Property

Yes, you may cut branches that extend over your property line, but only up to the boundary — you cannot enter the neighbor’s land or damage the tree’s health.

An easement in Japan is a legal right to use another person’s land for a specific purpose, such as passage or utility access. You cannot use others’ land without permission unless a valid easement exists.

In Japan, the right to use neighboring land is strictly limited and generally requires consent or a court order; it does not arise automatically, even for essential access or construction.

In Japan, the owner of enclosed land (land with no access to a public road) has a statutory right to pass through neighboring land to reach a public road, provided they pay reasonable compensation.

When private land in Japan is expropriated for road construction, the government must pay just compensation based on market value, assessed by an independent appraisal committee.

In Japan, expropriation requires certification by the national or local government authority with jurisdiction, based on a formal project approval and public interest determination under the Land Expropriation Act.

Land expropriation in Japan follows a strict statutory process under the Land Expropriation Act, requiring public purpose, fair compensation, and approval by the Expropriation Committee.

Property registration in Japan must be carried out at the Legal Affairs Bureau (Hōmushō Hōmukyoku) that has jurisdiction over the location of the property.

Yes, it is mandatory for property owners in Japan to register a change of address within 30 days of moving.

In Japan, ownership of real estate is not legally recognized without registration in the Real Property Register. Registration is essential to assert ownership against third parties.

Provisional registration in Japan is a temporary entry in the real estate registry to secure priority for a future formal registration, such as ownership or mortgage. It has no effect on substantive rights until formal registration is completed.

Unit ownership in Japan is a form of co-ownership where a person owns an individual unit (e.g., an apartment) and holds shared ownership of common areas, governed by the Act on Unit Ownership.

The 2023 amendment to the Civil Code introduced mandatory management agreements for co-owned buildings, required majority consent (3/4) for major decisions, and clarified manager appointment procedures.

Yes, unanimous consent is required to sell co-owned real property in Japan unless otherwise agreed in writing.

A lien is a legal right to retain possession of someone else's property until a debt is paid. In Japan, liens on real property are not recognized under the Civil Code — only possessory liens on movable property are permitted.

A statutory lien on real property in Japan is a legal right granted by law—not by contract—that allows a creditor to secure payment by claiming priority over the property, such as for unpaid construction fees or taxes.

Yes, mortgaged property in Japan can be sold, but the mortgagee’s consent is generally required unless the sale proceeds fully repay the secured debt.

Superficies is a real right to use another's land for building or planting, lasting up to 30–50 years and registrable; a lease right is a personal contractual right to use land or buildings, typically shorter (e.g., 1–2 years for buildings) and not a real right.

In Japan, adverse possession of real property requires continuous, peaceful, open, and exclusive possession for 20 years (or 10 years with just title and good faith), plus registration after acquiring ownership.

In Japan, the buyer who first completes registration of ownership at the Legal Affairs Bureau becomes the legal owner — even if another buyer purchased earlier but failed to register.

Japan addresses the unknown landowner problem through the Land Utilization Planning Act and the Act on Special Measures Concerning Land Registration, which allow public authorities to manage or acquire unclaimed land after due process and public notice.

A boundary determination lawsuit is a civil action filed in Japanese district court to legally establish the exact location of a property boundary between neighboring landowners.

In Japan, if you unknowingly buy defective property, you may claim damages or rescind the contract under the Civil Code, provided you act within 1 year of discovering the defect and within 10 years of delivery.

Compulsory execution against property in Japan is carried out by court order through seizure, appraisal, and public auction of the debtor’s assets, supervised by a bailiff and governed by the Civil Execution Act.

If you disagree with expropriation compensation in Japan, you may file an objection with the Expropriation Commission within 30 days of receiving the compensation notice.