Exit Strategy: Selling Japanese Property as a Non-Resident

Market & Investment

2026.05.25

Exit Strategy: Selling Japanese Property as a Non-Resident

A clean exit starts at purchase. Non-resident sellers face a few extra steps that are easy to manage when you plan for them early.

What to expect when you sell

Buyer-side withholding: a portion of the sale price may be withheld against your capital gains tax and reconciled at filing.
Capital gains tax: the rate drops significantly once you have held the property more than five years.
Documentation: title identification, an embassy-issued signature certificate, and your original purchase records.

Brokerage is capped at 3% + ¥60,000 (plus tax). With your representative and scrivener in place, an overseas sale can run as smoothly as the purchase did.

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Buyer-side withholding: a portion of the sale price may be withheld against your capital gains tax and reconciled at filing.
Capital gains tax: the rate drops significantly once you have held the property more than five years.
Documentation: title identification, an embassy-issued signature certificate, and your original purchase records.

Brokerage is capped at 3% + ¥60,000 (plus tax). With your representative and scrivener in place, an overseas sale can run as smoothly as the purchase did.