What happens if the address on the register is still your old one? — It became compulsory in April 2026
Where the surname, name or address of a property owner changes, an application to register the change must be made within two years of the day of the change (Real Property Registration Act, Article 76-5). The rule came into force on 1 April Reiwa 8 (2026). Neglecting the application without justification carries a non-penal fine of up to JPY 50,000 (same Act, Article 164, paragraph 2). Addresses that changed before the commencement date are covered too, and must be registered by 31 March Reiwa 10 (2028). When you sell, you end up putting it right first for a separate reason: the registration of transfer of ownership will not be accepted unless the address on the register matches the address on your seal registration certificate. If you have decided to leave Japan, check this before you close your residence record. Once you have moved out, the change of registration becomes a good deal mo
You have a duty to apply to register the change within two years of the day it occurred (Real Property Registration Act, Article 76-5). The rule came into force on 1 April Reiwa 8 (2026). Neglect it and you face a non-penal fine of up to JPY 50,000. When you sell there is a separate point: completion cannot proceed unless the address on the register matches the address on your seal registration certificate.
This page is for owners whose address on the register is still the old one. The whole process of selling before you leave Japan is set out in our feature on selling property before leaving Japan.
Last updated: 29 September 2026
What changed in April 2026?
Applying became compulsory.
Article 76-5 of the Real Property Registration Act provides that where there is a change to the surname or name, or to the address, of the registered owner, an application to register the change must be made within two years of the day on which the change occurred. It came into force on 1 April Reiwa 8 (2026).
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Who | The registered owner |
| By when | Within two years of the day the change occurred |
| What | Registration of the change of surname, name or address |
| If you do not | A non-penal fine of up to JPY 50,000 where the application is neglected without justification (same Act, Article 164, paragraph 2) |
| Commencement date | 1 April Reiwa 8 (2026) |
Moves made before the commencement date are covered too
Do not overlook this. If your address or name changed before the commencement date and the change has still not been registered, the duty applies to you as well. In that case the deadline is 31 March Reiwa 10 (2028) (Ministry of Justice).
If you moved ten years ago and have not touched it since, you are within scope.
The fine does not arrive out of the blue
The Ministry of Justice explains the practice as follows. Even where a registrar becomes aware that the duty has been breached, the practice is not to notify the court (a non-penal fine notification) immediately. A notification is made only where the person in breach has been given a reasonable period and issued with a demand for compliance, and the application has still not been made within that period without justification.
This is not something to be alarmed about. If a demand for compliance arrives, respond to it — that is enough. If you are planning to sell, though, there is no reason to wait for one.
When you sell, you put it right for a reason quite apart from the duty
Because in registration practice you cannot get any further without it.
An application for registration of transfer of ownership requires the address on the register to match the address on the document showing your current address — your seal registration certificate or your residence record. If they do not match, there is no way to confirm that the person is the same person as the registered owner.
So the change of address is registered before the transfer of ownership. Normally, on the day of completion the judicial scrivener (shiho-shoshi) applies for the change of address registration and the transfer of ownership one after the other.
In other words, compulsory or not, if you are selling you will be putting it right. What the new duty changed is that people who are not selling now have to put it right as well.
If you have decided to leave Japan, what is the problem?
Once your residence record has been closed, the procedure becomes a good deal more troublesome.
The document that proves a change of address is normally a copy of your residence record. If you have moved several times, something such as the supplementary family register (address history) will be needed to connect the moves.
Once you move abroad and your residence registration ends, that proof can no longer be obtained inside Japan. You then have to fall back on methods such as obtaining a certificate of residence from a Japanese embassy or consulate, which needs an appointment and a visit in person, and takes time.
| Situation | Proof of address |
|---|---|
| You still have a residence registration in Japan | A copy of your residence record (or the supplementary family register where the history has gaps) |
| After you have moved abroad | A certificate of residence issued by a Japanese embassy or consulate, and the like. The documents required differ by country and region, and it takes days |
So the order matters.
| Order | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1 | Obtain the certificate of registered matters and check the address on the register (we obtain this for you) |
| 2 | If it differs from your current address, assemble the necessary documents before you close your residence record |
| 3 | Register the change of address (through a judicial scrivener; often applied for on the day of completion, one after the other with the transfer of ownership) |
| 4 | Notification of a tax agent in Japan (nozei kanrinin) → moving-out notification → departure |
This is exactly why the 30-day to-do list in our feature says, on day 7, "Obtain your residence record and seal registration certificate (two copies of each) / before you file your moving-out notification".
Is it the same if my name has changed?
It is. Article 76-5 says "the surname or name, or the address". If your surname has changed through marriage or divorce, that too is a change to be registered. What differs is that the supporting document is the family register.
For a company, what is covered is a change to the name or to the location of the head office.
Who do you ask?
Applying for registration is the work of a judicial scrivener.
| Who | What |
|---|---|
| A judicial scrivener, with whom you contract directly | Applying for registration of a change of address or name, and for registration of transfer of ownership |
| Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. | Obtaining the certificate of registered matters, checking the address on the register, introducing you to a judicial scrivener, designing the completion schedule |
You can also apply to the Legal Affairs Bureau yourself. Acting as agent in a registration application is the work of a judicial scrivener, so we cannot make the application on your behalf. We introduce you to a judicial scrivener, and you contract with them directly. We receive no referral fee.
Note also that registration of inheritance has been compulsory since 1 April Reiwa 6 (2024) (within three years of the day you learn that you have acquired ownership by inheritance). If you own inherited property, see also Inherited property.
What this article is based on
| Point | Source |
|---|---|
| That where the surname, name or address of a registered owner changes, an application to register the change must be made within two years of the day of the change | Real Property Registration Act (Act No. 123 of Heisei 16 (2004)), Article 76-5. In force from 1 April Reiwa 8 (2026) |
| The non-penal fine (up to JPY 50,000) where the application is neglected without justification | Same Act, Article 164, paragraph 2 |
| That a change of address or name made before the commencement date is also covered by the duty, and must be registered by 31 March Reiwa 10 (2028) | Ministry of Justice, "On the compulsory registration of changes of address and name" |
| That a non-penal fine notification is made only where, despite a demand for compliance, no application is made within the period without justification | Ministry of Justice, "Q&A on the compulsory registration of changes of address and name" |
| The compulsory application for registration of inheritance (in force from 1 April Reiwa 6 (2024)) | Ministry of Justice, "On the compulsory application for registration of inheritance" |
This page provides general information only. The exact procedure and the documents required differ with the property and its history. Registration applications, and decisions on individual cases, are made by a judicial scrivener.
Real estate brokerage is handled by Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. (Real Estate Brokerage Business Licence, Governor of Tokyo (1) No. 113304), and the preparation of documents for licence and permit applications by Yotsuba Administrative Scrivener Office (gyosei-shoshi), under a separate contract in each case. For registrations we introduce you to a judicial scrivener and for tax matters to a licensed tax accountant (zeirishi), and you contract with each of them directly. We receive no referral fee.
About the author Joji Uramatsu | Representative Director of Yotsuba Real Estate Co., Ltd. and its full-time Real Estate Transaction Specialist (takken-shi). Administrative scrivener. Former China Bureau Chief of the Mainichi Shimbun, with 34 years as a journalist; posted to China, Taiwan and Thailand in that role. Passed the Certified Social Insurance and Labour Consultant examination (practice scheduled to open September 2026).
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