How low are mortgage interest rates in Japan compared to the United States?

The Japan Finance Housing Agency (JHFA) has announced the interest rate for Flat 35 home loans for May, with a lowest available rate of 1.480% per annum, the fourth consecutive month in which the Flat 35 rate has risen. In April, the lowest available rate was 1.440%. Flat 35 loans are among the most widely used home mortgage products in Japan.

Variable interest rates in Japan are even more attractive and continue to remain at record lows, despite a slightly inflationary consumer price environment. Au Jibun Bank (a joint-venture of KDDI and Mitsubishi UFJ Bank), for example, is currently offering a variable rate mortgage of 0.440%, including fees.

For comparison, according to Bankrate‘s survey of national large lenders in the United States, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 5.54% as of May 9, 2022, up 13 basis points from a week ago.

A difference of a few percentage points in the mortgage rate equates to significant cost savings in the total amount that you have to repay.

Here is a rough simulation of the difference in the amount of interest that has to be repaid for a $300,000USD loan to be repaid over a 30-year period, with no early repayment.

Interest rate Total amount to be repaid with interest Total interest to be repaid
5.54% 615,924.00 315,924.00
1.44% 369,630.00 69,630.00
Difference 246,294.00

May 2022 Flat 35 Fixed Rates

Flat 35

Flat 35 loans are fixed interest loans with terms of 35 years, offered by a wide variety of Japanese banks, and securitized by the JHFA. The JHFA is a Japanese public corporation similar to Fannie Mae in the US or the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

For May 2022, the interest rate for Flat 35 loans where the term is 21 years or above and less than 35 years, and where the loan amount is 90% or less than the price of the property, is between 1.480% and 2.540%. The most commonly offered rate for this type of loan is 1.480%.

LTVs Greater Than 90%

For Flat 35 loans where the loan amount is over 90%, the rate is between 1.740% and 2.800%. Financial institutions offering this type of loan are most commonly offering a rate of 1.740%.

Rate for 20-Year Payback Period

For loans where the payback period is 20 years or less and where the loan amount is 90% or less, the May 2022 rate is between 1.350% and 2.410%, with the most commonly offered rate being 1.350%. In cases where the borrower is financing more than 90% of the purchase, the May rate is between 1.610% and 2.670%, with most banks offering the lower-end rate.

LTVs Greater Than 90%

For loans where the payback period is 20 years or less and where the loan amount is over 90%, the rate is between 1.610% and 2.670%. Financial institutions offering this type of loan are most commonly offering a rate of 1.610%.

Ultra-loose monetary policy seems likely to continue

With inflation modest compared with other nations and the economy still below pre-pandemic levels, the Bank of Japan has indicated that it is not planning to tweak its ultra-loose monetary policy or to modify a pledge to keep rates at current or lower levels.

Despite Japan’s ultra-low interest rate environment, Flat 35 rates have increased in the last four months. But compared to other countries, mortgage rates in Japan are still very low.

Loan Period
For financial institutions offering Flat 35 Rates: Lowest
Available Flat 35 rate by month
15 Year to 20 Year Re-Payment 21 year to 35 year Re-Payment
May 2022 1.35% 1.48%
April 2022 1.31% 1.44%
March 2022 1.31% 1.43%
February 2022 1.23% 1.35%
January 2022 1.18% 1.30%

The interest rate differential between the US 10-Year T-bill (about 3.142% as of May 10th) and Japanese 10-Year Treasury bonds (about 0.245%) is the main reason that the yen has weakened so much against the dollar this year (at about 130 JPY to one USD, a twenty-year low), but the Bank of Japan has said that a weak yen is positive for the economy and that commodity inflation will not prompt the BOJ to change its monetary policy. At the same time, the U.S. central bank has indicated that it will hike interest rates by 3 percentage points this year.

A weaker yen has made Japanese real estate much more attractive for foreign buyers with dollars and euros to exchange. For more on this, please see: 7 reasons why foreigners are interested in buying a home in Japan, especially now.

Qualifying for a Mortgage as a Foreigner

For more information on qualifying for a home mortgage loan as a foreigner in Japan, please see this article: Which Japanese banks lend to foreigners to buy a home or investment property. As of this writing, Prestia SMBC Trust Bank, a bank that offers home loans to foreigners with variable rates as low as 0.47% per annum and 10-year fixed rate loans as low as 0.90%.

We also cover this topic in-depth at our free webinars on how to buy a home in Japan. Our webinars go over how to buy a home and which Japanese banks lend to foreigners.

Many Japanese banks require non-Japanese home loan applicants to be married to a Japanese national or to have permanent residency (PR), but there some banks do lend to foreign nationals who have a working visa and a certain minimum annual income level, usually at least about ¥5,000,000.


Bilingual Agents

All of the agents who list properties on realestate.co.jp are bilingual in Japanese and English. Some agents can also handle inquiries in Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and other languages. Please click on the links below to see their listings:

All For Sale Property Listings

Investment Property Listings

FAQs About Buying Property in Japan

Can a foreigner buy property in Japan?

Yes. You can buy property in Japan regardless of your nationality or country of origin. There are also no residency requirements for buying real estate in Japan. Securing financing as a resident foreigner is more complicated. For info on financing, please see Basic Requirements for Getting a Mortgage as a Foreigner in Japan

Seminars on Buying Property in Japan

Please see our seminar page for a current list of seminars on: how to buy a home in Japaninvesting in Japanese real estate for beginnershow to apply for permanent residency in Japanhow to sell property in Japan, and much more.

How do I get a property loan as a foreigner in Japan?

Please see this article for information on: Getting a property loan as a foreigner in Japan

What is the process for buying a property in Japan?

Please see our step-by-step guide: Guide to Buying Property in Japan

See how much you can borrow and your monthly payments in yen: Yen Mortgage Loan Calculator

For information about purchase and brokerage fees: Breakdown of real estate purchase fees and taxes in Japan

Need to Know

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Earthquake building codes and technology in Japan

Can I legally rent out my home in Japan on AirBnB?

Repair reserve fund fees explained

Parking spaces in Japanese condominium buildings explained

Building your own home in Japan

7 reasons why foreigners are interested in buy a home in Japan, especially now – March 2022 Update

Average price of an apartment in Japan by prefecture – 2022 Ranking

Bilingual Real Estate Agent in Tokyo Answers Your FAQs on Buying and Managing an Investment Property

How much is my property worth?

Real Estate Japan is pleased to offer free, no obligation appraisals for owners of property in Japan. Please click here and fill out the form: How much is my property worth?

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Lead photo: iStock 1270111816


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