How To Check The Land Category (地目) Of A Japanese Property

What the 地目 is and where it appears

The 地目 is part of the "description of the land" section (表題部, hyōdaibu) at the top of a land registration record, alongside the lot number (地番) and the registered area (地積). Under the Real Property Registration Act, each parcel is recorded with one 地目 chosen from a fixed list in the Real Property Registration Rules (不動産登記規則), Article 99 — 23 categories in total, and no others may be used: 田 (paddy field), 畑 (field), 宅地 (residential land), 学校用地, 鉄道用地, 塩田, 鉱泉地, 池沼, 山林 (forest), 牧場, 原野 (wasteland), 墓地, 境内地, 運河用地, 水道用地, 用悪水路, ため池, 堤, 井溝, 保安林, 公衆用道路 (public road), 公園, and 雑種地 (miscellaneous land). The detailed definitions of each category are set out in the Registry Office's operating guidelines (不動産登記事務取扱手続準則), Article 68.

For most residential buyers, five labels come up again and again: 宅地 (land used for buildings and their grounds), 畑 and 田 (cultivated land), 山林 (forest) and 雑種地 (land that fits none of the other categories, such as parking lots or storage yards).

The 地目 follows actual use, but the registry can lag behind

Land category is based on the actual condition and use of the land (the "現況主義" principle), not on what an owner would like it to be. When the use changes — for example, a field is filled in and a house is built — the registered 地目 is supposed to be updated. The duty falls on the 表題部所有者 (the owner recorded in the description section) or the registered holder of the ownership right, who must apply for a 地目変更登記 (land category change registration) within one month of the change, and failing to do so without good reason can draw an administrative fine (過料) of up to ¥100,000 under the Real Property Registration Act. In practice, many owners never file, particularly on inherited or long-neglected land, so the registered 地目 can be years or decades out of date. A 地目 that looks "wrong" is therefore common, and by itself is not a sign of fraud — but it is a signal to look closer.

Registered 地目, farmland status and tax category are three different things

It is worth keeping three concepts apart:

• Registered land category (登記地目): what the registration record says. It is updated only when someone files.
• Farmland status under the Agricultural Land Act (農地法): whether a parcel counts as 農地 (agricultural land) is judged by its actual condition, not by the registry. The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries' handling standards state that a parcel's status as farmland must be determined by its current condition, not by the registered 地目. Even land that is not being cultivated can still count as farmland if it could be farmed again. Converting farmland to another use requires a permit under Articles 4 or 5 of the Agricultural Land Act, and a buyer who plans to build on farmland generally needs that permit as well — see our guide on how to check if a Japanese property is farmland.
• Taxable land category (課税地目): for fixed asset tax (固定資産税), the municipality classifies land by its actual condition under the Fixed Asset Valuation Standards (固定資産評価基準), which use nine categories rather than the registry's 23. The municipality's category can differ from the registry's, and it can change without an application from the owner. A mismatch between the two is a reason to ask the municipal tax office what category your parcel is taxed under.

Why a mismatch matters to a buyer

A mismatch between the registered 地目 and the real situation can affect you in three practical ways. First, if the land is registered as 田 or 畑 but you intend to build, check whether permits are needed and whether the land is actually farmland in the eyes of the law. Second, if the land is registered as 山林 or 原野 but a house stands on it, the registry has not caught up and the seller may need to file a 地目変更登記 before or around closing. Third, a 宅地 label on land that is clearly not usable as residential land (an overgrown lot with no access) should make you ask what the seller or agent is relying on.

Here is a practical way to check a parcel's land category before you commit:

1. Get the lot number (地番). The 地目 is recorded per parcel, so you need the right lot number — not the postal address. Our free lot number lookup and the guide to finding a lot number cover this step.
2. Read the 地目 on the registration record. Look for the 地目 in the "description of the land" section (表題部 — 土地の表示). Compare it with what the listing says is on the land. If the listing is a house and the land is registered as 畑 or 山林, note the gap.
3. Check whether the land is, in reality, farmland. If the registered 地目 is 田 or 畑, or the land looks cultivated or recently cultivated, ask the local Agricultural Committee (農業委員会) whether it counts as 農地. The 地目 label alone neither proves nor rules this out.
4. Ask the municipal tax office which category the parcel is taxed under. The 課税地目 appears on the fixed asset tax notice (固定資産税納税通知書) and the municipality's assessment records. A different category from the registry is worth understanding.
5. If the 地目 is out of date, decide who fixes it and when. A 地目変更登記 is filed with the Legal Affairs Bureau (法務局) and, as of the sources checked for this guide, does not carry a registration and license tax (登録免許税). It can be filed by the owner directly or by a land and house investigator (土地家屋調査士), and the bureau generally takes about one to two weeks to process it. For land whose registered category is 田 or 畑 but which has long since stopped being farmland, some municipalities' Agricultural Committees issue a certificate that the land is no longer farmland (非農地証明 / 非農地通知書) that can be used to support the application. Agree in the sales contract who is responsible, and confirm the details with the bureau or a land and house investigator (土地家屋調査士), the profession that handles registrations describing the physical state of land and buildings.
6. Do not rely on the 地目 as a building permit answer. A 宅地 label does not mean you can build, and a 畑 label does not mean you cannot. Zoning, road frontage, and farmland rules are separate checks — see How To Check If A Japanese Property Is Rebuildable.

The most common mistake is treating the registered 地目 as a statement of the land's legal status or buildability. The second is assuming that a 畑 or 田 label on a house lot can safely be ignored: if the land is still legally farmland, the transfer itself may need a permit. When the land category and the actual use do not match, a judicial scrivener (司法書士), land and house investigator (土地家屋調査士), or the Legal Affairs Bureau can tell you what is needed.

What the registration record can and cannot tell you about land category:

• What it shows reliably: the registered 地目 for each parcel, the registered area, the owner, and any mortgages or other registered rights — all as of the date of the record.
• What it does not show: whether the 地目 is current, whether the land legally counts as farmland, which category the municipality taxes it under, or whether you can build on it. The registry records what someone last filed, not a regular inspection of the land.
• How to order the record: On Japan Property Research, use the free lot number lookup to identify the parcel, then order the land registration record for ¥1,500. If the property includes a house, order the building registration record as well, since land and buildings are registered separately. Both are delivered by email and saved to your account. Our guide to ordering registration records in English explains the process.

The 地目 is a cheap first check, not a final answer. Put it in your due diligence checklist next to ownership, area, road frontage, and zoning.

FAQ

What does 地目 mean? 地目 (chimoku) is the "land category" recorded for each parcel in the Japanese land registry. It describes the main use of the land. There are 23 categories in the Real Property Registration Rules, such as 宅地 (residential land), 畑 (field), 山林 (forest), and 雑種地 (miscellaneous land).

Where do I find the 地目 of a property? On the land registration record (登記事項証明書), in the description-of-the-land section at the top, next to the lot number and area. A building has no 地目 — only the land does. Buildings are described by structure, type, and floor area.

Does a 宅地 label mean I can build a house? No. 宅地 describes the registered use of the land. Whether you can build depends on zoning, road access, and other rules. A 宅地 label also does not guarantee the land is currently usable.

The land is registered as 畑 but has a house on it. Is that a problem? Possibly. It means the registry has not been updated to match actual use, and the owner would normally file a 地目変更登記. If the land counts as farmland under the Agricultural Land Act, converting or transferring it for non-farm use can also require a permit. Ask the Agricultural Committee and a land and house investigator (土地家屋調査士) before signing.

How long does it take to change the 地目, and what does it cost? The 表題部所有者 or the registered holder of the ownership right must apply within one month of the change in use. According to the Legal Affairs Bureau materials we checked, the registration itself does not carry a registration and license tax and takes roughly one to two weeks. Professional fees for a land and house investigator vary — ask for a quote.

Does the 地目 affect property tax? Fixed asset tax is based on the municipality's own classification of the land according to its actual condition, not directly on the registered 地目. The two can differ. Ask the municipal tax office which category applies to the parcel.

Related guides:

• How To Check If A Japanese Property Is Farmland
• How To Check If A Japanese Property Is Rebuildable
• How To Check Registered Vs Actual Land Area In Japan
• How To Read A Japanese Property Registration Record
• How To Order A Japan Property Registration Record In English
• Japan Property Due Diligence Checklist

• e-Gov: Real Property Registration Act (不動産登記法), Articles 34, 37 and 164 (official statute text)
• e-Gov: Real Property Registration Rules (不動産登記規則), Article 99 (official statute text)
• e-Gov: Registration and License Tax Act (登録免許税法), Article 2 and Appended Table 1 (official statute text)
• Ministry of Justice: Real Property Registration Act and Rules (Real Property Registration Rules, Article 99, 23 land categories; Article 37 and Article 164 of the Act) — Japanese Law Translation Database System (Ministry of Justice), official
• Legal Affairs Bureau: guidance and sample application for land category change registration (地目変更登記) — Ministry of Justice, official
• Kumamoto District Legal Affairs Bureau: Applying for land category change using a non-farmland notice (非農地通知書) — Legal Affairs Bureau, official
• Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries: Handling standards for Agricultural Land Act affairs (農地法関係事務に係る処理基準) — MAFF, official
• Chiba City: Farmland conversion (Agricultural Land Act Articles 4 and 5) — municipal government, official
• Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications: Fixed Asset Valuation Standards (固定資産評価基準, land) — MIC, official
• Legacy: Land category change registration procedures, costs and documents — inheritance-support firm, secondary source

Every statutory claim in this guide was checked against the current text on e-Gov, the government's official statute database: the 23 land categories and their order (Real Property Registration Rules, Article 99), 地目 as a registered item of the land description section alongside 地番 and 地積 (Act, Article 34), the one-month filing deadline and who carries the duty (Act, Article 37, paragraph 1), the administrative fine of up to ¥100,000 where the filing is neglected without good reason (Act, Article 164, paragraph 1, which names Article 37 explicitly), and the absence of a registration and license tax (Registration and License Tax Act, Article 2, which levies the tax only on the registrations listed in Appended Table 1; that table covers rights-related registrations only, and the word 地目 does not appear anywhere in the Act). Processing times and professional fees are not set by statute: those come from the Legal Affairs Bureau materials listed above and vary by office and by case. The definitions in Article 68 of the operating guidelines (不動産登記事務取扱手続準則) are an internal Ministry of Justice circular and are not published on e-Gov. Where the land category and the actual use do not match, confirm with the Legal Affairs Bureau or a judicial scrivener (司法書士) or land and house investigator (土地家屋調査士).