Japan has, by some measures, the highest inheritance tax rate in the world. It¡¯s so high, and the related laws and rules so unforgiving and complicated, that a smart move to the country can years later suddenly look like an expensive mistake.

The tax even compels some residents to abandon Japan altogether.

¡°It¡¯s very easy to get into the higher rates of inheritance tax compared to in other countries,¡± said Adrian Castelino-Prabhu, a principal at Grant Thornton specializing in international inheritance and gift taxation.