MOJ Ordinance No. 23 of 2026 amended the Real Property Registration Rules. It was promulgated on March 31, 2026 and took effect on October 5, 2026. MOJ's published response to public comments confirms that the nationality-information scheme covers Japanese as well as foreign nationals becoming registered owners, uses the search-information mechanism, and treats nationality as non-public information.
This article distinguishes those confirmed points from procedural details that require the current ordinance and official operational guidance.
Confirmed scope and privacy
The ministry describes collecting the nationality of people becoming registered owners. Its response expressly includes Japanese nationals and says nationality is non-public because it is personal information. It also confirms use of the search-information scheme for submission and management. These statements do not supply a complete list of application types, document requirements or exceptions.
Documents: points to confirm before applying
| Issue | What to confirm |
|---|---|
| Japanese nationality | Which official evidence is accepted and whether a resident-record-code exception applies. |
| Foreign nationality or designated region | Which documents are accepted, their validity, and certification requirements for copies. |
This table is a verification checklist, not a definitive list of accepted documents.
Operational details require the current guidance
MOJ's public-comment response reserved operational details—including multiple nationalities, later changes and examples of evidence—for circulars and other guidance. Before applying, confirm the rules for simultaneous and standalone declarations, overseas residents, multiple nationalities, statelessness, and corrections. In particular, do not assume that statelessness and missing nationality information are interchangeable, or that an internal fallback entry can be submitted as a nationality.
For filing, consult the current ordinance and official operational guidance rather than treating this overview as a complete statement of document requirements, exceptions or system availability.
Why the ministry says it matters
MOJ's published explanation identifies appropriate use and management of land and more appropriate, smoother inheritance registration as the purposes of collecting nationality information. It does not describe nationality as a publicly searchable ownership-register entry.
Note
Exam baseline: effective after April 1, 2026
RETIO's 2026 guide uses laws in force on April 1, 2026. The October 5 amendment was not in force on that date. For 2027, consult that year's guide: a rule being in force by April 1 does not itself establish that a particular procedure will be tested.
Dates in this change
- 2026-03-31
Amending ordinance promulgatedCompleted
- 2026-10-05
Amendment takes effectCompleted
Frequently asked questions
Is nationality public information?
MOJ’s response says it is treated as non-public personal information.
Are Japanese nationals included?
Yes. MOJ expressly includes Japanese as well as foreign nationals.
Where should applicants check detailed requirements?
Use the current ordinance and official registry guidance for the particular application, including any documentary exceptions.
Sources
- e-Gov Law Search — Real Property Registration Rules (MOJ Ordinance No. 18 of 2005, Articles 158-38 to 158-40, as amended by MOJ Ordinance No. 23 of 2026) (opens in a new tab)laws.e-gov.go.jpPrimary ministerial ordinance textAccessed October 25, 2026
- Ministry of Justice — Circular 民二第872号 (2026-09-04) on handling registrations under the amended Real Property Registration Rules (opens in a new tab)moj.go.jpPrimary circular on registration procedureAccessed October 22, 2026
- RETIO — Reiwa 8 exam guide (law baseline: laws in force on April 1) (opens in a new tab)retio.or.jpAccessed October 22, 2026
- MOJ — public-comment result and promulgation (opens in a new tab)public-comment.e-gov.go.jpAccessed October 25, 2026
- MOJ — responses: purpose, nationality coverage, privacy and effective date (opens in a new tab)public-comment.e-gov.go.jpAccessed October 25, 2026