Four Japanese Agencies Call for Stricter KYC and AML Checks on Crypto Property Deals

Real estate’s high value and its potential to turn criminal proceeds into physical assets make it vulnerable to money laundering. Combining it with crypto assets, which can be transferred instantly across borders, heightens that risk. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Financial Services Agency, National Police Agency and Ministry of Finance have jointly called on real estate and crypto businesses to enforce KYC requirements and report suspicious transactions under the Act on Prevention of Transfer of Criminal Proceeds.

On April 28, 2026, the four agencies issued a request to seven industry groups, urging businesses to closely scrutinize cases including crypto payments for property and transactions inconsistent with a customer’s profile. Crypto assets worth more than 30 million yen transferred into Japan from overseas must be reported. Since April 1, nonresidents acquiring property in Japan have also been required to file a report regardless of the purpose.