When a person without a registered address in Japan purchases real estate and needs to register ownership, an affidavit is required.
For many overseas buyers, this is their first time obtaining such a document — but when exactly should you prepare it?

If your decision to purchase property in Japan is already certain, I recommend researching the procedure for obtaining an affidavit in your own country during the property-search stage, planning your schedule so that you can obtain it soon after signing the contract, or even preparing it at the time of submitting your purchase offer.

This is because the process can take time depending on the country or region, and the affidavit itself has no expiration date.

Although it can also be issued by a notary public office in Japan, some Legal Affairs Bureaus may, as a matter of practice, require an affidavit issued by the buyer’s home country or by the home country’s embassy in Japan.
For this reason, it is safest to obtain the affidavit either in your own country or through your embassy.
In addition, embassy appointments during your stay in Japan are not always easy to secure, so it’s best to plan well in advance and allow enough time to complete the process.

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While there is no official format, any missing required details will result in the need to redo it, so the schedule should allow room for potential revisions.
Another point to note is that brokers in Japan often provide no advance notice about the documents and preparations required for registration.

In practice, it is customary for buyers to receive this information only after the contract is signed, once the judicial scrivener becomes involved.

That said, delayed communication is only part of the issue.
In reality, many overseas buyers miss the timing due to their own scheduling mistakes or confusion about where and how to obtain the affidavit.

Rather than relying entirely on the broker, buyers should take the initiative to confirm the requirements themselves.
It’s important not to assume that “it can be done quickly” or that “it will somehow work out.”
The affidavit is a crucial and mandatory document, and it should be prepared carefully, with sufficient time built into the plan.

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Although obtaining the affidavit involves some cost, and doing so after signing the contract may seem more efficient, real estate transactions in Japan typically set the handover (closing) date at the time of contract signing.
In addition to the time required for issuance, you must also consider international mailing time when sending the original document to the judicial scrivener.
Since overseas buyers often purchase in cash, if the seller agrees, contract signing and closing may even take place on the same day.

For non-resident buyers, scheduling is therefore especially important — and the affidavit, along with travel and fund-transfer timing, becomes one of the key elements that determine the overall transaction timeline.

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