A total of 3,498 properties around critical security facilities and remote islands in
Japan were bought by foreign individuals or entities in fiscal 2024, with nearly half from China, a government study showed on Tuesday.
Separately, the government announced it will demand from April 2026 increased disclosure when corporations attempt to acquire forested lands or properties deemed of national security importance, such as requiring them to disclose the nationalities of company heads in registration forms.
It will also ask individuals to provide their nationalities when acquiring forested areas, in a series of efforts by the administration of Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to gain a grasp of the scale of foreign real estate ownership.
Foreigners acquired 1,744 plots of land and 1,754 buildings across 37 of Japan’s 47 prefectures, according to the survey on acquisitions. The purchases were made in the vicinity of 583 locations designated as “monitored areas” or “special monitored areas” under a law governing their use that took effect in 2022.
By country or region, mainland China accounted for the most acquisitions at 1,674, followed by Taiwan at 414, South Korea at 378 and the United States at 211.
The survey is the second since the implementation of the law aimed at preventing real estate in areas surrounding important facilities and on remote islands from being used for acts that may impact official activities.