Does Buying a Home in Japan Give You a Visa? And How to Check an Agency’s License Before You Sign

Short answer: owning property does not give you any residence status

Japan has no program that grants residence in exchange for buying property. Buying a home and becoming its owner does not give you a residence status (visa).

To live in Japan long term, you need to meet the requirements of a specific status, such as work, business manager, or family. The business manager status requires actually running a business in Japan; buying a home is not enough. Its requirements were also raised significantly in October 2025.

Pitches to be careful about

“Buy a home and apply for residence” / “A visa comes with the purchase”

“Guaranteed annual return of X%”

“No need to see it. Buy now or it will be gone”

Hong Kong media reported that about 40 Hong Kong buyers lost close to HK$100 million in an Osaka investment scheme that was sold with claims of guaranteed returns and residence.

Before you sign: check the license number

In Japan, a company that brokers real estate sales must hold a real estate brokerage license (takken license). The license number is usually shown on the company website or business card, in this format:

Tokyo Governor (3) No. XXXXX

“Tokyo Governor” or “Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism”: the issuing authority. A company with offices in one prefecture holds a governor’s license; a company with offices in several prefectures holds a minister’s license.

The number in brackets: how many times the license has been renewed. Licenses are renewed every 5 years, so a larger number means a longer operating history. (1) means the company is still in its first 5 years.

How to look it up

Open the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) company search system for licensed real estate businesses (in Japanese): https://etsuran2.mlit.go.jp/TAKKEN/takkenKensaku.do

Under the license number field, choose the issuing authority (for example, “13 Tokyo”) and enter the number.

Check that the company name, the representative’s name and the address match what the company told you.

If you cannot find the company, or the name or address does not match, do not proceed.

Free desk from UMJ, Tokyo

UMJ, a company based in Tokyo, takes your request in English. With your consent, we pass it only to a real estate agency licensed in Japan that can communicate with you in English. We tell you the agency’s name and license number so you can check it yourself with the steps above. UMJ is not a real estate broker. We do not list properties, do not take part in negotiation or contracts, and do not charge you.

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