Domestic Point of Contact for your property in Japan

A domestic point of contact (国内連絡先) is a designated person or company in Japan, listed on the property register, who can be reached about a property on behalf of an owner who lives overseas. When MailMate is your domestic point of contact, notices and enquiries sent to us are scanned and uploaded to your MailMate account with English summaries, and we help you respond in Japanese.

Although it is not mandatory in general, some municipalities may require a domestic point of contact for handling notifications related to utilities or other local administrative matters. It is mandatory to submit a document stating whether or not you have a domestic point of contact when registering a property in Japan.

A domestic point of contact helps non-resident owners comply with local regulations, receive important notices, manage property-related matters, and communicate smoothly with Japanese authorities and service providers. It helps avoid delays and keeps administrative and property issues moving while you are abroad.

A domestic point of contact is for property owners whose registered address is outside Japan, including people living overseas who own a second home, vacation home, or investment property in Japan. The role is about where you live, rather than your nationality.

Arrange your domestic point of contact before closing, rather than leaving the contact paperwork to settlement day. Share your planned closing date and the details of your agent or judicial scrivener with MailMate, so we can confirm timing and coordinate the contact details and consent paperwork for registration. If you already own the property or are moving overseas, we can help you discuss the next steps with your registration professional.

Contact MailMate to confirm the service and the property details. We then coordinate the contact information and consent documentation needed by the professional, such as a judicial scrivener, handling your property registration. Creating a MailMate account alone does not update the property register.

MailMate is listed on the property register as your point of contact in Japan. Any notices or enquiries sent to MailMate are scanned and uploaded to your account with English summaries, so you understand what needs a response, and MailMate helps you respond in Japanese to the relevant authority.

Yes. MailMate property plans include registering MailMate as your domestic point of contact at the time of your property purchase, alongside property tax representation and a virtual mailbox for your Japanese mail.

A tax representative (納税管理人) is appointed for tax matters: they receive your property-tax notices and help arrange payment. A domestic contact person is listed on the property register as a point of contact in Japan for administrative and property-registration correspondence. They are separate roles.

Yes. MailMate can serve as both your domestic point of contact for property registration and your property-tax representative in Japan, handling registration correspondence, general administrative notices, and property tax notices and payments. Accounting support for income you need to declare is arranged separately.

No. Being listed as your domestic point of contact does not itself give MailMate authority to sell your property, sign contracts, or approve work for you. You remain the owner and decision-maker.

No. Listing MailMate as your domestic contact does not automatically redirect your post or update utility and management-company records. Mail routing, bill payment, and provider coordination are arranged separately under your chosen MailMate services.

No. A domestic point of contact receives enquiries about your property. Property management, maintenance, and on-site visits are separate services. MailMate can help you put together the support your property in Japan needs.

Let MailMate and the professional handling your registration know, so you can arrange the appropriate update to the property register. Keep your own contact details with MailMate current as well, so we can reach you when an enquiry arrives.