Real Estate and Taxes
Lowering the Tax Basis of your Condo for Japanese Inheritance Tax Purposes
By Jeff Wynkoop The National Tax Agency (“NTA”) recently published its 2018 Roadside Land Values (路線価 or rosenka) for calculating inheritance and gift tax when ownership in land is transferred, and values were up 0.7% on average nationwide in the... More
Living in Japan
Record Number of Foreigners Living in Japan: 2018 Japanese Govt Survey
As of January 1st of this year, the highest number ever of foreigners, 2,497,000 (a 7.5% year-on-year increase) has been recorded living in Japan, according to a survey of population dynamics recently announced by Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and... More
Variable Rate Mortgages in Japan Hit New All-Time High
By Jeff Wynkoop The number of people taking out variable rate mortgage loans in Japan has hit a new all-time high. In the second half of the fiscal year 2017, 56% of all new mortgages were variable rate loans, which... More
Rosenka Land Value Survey
Land prices in Japan up for 3rd straight year: 2018 Roadside Land Value Survey of Japan
The National Tax Agency recently published the 2018 Roadside Land Values survey (路線価 or rosenka). The main takeaway is that the national average price for land increased for the third straight year, driven by demand from inbound tourists and re-development projects... More
Living in Japan
What is the probability of an earthquake striking your neighborhood in Japan?
The Japanese government’s Earthquake Research Committee has just released the 2018 edition of the “National Earthquake Forecast Map” which predicts the probability of a major earthquake (with a seismic intensity level of Lower 6 or higher) occurring in Japan within... More
Investing in Japanese Real Estate
Is now a good time to invest in Japanese real estate?
In a recent survey by Nomura Real Estate Urban Net, members of Nomura’s professional real estate investment website Nomucom Pro, were asked for their insight on whether now is a good time to invest in Japanese property and what they... More
Airbnb-Style Rentals Will Be Legal in Japan as of June 15th: Here’s what you need to know
Airbnb-style accommodations in Japan, known as minpaku (民泊) will be officially sanctioned on a national level as of June 15th, 2018. Here are the main things you should know as a potential Airbnb-style minpaku host or guest. Will I be able to... More