Location, Location, Registration: How Building Location & Lot Numbers Are Handled in Japan, Especially with Errors or Land Readjustments

Japanese Attorney at Law - Bengoshi L.L.

• 8 min read

In the meticulous realm of Japanese real property registration, few details are as fundamental as the building's "location and lot number" (所在地番 - shozaichiban). This information serves as a primary identifier, uniquely pinpointing a structure on the official cadastre and linking it to the specific parcel(s) of land it occupies. An accurate shozaichiban is critical for the integrity of the registration system and the security of real estate transactions. This article delves into the standard methods for recording this vital information in Japan, the complex procedures and limitations for correcting errors, and the special protocols for describing building locations in unique circumstances, such as on newly formed land or within areas undergoing land readjustment projects.

The Standard Protocol for Recording Building Location and Lot Numbers

The Real Property Registration Procedure Rules (不動産登記事務取扱手続準則 - Fudōsan Tōki Jimu Toriatsukai Tetsuzuki Junsoku, often abbreviated as Junsoku) provide the baseline for how a building's location is recorded. Generally, the description follows a hierarchical administrative and geographical order:

  • City (市 - shi), Ward (区 - ku), Town (町 - machi), or Village (村 - mura)
  • Larger block or section name (Chō (町) or Ōaza (大字))
  • Smaller block or sub-section name (Aza (字) or Chōme (丁目))
  • Lot Number (地番 - chiban)

For example, a typical entry might read: "東京都文京区本郷一丁目2番3" (Tokyo-to, Bunkyo-ku, Hongo 1-chōme, Lot 2-3).

Several specific rules from Junsoku Article 88 refine this:

  • Prefecture Name (都道府県 - Todōfuken): The prefecture name (e.g., Tokyo-to) is generally omitted unless the building physically spans across prefectural boundaries, which is a rare occurrence.
  • Buildings Spanning Multiple Lots: If a single building stands on two or more contiguous land lots, the registration record will list all relevant lot numbers. The lot number corresponding to the land under the largest portion of the building's floor area, or under the main part of the building if it's a main/accessory complex, is typically listed first. This ensures all supporting land parcels are officially linked to the building.
  • Buildings on Permanent Structures (Piers, Fixed Platforms): For buildings constructed on permanent, land-like structures such as piers or permanently fixed floating platforms (not ordinary vessels), the location is described by referencing the nearest registered land lot number, followed by the qualifier "地先" (chisaki). This term roughly translates to "off the coast of," "in front of," or "waters adjacent to" that lot number. This allows for the registration of buildings in port areas or on fixed water-based foundations.

Despite the system's aim for precision, errors in the registered location or lot number can occur. Correcting such errors is possible, but the scope and permissibility of correction depend heavily on the nature and magnitude of the mistake, especially if the error involves crossing into a different "lot numbering area" (地番区域 - chiban kuiki). A chiban kuiki is an officially designated zone within which lot numbers are assigned, often corresponding to an ōaza (a traditional larger village section) or a modern administrative division.

The Challenge of "Lot Numbering Area" (Chiban Kuiki) Discrepancies

An error that places a building in the wrong chiban kuiki is more significant than a simple typo in a lot number within the correct area because it can fundamentally misidentify the building's legal and administrative location.

  • The 1968 Precedent: Permitting Correction Across Lot Numbering Areas (Showa 43 [1968] Minji-Kō No. 3083)
    A key administrative precedent from September 26, 1968, addressed a case where a building was registered with a location and lot number in "Area A" (e.g., Ōaza A) but was, in fact, physically situated on an adjacent lot in "Area B" (e.g., Ōaza B). Despite the error crossing an official chiban kuiki boundary, the correction to reflect the true location in Area B was permitted.
    The reasoning behind this allowance was nuanced. Although official maps clearly delineated Areas A and B, the physical boundary on the ground was indistinct or unmarked. Furthermore, the erroneously registered lot in Area A and the actual lot in Area B were directly adjacent to each other, and crucially, no other building similar to the one in question existed in the immediate vicinity of either the wrongly registered location or the actual location. These factors combined meant that the identity of the specific building itself remained ascertainable and unambiguous, despite the significant error in its registered chiban kuiki. The registrar could confidently determine that the registration pertained to that specific physical structure, albeit with an incorrect location.
    However, legal commentary emphasizes that this precedent is not a blanket authorization for all corrections across chiban kuiki lines. The unique factual circumstances—unclear ground demarcation, adjacency, and lack of ambiguity regarding building identity—were paramount. If the building's identity becomes questionable due to the error, correction might not be allowed.
  • The 1971 Precedent: Correction Denied Due to Significant Distance and Ambiguity (Showa 46 [1971] Minji-San No. 267)
    The limits of correctability were starkly illustrated in a case addressed by a directive on May 10, 1971. Here, a building was registered with a specific lot number, but investigation revealed that the building actually stood on a lot approximately 130 meters away from the registered location. In this instance, the request to correct the location was denied. Instead, the existing erroneous registration was ordered to be cancelled ex officio by the registrar, as it essentially described a building at a location where it did not exist.
    This ruling underscores that if the discrepancy between the registered location and the actual location is too great (making adjacency and immediate identifiability impossible), the error is considered too fundamental for a mere "correction." The registration is treated as pertaining to a non-existent building at the erroneous location, rather than an identifiable existing building with a correctable locational mistake. The remedy then is cancellation of the void registration, followed by a new, correct registration for the actual building.

Special Scenarios for Location Description

Beyond simple errors, Japanese registration practice has specific protocols for describing building locations in evolving or unusual land situations.

A. Buildings on Accreted Land (寄洲 - Yorisu): Where Nature Creates New Ground

Yorisu refers to land that has been naturally formed through the process of accretion, typically at river mouths or along coastlines due to the deposition of soil and sand by water currents. The legal status and registration of buildings on such newly formed land require special attention.

  • The 1961 Precedent (Showa 36 [1961] Minji-San No. 459):
    An administrative directive issued on June 6, 1961, clarified the registration practice for buildings on yorisu. The prevailing registration practice (which notably differs from some dominant legal theories on the ultimate ownership of such land) treats yorisu as accreting to and becoming a physical part of the adjoining riparian (bankside) land.
    Therefore, for building registration purposes:It's worth noting, as pointed out in legal commentaries, that a strong legal theory argues that yorisu (land formed in public waters) becomes state property under the principle of ownerless real property (Civil Code Article 239, Paragraph 2), rather than being absorbed by adjacent private land via Civil Code Article 242. However, for the practical purposes of building location description in the registry, the accretion-to-adjacent-land approach is followed.
    • The location of a building on yorisu should be described using the lot number of the established registered land to which the yorisu has physically attached.
    • If it is unclear precisely which existing registered lot the yorisu has attached to, but the yorisu clearly falls within the geographical confines of a specific administrative district (e.g., "Kō Town, Aza Y"), the building's location can be described using the "地先" (chisaki) qualifier. For example, "甲町字何々番地先" (Kō-chō Aza Naninani-banchi saki), meaning "off the coast of/in front of Lot Naninani, Aza Y, Kō Town". This allows for a degree of precision even when the exact lot boundary of the newly formed land is pending formal determination.
  • Unassigned or Unregistered New Land: If newly created land (such as through land reclamation projects) has not yet been officially assigned to an administrative district or has not itself undergone initial land registration (and thus lacks official lot numbers), buildings constructed on such land generally cannot receive their own building registrations until the underlying land's legal status and location are formally fixed and registered.

B. Buildings on Provisional Replotting Land (仮換地 - Kari-kanchi) in Land Readjustment Projects

Land readjustment projects (土地区画整理事業 - tochi kukaku seiri jigyō) are common in Japan for urban redevelopment. During these often lengthy projects, landowners are typically assigned "provisional replotment lots" (kari-kanchi) where they can live or operate while the project reconfigures the area. Buildings may be constructed or relocated onto these kari-kanchi before the final lot boundaries and numbers are determined through a "final replotting disposition" (換地処分 - kanchi shobun). Registering buildings on kari-kanchi requires a specific descriptive format.

  • Historical Confusion and Clarification (The 1965 and 1968 Precedents):
    An earlier administrative circular from April 10, 1965 (Showa 40, Minji-Kō No. 837), initially established a format like "[Lot number of sokochi] の仮換地" ([Lot number of sokochi]'s kari-kanchi). The term sokochi (底地) refers to the original land parcel(s) that underlie the area designated as the kari-kanchi.
    However, there was some ambiguity as to whether the primary lot number in this description referred to the landowner's original pre-project lot (jūzen no tochi or moto-chi) or the sokochi of the kari-kanchi itself.
    This was clarified by a subsequent directive on February 14, 1968 (Showa 43, Minji-Kō No. 170). This ruling confirmed that the primary lot number in the building's location description should be that of the sokochi (the underlying land upon which the kari-kanchi is situated). The description should then clearly indicate that it is a kari-kanchi, and ideally include details such as the land readjustment project name, and the block and plot number of the kari-kanchi within that project. An example format often cited in commentaries is: "XX市XX町X丁目XX番地（仮換地、XX土地区画整理事業地区内X街区X画地）" (Lot XX, X-Chōme, XX-Machi, XX-Shi (Provisional Replotment, XX Land Readjustment Project Area, Block X, Plot X)). The 1968 circular also noted that explicitly stating which original lot the kari-kanchi was designated for was not strictly necessary in the building's location description.
    For buildings constructed on "reserved land" (保留地 - horyūchi), which is land set aside by the project implementer for sale or specific project purposes, the term "Provisional Replotment" in the description is typically replaced with "Reserved Land".
  • Building Plans for Kari-kanchi Buildings: The 1965 circular also specified that building plans submitted for registration must show the shape of the kari-kanchi itself (not just the original lot or the final planned lot) and the building's precise position on that kari-kanchi, depicted with solid lines.
  • Transition to Final Lot Numbers: It is critical to understand that the kari-kanchi description is temporary. Once the land readjustment project concludes and the kanchi shobun (final replotting disposition) is officially announced and registered, the lot numbers become permanent. At this point, the building's registration record must be updated through a change registration to reflect its new, official, and permanent shozaichiban.

The Imperative of Accuracy and Diligent Verification

The detailed rules surrounding the shozaichiban underscore its fundamental importance as the primary spatial identifier for registered buildings. Errors in this information can have serious cascading consequences, leading to:

  • Difficulties or invalidity in property transactions (sale, lease).
  • Complications in securing financing, as mortgages require precise property identification.
  • Potential boundary disputes and other legal conflicts.
  • Ambiguity in the application of zoning laws, building codes, or tax assessments.

Therefore, meticulous accuracy in initial registrations is paramount. This involves careful land surveys, precise determination of which lot(s) a building occupies, and diligent verification against official maps (公図 - kōzu, or 地図に準ずる図面 - chizu ni junzuru zumen – maps equivalent to official cadastral maps) and land registry records. Similarly, thorough due diligence regarding a building's registered location is essential for any party involved in acquiring or financing Japanese real estate.

Conclusion: Precision in a Dynamic Landscape

The Japanese system for recording building locations and lot numbers strives for unambiguous property identification. While the standard method is hierarchical and geographically based, the framework includes mechanisms for addressing errors, albeit with limitations defined by the building's continued identifiability and the magnitude of the error. Furthermore, specific protocols have evolved to handle buildings in unique or transitional land situations, such as those on newly formed accreted land or within the dynamic context of land readjustment projects. These special rules aim to provide as much clarity and legal certainty as possible, even when the underlying land's status is itself evolving. For all stakeholders in the Japanese property market, a keen understanding of these locational registration rules, and a commitment to accuracy in their application, are crucial for navigating real estate matters with confidence and legal security.