Foreigners bought almost 3,500 properties near sensitive sites in Japan in FY2024: Study
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By prefecture, Tokyo saw the highest number of acquisitions at 1,558.
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TOKYO – A total of 3,498 properties around critical security facilities and remote islands in Japan were purchased by foreign individuals or entities in fiscal 2024, with nearly half from China, a government study showed on Dec 16.
Separately, the government announced it will demand increased disclosure from April 2026 when corporations attempt to acquire forested lands or properties deemed to be 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 Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to gain a grasp on the scale of foreign real estate ownership.
Foreigners acquired a total of 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, China accounted for the most acquisitions at 1,674, followed by Taiwan at 414, South Korea at 378 and the US at 211.
The survey is the second since the implementation of the law aimed to prevent real estate in areas surrounding important facilities and on remote islands from being used for acts that may impact official activities.
“We will steadily investigate the situation and take all-out measures to thwart acts that obstruct the functions of the properties,” said Ms Kimi Onoda, Minister-in-charge of Economic Security, at a press conference on Dec 16.
An investigation in 2024 showed foreigners acquired 371 properties, but any direct comparison is unrepresentative as the number of designated locations increased nearly sevenfold in the latest survey.
There were no cases where warnings or orders to halt use were issued.
According to the Cabinet Office, many of the properties acquired by foreigners were apartments or condominiums, with many Chinese buyers believed to have purchased properties in the greater Tokyo area for investment purposes.
By prefecture, Tokyo saw the highest number of acquisitions at 1,558.
Some were around the Medical Service School of the Ground Self-Defense Force, the Acquisition, Technology and Logistics Agency’s Naval Systems Research Center and the New Sanno US Forces Center.
After Tokyo, Kanagawa had the most acquisitions at 339, followed by Chiba at 235, Hokkaido at 217 and Fukuoka at 211. KYODO NEWS
