JapanWhat is provisional registration? Its effect?
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.
What the Law Says
Provisional registration is defined and regulated under the Real Property Registration Act to protect claimants’ priority while formal registration is pending.
Provisional registration (仮登録, kari tōroku) is a procedural safeguard under Japanese real property law. It allows a party who has a claim to register a right — such as ownership transfer, mortgage, or leasehold — to record that claim temporarily in the real estate registry before completing all formal requirements.
Its sole legal effect is to secure priority over later registrants. It does not itself create, transfer, or extinguish any substantive right — for example, it does not transfer ownership or establish a valid mortgage. That only occurs upon formal (main) registration.
A provisional registration expires automatically three months after its date of registration unless the applicant files for formal registration within that period or obtains a court order extending the period.
Statutory TextA provisional registration shall lose its effect after the expiration of three months from the date of its registration, unless the registration for which the provisional registration was made is applied for within that period.
— Real Property Registration Act, Art. 45 — Effect of Provisional Registration
Statutory TextA provisional registration shall not have the effect of creating, transferring, altering or extinguishing a real right.
— Real Property Registration Act, Art. 44 — Effect of Provisional Registration
What to Do
File an application for provisional registration at the Legal Affairs Bureau handling the property’s location.
Ensure all required documents — including evidence of the underlying claim (e.g., contract, court order) — are submitted.
Apply for formal registration within three months, or seek a court order to extend the provisional registration period if needed.
Monitor the registry status to confirm formal registration is completed and provisional registration is superseded.
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-09.