Yes. For real estate disputes, mediators registered with the Japan Real Estate Arbitration Agency, an alternative dispute resolution organization certified by the Minister of Justice, can assist in resolving disputes at a relatively reasonable cost.
Registered mediators of the Japan Real Estate Arbitration Agency are professionals who have professional qualifications in various real estate fields, such as real estate transaction license, auction real estate agent certificate, etc., and who have taken a certain course and passed an examination set by the Japan Real Estate Arbitration Agency.
In Japan, according to the provisions of the Lawyers Act, non-lawyers are not allowed to intervene in legal troubles for compensation. Therefore, even if a real estate agent receives a consultation or site investigation from a customer in the real estate business, getting involved in the content of the trouble itself is a risk of violating the Lawyers Act.
However, in 2017, the Japan Real Estate Arbitration Agency received Ministry of Justice certification as an Alternative Dispute Resolution Organization, creating a groundbreaking system that allows real estate professionals who are experts in the field of real estate to register with the Agency to arbitrate real estate disputes that previously could only be settled by lawyers.