaries, land category, and survey points	Confirm site shape, road access, and boundary consistency
Building confirmation application	建築確認申請	Plans and compliance checks for new construction	Confirm what was approved and when
Urban planning map	都市計画図	Zoning districts, road plans, and public facility reservations	Check whether a site is in a redevelopment zone
Fixed asset tax register	固定資産税台帳	Municipal assessed value and building details	Understand municipal valuation, not market price
Koseki (family registry)	戸籍	Inheritance and family relationships for succession	Trace heirs and ownership transfer history
Company registry	登記簿 (会社登記)	Corporate status, directors, and registered capital	Verify the legal entity behind a property claim

Key truths that shape every search

Japanese property records are not centralised. Ownership, boundaries, planning, building permission, and taxation are held separately by different institutions.
The land register (登記簿) and the cadastral map (地図) are two distinct records: the register records rights, the map records geometry. A parcel can be correctly registered but its boundary on the map may be inaccurate.
The 1981 Building Standards Act revision is the common dividing line for seismic design. Buildings confirmed before that date generally follow older seismic standards unless the owner later applied for retrofitting or a major alteration.
Lease protection under the Land and Building Leases Act depends on the registration of the lease and on the tenant’s actual possession, not on the lease contract alone.
Fixed-asset tax valuations are typically 50-70% of market price, so they cannot be used as a reliable market proxy.
Official cadastral maps can have positional errors of several metres, especially in rural areas, and do not always match the land register.
A building confirmation application is a public record of plans and compliance checks, but approval does not guarantee that construction followed the approved plans.
The koseki is the primary evidence of inheritance chains in Japan. Property transfer after death normally requires koseki extracts to prove heir identity.
Under the Land and Building Leases Act, a tenant with a registered lease may have renewal rights that survive the registered lease term. Eviction requires justifiable grounds under Article 28. This is legal information, not legal advice. Verify the current text of the Act via e-Gov Japan.
The Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) maintains the official land register and cadastral maps. Registration data is parcel-based, not building-based, so a building’s physical details must be obtained from municipal permit records or the fixed-asset tax register.
The Building Confirmation Application (建築確認申請) is filed with the local government and contains the approved plans and compliance checks for new construction. It is a primary record for verifying whether a building was legally constructed.
The Urban Redevelopment Act (都市再開発法) is the legal framework for coordinated redevelopment projects, including tenant relocation procedures.
The Building Standards Act (建築基準法) sets structural safety, fire resistance, and site coverage requirements.
The Land and Building Leases Act (借地借家法) governs lease protections and renewal rights for tenants.
The koseki (戸籍) is the family registry used to prove inheritance chains for property succession. Since 2024, a certificate of koseki can be obtained from any municipal office in Japan.
The fixed asset tax register (固定資産税台帳) is a municipal record of assessed value and building details. Assessed values are typically 50-70% of market price.
The cadastral map and the land register are maintained separately by the Legal Affairs Bureau. A parcel’s boundary on the map may not match the area stated in the register until a licensed surveyor (土地家屋調査士) resolves the discrepancy.

How to obtain the land register and cadastral map

To read the land register, you need the parcel number (地番) and the address (所在), which are on the cadastral map. Obtain a registered copy from the Legal Affairs Bureau for a fee, or online via the Registration Information System (登記情報提供システム) for a small per-record fee.

The fixed-asset tax register (固定資産税台帳) is maintained by the municipal tax office, not the Legal Affairs Bureau. It shows assessed value, building age, and floor area. Do not treat the assessed value as a market proxy.

The koseki (family registry) is not a property record, but it is the primary evidence of inheritance chains for vacant or inherited property. Access is restricted to the registrant, their spouse, or a direct ancestor or descendant. An heir may need the landowner’s consent or a court order to obtain another person’s koseki. Under the 2018 amendment to the Inheritance Registration Law, the Land and Building Surveyor, Judicial Scrivener, or a licensed lawyer who prepares the inheritance registration application may apply for the heir-search certificate on behalf of the heir.

For any property transaction, the official 登記簿 (land register) is the primary record of ownership, mortgages, and easements. The register is not a guarantee of physical boundaries. The cadastral map (地図) is the primary source for parcel geometry.

Property research in Japan commonly begins with two documents: the land register (登記簿) and the cadastral map (地図). The land register is maintained by the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) for each jurisdiction, while the cadastral map is maintained by the same bureau under the cadastral survey system. Neither document alone is sufficient. Cross-reference them because boundary disputes and registration errors can appear in one but not the other.

Japanese property research is a fragmented process. Records are held by local Legal Affairs Bureaus, municipal planning departments, and archived corporate registries. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) publishes national datasets, but they are not a single searchable registry.

The land register (登記簿) is the primary record for ownership, mortgages, and easements. It is maintained by the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) and is open to public inspection. The register is divided into the header section, rights section, and restrictive section.

Focused guides that own the detail

Japanese real estate records
不動産 (real estate)
登記 (registration)
再開発 (redevelopment)
建替え (rebuilding)

What you will learn: - Which official records exist, what each one proves, and where the gaps are - How to read a 登記簿 (land register) entry and a 地図 (cadastral map) - How to verify zoning, building permission, and redevelopment designation - How to trace company records and corporate ownership through official registries - How to interpret lease protection and eviction evidence under the Land and Building Leases Act - How to avoid common mistakes, including relying on an archived consultancy claim - When to escalate to a licensed Japanese professional