Legal Support Optimized for Overseas Investors
When overseas investors enter the Japanese real‑estate market, they must bridge not only the language barrier but also the gaps in legal systems, business customs, and risk‑assessment processes. Statutory features unique to Japan—such as the Land and Building Lease Act, the registration and tax regimes, and municipality‑level development controls—can all sway an investment decision. At ZeLo we go far beyond simple interpretation and translation: we deliver structuring and disclosure that satisfy international investment standards, creating an environment in which you can invest with confidence.
Strengths of ZeLo
in Investment in Japanese Real Estate
STRENGTH 01
Overseas‑Standard Real‑Estate Due Diligence (DD)
We prepare bilingual (Japanese / English) DD reports as our default, focusing on the factors global investors care about most—cash‑flow stability, tenant risk, environmental / ESG issues, and tax structuring. Reviews by both domestic and international specialists are built into the process, ensuring a level of quality that can be presented directly to investment committees and other stakeholders.
STRENGTH 02
Bilingual Contract Practice and
Cross‑Border Transaction Schemes
Whether a deal involves a TMK or GK‑TK structure, trust‑beneficiary rights, or non‑recourse financing, we draft both:
・ Japanese‑language contracts that reflect local market practice, and
・ English‑language contracts that meet global investors’ internal approval standards.
This dual approach aligns granular, on‑the‑ground drafting with the risk allocation and negotiation customs expected in cross‑border transactions, enabling seamless closings.
STRENGTH 03
One‑Stop Deal Management
From pre‑acquisition regulatory checks to development‑stage project finance and PropTech‑enabled operations, we handle every stage of the life‑cycle—including multilateral stakeholder coordination, time‑zone‑spanning communications, and the heavy contract workload that complex deals generate.
By translating Japan’s intricate legal, tax, and commercial practices into clear, actionable terms,
ZeLo acts as the bridge that turns inbound real‑estate strategies into successful investments.
Our team pairs deep knowledge of Japanese law with hands‑on international deal experience.
Practice Areas
- Investments by overseas real‑estate funds in Japanese commercial facilities, logistics centers, hotels, data centers, resorts, offices, residences, shopping malls, and more
- Support for deal arrangements by domestic and international asset managers
- Due diligence, acquisition, finance, and legal opinions for domestic and foreign REIT transactions
- Exit strategies for Japanese real‑estate investments
- TMK and GK‑TK schemes, and overseas special‑purpose vehicle (SPC) arrangements
- Structures compliant with the Real Estate Specified Joint Enterprise Act
- Migration and reorganization between different investment schemes
- Leasing documentation
- Bulk acquisitions and dispositions of property portfolios
- Direct property investments and trust‑beneficiary‑right investments
- Renewable‑energy projects
- Restructuring of schemes following sponsor or operator insolvency
Track Records
- Investment, asset‑management, and financing transactions using TMK, GK‑TK, and Real Estate Specified Joint Enterprise structures (offices, commercial facilities, logistics centers, data centers, hotels—including development projects)
- Real‑estate crowdfunding transactions
- Tenant‑management mandates
- Establishment of Japanese investment platforms for overseas funds and investors
- Bulk acquisition of Japanese residential portfolios by overseas investors
- Development of Japanese logistics facilities and hotel projects by overseas funds
- Redesign or replacement of schemes in response to sponsor insolvency
- Reconfiguration of existing structures to meet new business objectives
With a team steeped in both international deal practice and Japanese real‑estate law,
ZeLo delivers the comprehensive, bilingual legal support that inbound investors need to move from opportunity to closing
—confidently and efficiently.
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