Tokyo 2020

Tokyo 2020 Olympic Village to be Reborn as High-Rise Apartments, Will Go on Sale in Spring of 2019

The buildings that will be used to host the Tokyo 2020 Olympic athletes village will be renovated after the Olympic and Paralympic games and sold as condominiums to the general public, with sales to start in May 2019. This is... More

Living in Japan

Japan to Consider Accepting Foreign Workers in 14 Industries Under New Residency Visa – Up From Original 5

The Japanese government has just approved a draft amendment to establish two new statuses of residence that would expand acceptance of foreign workers to Japan in 14 industries experiencing serious labor shortages, up from the five that were originally proposed.... More

Buying Property in Japan as a Foreigner

Can you afford to buy a home in Japan? And should you versus renting?

Home affordability has decreased for the average income earner in Japan for the last several years. This is based on data recently released by Tokyo Kantei’s annual home affordability survey. If you are thinking about buying a home in Japan,... More

AirBnb-Style Private Home Rental in Japan

What are the most popular Airbnb-Style private home rental destinations in Japan?

The Japan Tourism Agency (JTA) recently released the first set of stats on private home rental accommodations, known as minapku (民泊), since their nationwide legalization on June 15th, providing a first look at the most popular destinations, which nationalities are most represented... More

Suruga Bank to be Ordered to Suspend Real Estate Lending Operations

Japan’s Financial Services Agency (the “FSA”) has decided that in connection with Suruga Bank’s illicit share house financing scandal, it will issue an order to cease part of the business operations of the bank by the end of this week.... More

Market Trends

Japan Land Prices Mark First Rise in 27 Years, Driven by Inbound Tourism

The average price of land in Japan climbed 0.1 % year-on-year, putting an end to 26 straight years of decline. This was the first year of positive growth since burst of the asset bubble, according to the Ministry of Land,... More

Japanese Govt to Make All Past Real Estate Sale Price Data Public For First Time

By Jeff Wynkoop The big news is finally here! The Ministry of Land, Transport, Infrastructure and Tourism (the “MLIT”) has decided that it will create a record of important transaction data for all existing real estate properties in Japan, including... More