Convictions
Convictions and Buying Property in Japan
If you have even the most minor criminal conviction in another country it is unlikely you will be allowed to even enter Japan, let alone buy property there. Furthermore, if you buy a property in Japan and later receive a conviction in another country you will again be locked out of Japan leaving you with a house you cannot access or maintain effectively wiping out your investment and leaving you with nothing more than ongoing rates bills for a place you can’t access. These convictions can be as minor as offences such as drug possession, drink driving, traffic offences; basically anything that included a conviction. I have described my own experience in greater detail below to help you understand the process in greater detail. However, if you prefer more formal information, please check out one of our partner sites named Japan Human Rights at https://japanhumanrights.com
It all started when I got a cheap ticket to Japan from someone else who could not go. I transferred it to my name and headed off to Japan landing in Osaka. I filled out the customs declaration truthfully stating that I had one minor conviction 36 years earlier for possession (marijuana) and no other convictions or history since that time. The conviction was when I was 19 and was merely a $200 fine with the conviction recorded. I arrived in Osaka, presented the declaration and was waved through into the country. I then proceeded to have a great time exploring the country over the following fortnight and returned back to Australia at the end.
Whilst in Japan I became aware of very low priced houses and real estate and decided that I would buy a house to keep in Japan for vacations for my family, relatives and friends. The prices appeared almost too good to be true and I found out over time that is exactly what they were; too good to be true. To buy in Japan one needs to engage the services of a Japanese representative. I found what I thought was a good one based right here in Brisbane, Australia and paid them a few thousand dollars up front to engage their services. Without someone abreast of the Japanese language and real estate law it is not possible to proceed further where buying real estate so it seemed like a no brainer to me.
After engaging this representative, they gave me a range of advice about various properties I was interested in including related hazards, shortfalls of the properties themselves and the value of the areas they were located in. The one thing they did not mention was the impact of previous criminal convictions, no matter how mild, upon your ability to even enter Japan let alone buy a property there. They also did not mention the atrocious human rights abuses perpetrated by Japan’s immigration system even though they later admitted to me that they were fully aware.
When I had narrowed down what appeared to be an entirely suitable property, I proceeded to organize an inspection of the property and bought plane tickets to Japan to both attend the inspection and what would be the subsequent signing of the contract. I was guided by my representative through this process who at no stage had discussed with or even asked me about any previous convictions I may have had. One could argue that the representative deliberately turned a blind eye to this issue to make sure they got payment regardless of any other factors. On this second trip, I flew to Tokyo first. I again filled out the customs declaration exactly the same way as I had on the first trip however this time I was stopped and sent to the immigration office to be interviewed by an officer. I thought this was strange given how easy it was to enter the first time but assumed it was just procedural and that I would be out of there in a few minutes.
After a couple of hours of sitting there I was told by the Immigration Officer via a telephone linked translator that due to my previous conviction (possession of a joint 36 years earlier) I would be denied entry into the country. I was shocked, horrified even, but remained respectful and polite. What happened next was a situation that I will never forget. It was explained to me that I would be sent back to Australia on the next available flight which in this case was more than 24 hours away. I was told that in the meantime I would be placed in immigration detention until the plane was ready to board. There I witnessed a level of human rights abuses so atrocious I will never forget them. Please read further about this in the section named Human rights. The Japanese have no empathy towards foreigners in these places and treat you worse than a dog even though you have not even broken a law in Japan.
After my time spent in immigration detention, I was put on a plane and sent back to Australia. It was then confirmed to me by the Japanese Consulate that I would never be able to enter Japan again due to my conviction and my being allowed in the first time was merely a mistake. Luckily I never made it to the inspection or contract stage of the house as if I had already bought the place I would be stuck owning a house in a country I was not allowed to go back to. Throughout this process my so called representative never even asked me if I had a previous conviction or warned me about the problems that might occur instead preferring to take thousands of dollars of my money without any due diligence related to my own circumstances.
Be mindful of the fact that with even the most minor conviction in your own country you will be unlikely to even be allowed to enter Japan let alone buy property in the country. Please proceed to read the human rights page and you will probably find you never wish to even speak to another Japanese person again let alone participate in their idea of society.