司法書士
shihō shoshiしほうしょし
Judicial scrivener
The licensed legal specialist who prepares and files property registrations. At closing, the shihō shoshi verifies both parties' identity and documents, then files the ownership transfer the same day — virtually every Japanese property transaction uses one, and their fee (typically ¥50,000–150,000 plus taxes) is paid by the buyer.
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