Buying a house in Japan as an Australian

The short answer

Japan house prices in AUD

Median sale prices from MLIT data, converted at about ¥109.8 per A$1 (derived from the Federal Reserve's rates for 16 October 2026). A median is the middle sale, not a typical listing, and property sizes differ a lot between areas.

What a house costs (land and building)

The table above is mostly apartments. For a house, MLIT records the sale as land with a building (宅地(土地と建物)). These are the 2025 medians of brokers' closed prices (成約価格), the same data our price pages use. Few houses sell in central Osaka, so treat that figure loosely.

A Japanese house is priced mostly on its land: the building usually loses value with age, so an older house can cost little more than the plot. See why Japanese houses depreciate, and for very cheap rural houses, akiya (vacant houses).

Ski towns such as Niseko and Hakuba draw many Australian buyers. Their figures come from MLIT's buyer survey because few closed prices are recorded there; compare them on Japan ski property for sale, and see the official price index for the national picture.

Buying a house in Japan from Australia, step by step

The process is the same for a house or an apartment, and you can do most of it from Australia. The full version, with what each document means, is in our buyer's guide.

1. Set the area and budget in AUD. Use the tables above and the area pages; add roughly 6% for purchase costs (worked example).
2. Find a licensed broker. A Japanese broker must hold a real estate brokerage licence (宅地建物取引業免許) and show the number. We can introduce one.
3. View in person or by video. For a house, ask about the boundary (境界), road access, zoning, snow and water or septic; for an apartment, the building's repair fund.
4. Make a written offer (買付証明書) through the broker: price, deposit, settlement date and conditions.
5. Identity and funds checks. Expect passport, proof of address and source of funds. Start the AUD-to-yen transfer early.
6. Statement of important matters (重要事項説明) from a licensed specialist, then the contract and deposit. The statement is in Japanese; get a translation before you sign.
7. Settlement and registration. You pay the balance and the title is registered in your name. From 5 October 2026 the registration also records your nationality, so have your passport ready.
8. Within 20 days: if you live outside Japan, the Ministry of Finance report (below).

Can Australians buy property in Japan?

Yes. Japan has no nationality, residence or visa requirement for owning land or buildings, and a foreign buyer gets the same title as a Japanese buyer. There is no foreign-buyer surcharge on Japanese purchase taxes. What changed in 2026 is paperwork, not permission; see is Japan banning foreign buyers? and the rules tracker.

Owning property does not give you a visa or the right to live in Japan. Visas are a separate process; for the investor-type route see business manager visa statistics.

If you live outside Japan: the filings

• Ministry of Finance report within 20 days. A non-resident who acquires Japanese real estate reports it through the Bank of Japan, whatever the amount (the Ministry's FAQ says even a ¥0 acquisition). Since 1 April 2026 this includes a home for your own use. Not reporting can be punished by up to 6 months' imprisonment or a fine of up to ¥500,000. Your broker or scrivener can file it for you.
• Nationality at registration (from 5 October 2026). Have a valid passport ready; details on the tracker.
• A tax agent in Japan. If you will need to file a Japanese tax return (for example because you rent the property out or sell it), the National Tax Agency asks you to appoint a tax agent (納税管理人) and notify the tax office.

Costs and taxes on the Japanese side

Japanese taxes depend on where the property is, not on your passport:

• Buying: broker's fee (capped by law), acquisition tax, registration tax and stamp duty. Our worked example comes to roughly 6% of the price; see the cost of buying property in Japan.
• Owning: fixed asset tax and city planning tax every year, plus building fees for condos; see property tax for foreigners and management fees.
• Renting it out as a non-resident: a company tenant (or anyone paying rent other than an individual renting it as their own home) must withhold 20.42% of the rent. Rental income from Japan may also need a Japanese tax return.
• Selling as a non-resident: the buyer generally withholds 10.21% of the price for the tax office, unless the buyer is an individual buying it as their own or their family's home for ¥100m or less. You then file a Japanese return to settle the actual tax on the gain; see the sale net proceeds calculator.
• Financing: Japanese banks rarely lend to non-residents; see mortgages for foreigners.

The Australian side

We stop at the border on purpose. How Australia taxes rent or a gain from a Japanese property, whether Japanese tax can be credited, and how the treaty applies to you are questions for the Australian Taxation Office or an Australian tax adviser. Bring them the Japanese figures: purchase costs, annual taxes, rent received and any Japanese tax withheld or paid.

If you plan to let the property to holiday guests, check the local short-stay rules first: minpaku rules by city.

FAQ

Sources

1. MLIT (Ministry of Land), Real Estate Information Library, transaction prices: reinfolib.mlit.go.jp. Area medians are from our price pages linked above, which cite the exact datasets.
2. Federal Reserve Board, H.10 foreign exchange rates, 16 October 2026 (JPY 158.00 per USD; USD 0.6950 per AUD): federalreserve.gov (checked 22 October 2026)
3. National Tax Agency, No.2879 withholding when buying land from a non-resident (10.21%; exception for an individual's own home at ¥100m or less): nta.go.jp (checked 5 October 2026)
4. National Tax Agency, No.2884 withholding rates for non-residents (rent 20.42%; none when an individual rents for their own home): nta.go.jp (checked 5 October 2026)
5. National Tax Agency, leaflet for non-residents who rent out or sell property in Japan: PDF; appointing a tax agent (納税管理人): nta.go.jp (checked 5 October 2026)
6. Ministry of Finance, report on acquisition of real estate by non-residents, FAQ (June 2026: report within 20 days, any amount; penalty up to 6 months or ¥500,000): PDF (checked 5 October 2026)
7. Ministry of Finance, list of Japan's tax treaties: mof.go.jp (checked 5 October 2026)
8. Australian Taxation Office: ato.gov.au