The Japan Financial Services Agency published an English summary of a post-Cabinet press conference in which the minister highlighted a joint request on real estate transactions using crypto assets. The request, issued with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and the National Police Agency, says these transactions can be abused for money laundering and may, depending on the structure, amount to unregistered crypto asset exchange business under the Funds Settlement Act. Sent through industry associations to real estate agents and crypto asset exchange companies, the request states that receiving crypto assets from a real estate agent or buyer and paying legal currency to the seller could constitute unregistered exchange activity. It calls for full anti-money laundering controls, including suspicious transaction reporting, and for measures to improve visibility and soundness in these deals, including wider communication of Foreign Exchange Act reporting obligations when non-residents acquire real estate. The Financial Services Agency and the Ministry of Finance said they will continue coordinating with other authorities on money laundering prevention. Separately, the minister said he had obtained Cabinet approval for a May 2 to 6 trip to Uzbekistan to attend the Asian Development Bank annual meetings and co-chair the ASEAN+3 Finance Ministers' and Central Bank Governors' Meeting and a finance ministers' meeting with Pacific Island countries. In Q&A, he also said Japan would continue close coordination with the United States on foreign exchange market volatility in line with the September 2025 Japan-U.S. joint statement, and that response arrangements would remain in place during the trip.

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