Politics LDP seeks stricter foreign land ownership and visa measures

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The LDP submitted a proposal on Friday calling for tighter controls on land acquisitions in security-sensitive areas and stricter oversight of foreign residents. The party wants the measures included in the government's annual economic and fiscal policy guidelines due in July. The proposal calls for "strong and effective" action to prevent security risks from acquiring sensitive land, regardless of nationality. The language is notably softer than an earlier draft that more directly targeted purchases by foreign nationals.

A Cabinet Office survey released in December found that foreign nationals and corporations acquired 3,498 land parcels and building units in fiscal 2024 in areas the country considers sensitive to national security. China, including Hong Kong, accounted for the largest share, with 1,674 properties, followed by Taiwan with 414 and South Korea with 378. A law enacted in 2021 permits the government to designate monitoring zones and special monitoring zones around security-sensitive locations. Authorities can investigate land use within these areas, and certain transactions in special monitoring zones require prior notification.

LDP pushes tougher land and visa rules while avoiding nationality trap

Legal experts have argued that nationality-based restrictions could conflict with domestic law and international agreements.

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