Making an offer on Japanese property

The purchase application

You make an offer by submitting a purchase application (買付証明書). Use it to clarify the price, deposit, financing condition, desired closing date, included fixtures, defect treatment, survey, inspection, and renovation access — the more clearly these are stated, the fewer disputes arise later. Although the purchase application is commonly nonbinding in itself, the wording and your conduct still matter, and a seller may rely on it, so do not offer casually or on a property you are not prepared to buy under those terms.

Before you offer

It is safer to have preapproval before making an offer, so you know the price is financeable and can act with credibility. Think through the conditions you need — especially the financing-condition clause that will go into the contract — before you submit, because an offer sets the frame for the negotiation and the contract that follows. If you plan to inspect or renovate, secure access rights in the offer rather than assuming them later.

Key points to carry away: The purchase application clarifies price, deposit, financing condition, and closing date; Specify included fixtures, defect treatment, survey, inspection, and renovation access; Although commonly nonbinding in itself, the wording and conduct matter; It is safer to have preapproval before making an offer. Use the linked guides and calculators for the full decision, and confirm anything material with the lender, a licensed broker, a judicial scrivener, or a tax accountant before you act.