Denizens of Japan: can I get a "signature certificate" notarized in the US?

For a real estate purchase in Japan some years ago, my wife and I (both US citizens) had to get a “signature certificate” notarized at the US embassy. The basic form looks like this PDF.

It looks like we need to get signature certificates done again, but the online appointment reservation system for the US embassy in Tokyo (and the consulate in Osaka) is screwy. The calendar for May used to list all days as “date already passed or not yet open for appointments”, but now days are flipping directly to “appointment date fully booked”. Despite checking every day, I never see any days showing as “appointment date available.” I’m concerned we may not be able to get an appointment during our planned visit there, and a phone call to the consulate gets you a recording telling you that the only way you’re getting an appointment is through the website; I never saw an opportunity to talk to a living person and ask whether there might be a problem with that website.

My questions: is the notarial service provided by the US embassy/consulate in Japan any different from a notarial service I might find here in the US? Could I modify the text at the bottom of the form so it refers only to a notary public (with blanks to be filled in) instead of the Consul, and have this form be a valid sig certificate for legal affairs in Japan? Alternatively, could I get a form like this notarized by a notary service provider in Japan?

Yes, you can have this done in the States and it’s valid.

You only need to have it notarized by a public notary. Change the form to the public notary and include their information.

The US consulate services are there as a service for people who would otherwise have to travel to the States, but doing this at a consulate isn’t a legal requirement for real estate deals.

It’s better to do this in the States than in Japan.

If you are doing a real estate transaction, the process is much more involved in Japan, and they have a 司法書士, shihō shoshi judicial scriveners. Basically they are the ones who check to make sure all the i’s are dotted and the t’s are crossed.

Feel free to DM me for further questions if you would like.