Pre-purchase survey
Independent condition inspection before you commit, with defects, priorities and practical next steps.
Request this survey
Marine surveys across Japan
Find the right marine surveyor for your boat in Japan
Request an independent marine surveyor for a yacht, small craft or commercial vessel in Japan. Matching starts with the prefecture and exact marina, harbour or yard, vessel and survey purpose, Japanese-language access support, haul-out and trial arrangements and whether the report is private or part of an MLIT, JCI, insurer, lender, flag or class process.
Japan-wide planningPrefecture, local language, island travel, yard entry and official inspection scope are confirmed first.
Scope-led matchingPrivate, insurer, registry and specialist requirements separated
Access checked firstTravel, yard, haul-out and sea-trial arrangements reviewed
01Describe the assignment
02We review location and scope
03Choose your surveyor
Survey types
One request, matched to the actual job
A pre-purchase inspection is not the same assignment as a tonnage measurement or commercial-code survey. We keep the scope clear from the beginning.
Insurance & valuation
Condition and market-value reporting shaped around the information your insurer or lender requests.
Request this surveyDamage & claims
Evidence-led inspection following grounding, collision, water ingress, machinery failure or storm damage.
Request this surveyTonnage & registration
Routing to a surveyor with the right appointment when a flag, registry or recognised organisation requires it.
Request this surveyRig, engine & specialist
Focused inspections for rigging, machinery, composites, steel, aluminium and other specialist scopes.
Request this surveyCommercial & coding
Survey support for commercial yachts, charter activity and code-compliance work where applicable.
Request this surveyHow it works
A practical route from request to inspection
The platform helps structure the enquiry and introduce suitable professionals. The selected surveyor remains responsible for agreeing scope, fee and terms with you.
Tell us about the yacht
Share the vessel, survey purpose, location, timing and any buyer or registry deadline.
We review the scope
We check geography, material, size, specialist needs and whether formal acceptance matters.
Receive a suitable introduction
Where available, we connect you with a surveyor whose stated capability fits the assignment.
Appoint independently
You compare the scope and terms, resolve conflicts and instruct the professional directly.
Important distinction
Professional membership is not automatic flag approval
For pre-purchase and condition work, competence, experience, insurance and independence are central. For tonnage, registration, coding or statutory work, the flag or accepting organisation may also require a specific appointment.
Check my survey requirement✓
Credential — membership, qualification or professional designation
✓
Capability — the right vessel, material, size and survey experience
✓
Appointment — authority from the relevant flag or organisation
✓
Acceptance — confirmation that the resulting report or certificate will be accepted
Japan marine survey locations
Plan the survey around Japan’s coasts and waterways
Japan’s long island chain includes highly developed marinas and shipyards but substantial regional travel. The prefecture, facility, local contact, lift capacity and intended report recipient are more useful than a broad city name alone.
Tokyo Bay & central Honshu
Identify the marina, club or commercial yard and local contact. Confirm contractor permission, Japanese-language coordination, haul-out booking and whether sea trials can use the intended waters.
Find a surveyor in this region →Osaka, Kobe & Seto Inland Sea
The region contains many separate yards and islands. State the prefecture, facility, nearest station or airport and any ferry or launch transfer.
Find a surveyor in this region →Kyushu & southwest
Confirm marina or shipyard access, local-language contact and travel from the nearest airport. Island or remote-coast attendance needs a realistic contingency.
Find a surveyor in this region →Hokkaido & northeast
Season, winter storage and launch dates are important. State whether the vessel is afloat, stored ashore or under repair and when systems can be operated.
Find a surveyor in this region →Okinawa & southern islands
Flights and island transfers should be quoted separately. Confirm typhoon-season planning, berth or yard access and whether the vessel can be lifted locally.
Find a surveyor in this region →Frequently asked questions
Before you appoint a marine surveyor
What information is needed for a Japan marine survey?
Provide vessel particulars, prefecture and exact marina, harbour or yard, survey purpose and deadline, local-language contact, report recipient and requirements for haul-out, sea trial or specialist testing.
Is a private pre-purchase survey a Japanese statutory inspection?
No. Japan’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism oversees statutory vessel safety, while JCI performs most inspection and registration functions for small craft under 20 gross tons. A buyer survey is separate.
Who inspects small craft in Japan?
MLIT states that, with limited exceptions, Japan Craft Inspection Organization performs statutory inspections for craft under 20 gross tons as the government’s delegated body. Larger-vessel inspection is handled through the competent transport authority.
Who registers a Japanese vessel?
Official guidance distinguishes vessels of 20 gross tons or more, which are measured and registered by the national transport authorities, from most smaller non-fishing craft, which are measured and registered by JCI.
Is Japanese-language support needed?
It is often helpful for yard bookings, contractor entry, records and negotiations. State whether the owner, broker or yard can provide a bilingual contact and which language the report must use.
Are domestic travel and haul-out included?
Only when the quotation says so. Rail or air travel, ferries, accommodation, marina entry, lift, wash, relaunch, skipper, fuel and specialist testing can be separate.
Can you help with specialist or commercial surveys in Japan?
Potentially. New-builds, repair monitoring, damage, machinery, ultrasound, delivery acceptance and commercial condition work require appropriate experience and any client, flag or class acceptance.
International marine survey network
Need a survey in another country?
Choose the country where the vessel is located, or send the exact port, marina or yard so the assignment can be reviewed.
JapanTokyo Bay, Seto Inland Sea, Kyushu, Hokkaido and OkinawaView regions
BangladeshChattogram, Mongla and the inland-waterway networkVisit site
South KoreaBusan, Incheon, south-coast yards and JejuVisit site
ChinaGreater Bay Area, Shanghai, Hainan, Fujian and northern portsVisit site
Hong KongClubs, moorings, marinas and yards across Hong Kong watersVisit site
TaiwanKaohsiung, Taipei, east coast and island locationsVisit site
SingaporeMarinas, anchorages and repair yards across SingaporeVisit site
Another countryBrowse every Marine Survey International locationVisit sitePrefer to speak with us?
Start with the right Japan survey scope.
Tell us the vessel, exact Japanese location and reason for the survey. We can help clarify access, travel and report requirements before you request an introduction.
Request a surveyor in JapanDirect contactChoose the easiest way to reach us