We gather data objectively from the latest available sources and share what we find useful.
We hope it helps anyone looking for a home in Japan, or considering a business built around property.
In short
- A takkenshi is Japan’s licensed real estate specialist. By law, a takkenshi must explain the property to you before you sign, and sign the statement.
- The licence carries accountability. A takkenshi can be banned from the work for up to a year, or have their registration removed.
- The explanation is in Japanese. Ask who will give it, and how it will reach you in a language you read.
In Japan, a property agency needs a business licence. But some steps in a sale can only be done by a person with a personal licence. That person is the takkenshi.
The most important step for a buyer is the explanation of important matters. It happens before the contract. The takkenshi gives you a written statement, explains it, and puts their name on it.
- Choose a propertyViewings, questions, offer.Any agent staff
- Important matters explainedWritten statement, explained and signed.Takkenshi only
- ContractThe takkenshi also puts their name on the contract terms document.Takkenshi signs
- HandoverPayment, registration, keys.Any agent staff
The statement covers registered rights, planning and building rules, the condition of the building, the management association’s rules and money, and payment terms. The takkenshi must show a licence card while explaining. The card is renewed every five years.
Why Every Agency Needs Them
The law sets how many takkenshi an agency must have. Without them, an agency cannot complete a sale.
Example: an office with 10 staff
- Each office: full-time takkenshi equal to at least 1 in 5 of the staff. Ten staff means at least two.
- Each sales site or event that takes contracts or applications: at least one.
- If the number falls short, the agency must fix it within two weeks.
What a Takkenshi Answers For
This is the heart of the licence. Since 2015, the law has required a takkenshi to act fairly and in good faith, to do nothing that damages the trust or dignity of the title, and to keep their knowledge up to date.
If a takkenshi acts improperly, the prefecture can issue instructions or ban them from takkenshi work for up to a year. In serious cases, their registration is removed. The agency itself can also have its business suspended for up to a year, or lose its licence.
Agency staff without the licence
- Can show properties and handle correspondence
- Cannot give the legal explanation
- Does not sign the statement
Takkenshi
- Gives the legal explanation, showing their licence card
- Puts their name on the statement and the contract terms
- Can be instructed, banned for up to a year, or removed from the register
How Hard the Exam Is
The exam is held once a year, in October. It tests law, not sales: contract and property law, the Brokerage Act, planning and building rules, and tax. More than 230,000 people have sat it in each of the last three years.
Over the past ten years, the pass rate has stayed between about 13 and 19 percent. At the end of March 2026, 1,243,738 people were registered as takkenshi, and there were 133,727 licensed agencies. The registration count is cumulative, so it includes many people who are retired or work in other fields.
A Short History
The Brokerage Act was written in 1952 to protect buyers and keep property deals fair. Its rules have grown stricter over time.
- 1952Real Estate Brokerage Act passed. Its stated aim: protect buyers and keep transactions fair.
- 2007Three industry bodies merge their rental-management credentials into one: the Certified Rental Property Manager.
- 2013First nationwide unified exam for the rental credential.
- 2015The title changes from “chief real estate transaction officer” to takkenshi. Duties of good faith, no conduct that damages trust, and keeping knowledge up to date are added.
- 2020The Act on the Proper Management of Rental Housing is passed. It also regulates master leases (subleasing).
- 2021The rental credential becomes a national qualification. The registration system for rental managers takes effect in June.
A Second Licence for Rentals
If you plan to rent the property out, a second licence matters: the Certified Rental Property Manager.
Any business managing 200 or more rental homes must register with the Ministry. Each of its offices must appoint at least one “business manager”. That person needs two years of experience (or equivalent ability recognised by the Ministry) and either this credential, or the takkenshi licence plus a designated course.
Here, too, the law sets consequences. The Ministry can order a registered business to improve, suspend it for up to a year, or cancel its registration.
| Takkenshi | Certified Rental Property Manager | |
|---|---|---|
| Law | Real Estate Brokerage Act (1952) | Act on the Proper Management of Rental Housing (2020) |
| Required | At least 1 in 5 staff in each agency office | At least one “business manager” per office of a registered manager (200+ homes) |
| Role | Explains important matters; signs the statement and contract terms | Oversees management contracts and upkeep in that office |
| Accountability | Instruction, ban up to 1 year, registration removed | The business can be ordered to improve, suspended up to 1 year, or deregistered |
| 2025 exam | 245,462 sat, 45,821 passed (18.7%) | 31,792 sat, 9,370 passed (29.5%) |
Where Language Comes In
The explanation of important matters is given in Japanese, on Japanese documents. The person who signs carries the responsibility for it.
For a buyer who does not read Japanese, this can create a gap. The person who answers your emails in English and the takkenshi who signs can be two different people. Both may do their work well. But only one of them puts their name, and their licence, behind the explanation.
A. Two different people
The takkenshi explains in Japanese and signs. You receive a summary through the English contact, who does not sign.
B. The same person
The person who signs, and answers for the explanation, explains its content to you directly.
This is not a criticism of anyone. Japan’s system was built for a domestic market, and English is not widely used in daily work here. Japan ranked 96th in the 2025 EF English Proficiency Index, with a score of 446 against a global average of 488.
So, before you sign, it is fair to ask three questions. Who is the takkenshi? Will that person explain to you directly? In what language will the content reach you?
A licence does not make anyone perfect. It makes them answerable. It is worth hearing the explanation, in a language you follow, from the person who answers for it.
Japanese Terms in This Article
| Term | Japanese | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| takkenshi | 宅建士 (takuchi tatemono torihikishi) | Licensed real estate transaction specialist |
| jūyō jikō setsumei | 重要事項説明 | Explanation of important matters, given before the contract |
| chintai fudōsan keiei kanrishi | 賃貸不動産経営管理士 | Certified Rental Property Manager |
| gyōmu kanrisha | 業務管理者 | “Business manager” each rental management office must appoint |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a takkenshi in Japan?
A takkenshi (takuchi tatemono torihikishi) is a licensed real estate transaction specialist under Japan’s Real Estate Brokerage Act. Only a takkenshi can give the legally required explanation of important matters before a property contract and put their name to that statement and to the contract terms document.
How many takkenshi must a Japanese real estate agency have?
Each office must have full-time takkenshi equal to at least one in five of the people working there, and each sales site that takes contracts or applications must have at least one. A shortfall must be fixed within two weeks.
What happens if a takkenshi acts improperly?
The prefecture can give instructions, ban the takkenshi from takkenshi work for up to one year, or, in serious cases, remove their registration. The agency can also be suspended for up to a year or lose its licence.
How difficult is the takkenshi exam?
In the 2025 examination, 245,462 people sat and 45,821 passed, a pass rate of 18.7%. Over the past decade the pass rate has stayed between roughly 13 and 19 percent.
What is a Certified Rental Property Manager in Japan?
It is the credential behind the “business manager” that each office of a registered rental management business (200 or more homes) must appoint under the Act on the Proper Management of Rental Housing. It became a national qualification in 2021. In the 2025 examination, 31,792 people sat and 9,370 passed (29.5%).
Is the important matters explanation given in English?
The explanation is given in Japanese on Japanese documents. A buyer who does not read Japanese can ask who the takkenshi on the transaction is, whether that person will explain the important matters directly, and in what language the content will reach them.
Sources
General information only, not legal, tax or investment advice.