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From investing, buying, and renting Japanese property to visas, taxes, and market trends — insights that help you decide.
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- Buying Guide
Is a Home Inspection Required When Buying a Used House in Japan?
Buying a used home in Japan often raises the question of whether an inspection (インスペクション) is mandatory. Here's what's actually required under real estate law, and what to check before you sign.
- Property Investment
Is a Pre-Completion Condo Still Worth Buying? Reading Yield as Tokyo Tops ¥145 Million
MFS's latest price-trend report puts the AI-estimated price of a pre-completion condo in Tokyo's 23 wards at ¥145.72 million, up 13.3% year on year. With prices still climbing, here is how to read surface versus real yield and what to check before signing.
- Market & Areas
Is Your Utility Bill Really Correct? A Living-Cost Blind Spot in Choosing a Japanese Area
A major Chubu-area utility disclosed a two-year billing error affecting about 5 million contracts. Here's what it reveals about the hidden utility and management costs buyers and renters often overlook when comparing areas in Japan.
- Tax & Legal
Will Japan's Food Consumption Tax Really Drop to 1%? What the Tax Reform Outline Means for Your Cost of Living
Japan's ruling party is speeding up coordination on a plan to cut the consumption tax on food from 8% to 1%. Here's where the September tax reform outline stands, and what it does — and doesn't — change for your tax filings.
- Visa & Immigration
Will Permanent Residency Get Harder to Obtain? Japan's Proposed Income, Pension, and Spousal Rule Changes
Since July 2026, reports have described tighter income and pension requirements for Japan's permanent residency. Here is what is — and isn't — official yet, and what to prepare now.
- Renting & Living
Storm Damage Left a Leak — Who Pays? A Renter's Guide to Repair Duties in Japan
On September 8, 2026, evacuation alerts were lifted for Oshima and Toshima in the Izu Islands while Niijima Village stayed at the highest warning level, and the JMA issued a half-day-ahead linear rain band forecast for the Tokai region. When a typhoon or heavy rain damages a rental unit, here's how repair responsibility and insurance generally work.
- Buying Guide
Variable or Fixed? How to Choose a Mortgage as Banks Diverge on Rates
In September 2026, some megabanks raised variable mortgage rates while Mizuho and Resona held theirs steady, and Flat 35 and 10-year fixed rates both rose. With banks now split on direction, here is how to work out whether variable or fixed suits you.
- Property Investment
How Long Will Short-Term Rental Income Last? Reading Regulatory Risk from Osaka
After Osaka closed new applications for its special-zone minpaku scheme, operators shifted to hotel-business licences, and the city now plans to add building structure to the approval conditions. Here is how to build regulatory change into your numbers before you buy.
- Market & Areas
Can You Buy in a Flood Zone? Reading Hazard Maps Before You Choose
Seeing a property shaded on a flood hazard map is often enough for overseas buyers to rule it out. Here is how Japan's hazard-map disclosure rules work, how to read the color coding, and what actually matters for a purchase decision.
- Tax & Legal
Does Sending Money From Abroad to Japan Trigger Gift Tax? What Cross-Border Family Transfers Mean for Your Filing
Receiving help from family overseas to buy property or cover living costs in Japan is common — but transfers above a certain amount can trigger Japan's gift tax. Here's who is generally liable, how the tax office finds out, and roughly what the numbers look like.
- Visa & Immigration
What Happens to Technical Intern Training? Preparing Now for Japan's 2027 'Ikusei Shuro' Switch
Applications for the new visa framework replacing Technical Intern Training — 'Ikusei Shuro' (Employment for Skill Development) — opened on 1 September 2026, ahead of its full launch on 1 April 2027. Here's what current interns and hiring companies can check now.
- Renting & Living
How Much Are the Upfront Costs? Understanding Japan's Rental Move-In Fees
Renting in Japan often means paying a deposit, key money, agent's fee, guarantor fee, and fire insurance all at once — commonly four to six months' rent in total. Here's what each item actually is, and what to check as a foreign resident.
- Buying Guide
Did Your Variable Mortgage Rate Just Rise? What September's Hike Means for You
MUFG Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation both raised their benchmark variable mortgage rates by 0.25% in September 2026, the first such increase in six months. Here is what that means for your repayment amount, whether the 5-year and 125% rules apply to your loan, and when switching to fixed makes sense.
- Property Investment
Does a Guaranteed Rent Last Forever? What to Check in a Sublease Contract
A master-lease (sublease) contract advertised as "rent guaranteed" does not mean the rent stays fixed forever. Here is how the rent review clause works, why cancellation is asymmetric, and which disclosure documents to check before signing.
- Market & Areas
Is the Yen Weakening Again? Reading the US-Japan Rate Gap to Time a Purchase
One Fed chair's speech sent the odds of a September rate hike surging overnight, and the yen slipped back past 160 to the dollar. Here is how to separate a one-day FX headline from the timeline that actually matters for buying property in Japan.
- Tax & Legal
Is Japan's Food Consumption Tax Really Dropping to 1%? What's Changing (and What Isn't) Explained
Food and beverage price hikes are set to hit a 2026 high of 4,531 items in September, even as PM Takaichi has proposed cutting the consumption tax on food from 8% to 1% for two years starting April 2027 (not yet law). Here's how Japan's reduced tax rate works and what the proposal actually says.
- Visa & Immigration
How Much Will Your Residence Status Renewal Cost? Japan's October 2026 Fee Changes Explained
On August 25, 2026, Japan's government finalized the revised fee schedule for residence procedures. Starting with applications from October 1, permanent residence fees are set to rise from ¥10,000 to ¥200,000, and status change/renewal fees to a maximum of ¥75,000. Here's what's changing, when, and by how much.
- Renting & Living
Can You Check Flood Risk Before You Rent? Hazard Maps and Disclosure in Japan
On 27 August 2026, emergency heavy rain warnings were issued for Ishikawa and Toyama. This guide covers how far you can check flood risk before signing a lease, through three entry points: hazard maps, the statutory disclosure, and water damage cover in your insurance.
- Market & Areas
Where Did the Polka Dots Come From? Yayoi Kusama's 97 Years, and Where to See Her Work
The avant-garde artist Yayoi Kusama died on 14 August 2026 at the age of 97. Where the dots and nets came from, what happened across sixteen years in New York and half a century after her return, and where her work can be seen in Japan today.
- Buying Guide
Can You Still Buy a Home as Rates Rise? Rethinking Japanese Mortgages
Japan's FY2027 budget request raised the assumed interest rate for debt servicing to 3.8%. Starting from that shift in assumptions, we look at variable versus fixed rates, the gap between what you can borrow and what you can repay, and what foreign buyers should confirm first.
- Property Investment
Should You Buy on Yield Alone? Working Backward from the Exit in Japan
Choosing an investment property on headline yield alone can leave you with less than expected once exit taxes and buyer financing enter the picture. Here is how holding period, rollover relief, and non-resident withholding work.
- Market & Areas
Is Tokyo Really Too Expensive? Reading Japan's Property Market by Area
Stopping your search after reading that "Tokyo is expensive" or that metro-area averages hit a record high misses the point. Central wards, outer Tokyo, the three neighboring prefectures and regional core cities all move differently. Here is where to check the official statistics for each.
- Tax & Legal
Can You Deduct Earthquake Insurance Premiums? Coverage and Limits Explained
An earthquake centered in southern Ibaraki shook much of the Tokyo metropolitan area early on August 23, 2026. Here is how earthquake insurance premiums are treated for income and resident tax, which homes qualify, and the exclusions that overseas owners and landlords most often miss.
- Visa & Immigration
Can You Keep Working in Japan After Graduation? Switching from a Student to a Work Visa
For international students graduating from a Japanese university or vocational school, here's what the change-of-status application for a work visa actually checks, and how to prepare.
- Renting & Living
Will Rising Prices Push Up Your Rent in Japan? Reading a Rent Increase Notice
With Japan's July CPI released on August 21 still pointing to ongoing inflation, here's how to read a landlord's rent increase notice and what your options are under Japanese law.
- Buying Guide
New Build or Resale? How to Check Earthquake Standards and Reserves Before Buying in Japan
Choosing between a new build and a resale property in Japan isn't just a price decision. Here are the earthquake-standard, non-conformity liability, and repair-reserve checks overseas buyers often miss.
- Property Investment
Why Did Tokyo-Area Condo Prices Cross ¥100 Million? Reading the Surge as an Overseas Investor
The Real Estate Economic Institute reports that average new condo prices across greater Tokyo topped ¥100 million for the first half of 2026 for the first time. Here's how to read that headline number without overpaying.
- Market & Areas
Is a Rising Nikkei a Buy Signal? Reading Japan's Markets as Stocks Rise and the Yen Weakens
On August 17, 2026 the Nikkei rose for a fifth straight session to close at 69,220, while the yen weakened further the next morning. We look at how to read a Japan market where stocks and a weaker yen are moving together.
- Tax & Legal
Can Foreigners Use Japan's Mortgage Tax Credit? The 2026 Reform and Non-Resident Rules
Japan's fiscal 2026 tax reform outline extends the mortgage tax credit's deadline by five years, to the end of 2030. For overseas readers considering buying property in Japan, here's how to tell whether you qualify and what the non-resident rules mean in practice.
- Visa & Immigration
Can You Get a Business Manager Visa Just by Buying Property in Japan? Capital and Business Plan Essentials
With foreign visitor numbers to Japan falling year on year for the first time in five years in the first half of 2026, interest in relocating through property investment and a business manager visa hasn't slowed. Here's what actually gets checked around capital, office space, and the business plan.
- Renting & Living
Do You Owe a Month's Rent at Renewal? How Japan's Lease 'Renewal Fee' Works
We break down how Japan's lease renewal fee works, its legal basis, how it varies by region, and what to check when your lease comes up for renewal.
- Buying Guide
Is the Yen's Move a Buy Signal? What Really Matters When Buying Property in Japan
On the morning of August 14, 2026, the yen traded between roughly 157.70 and 158 to the dollar as expectations for an early Fed rate hike eased. Is a currency move really a buy signal? Here's what actually matters — costs, procedures, and pitfalls — when buying property in Japan.
- Property Investment
Is Now the Time to Buy Japanese Property? Reading Yields as the Yen Weakens and Nikkei Climbs
On August 12, 2026, Japan's Nikkei average rose to 67,524 points while the yen slipped past 158 to the dollar. As stocks rise and the yen weakens together, here's how overseas investors should think about yields and risks before buying Japanese investment property.
- Market & Areas
Is the Yen's Slide to 159 a Buying Signal? How Exchange Rates Reshape Japan Property Costs
On August 10, 2026 the yen briefly slid past 159 to the dollar, with markets questioning how much further coordinated intervention can hold. We look at how currency swings actually change the real cost of buying property in Japan from overseas.
- Tax & Legal
How Much Inheritance Tax Applies to Japanese Real Estate? Filing and Tax Agents for Overseas Heirs
What overseas-based heirs need to know about Japanese inheritance tax on real estate: the basic exemption, filing deadline, the small-lot exemption, and appointing a tax agent.
- Visa & Immigration
Can Buying Property in Japan Get You a Long-Term Visa? What the Business Manager Visa Actually Requires
Owning real estate in Japan doesn't grant residency status. Here's what the Business Manager visa actually requires — investment thresholds, office requirements, and what gets checked at renewal.
- Renting & Living
Is Your Rental Ready for a Typhoon? Disaster-Prep Checkpoints Before You Sign a Lease in Japan
With Typhoon No.13 causing widespread disruption in Okinawa, we look at what to check before renting in Japan — earthquake standards, hazard maps, and what your lease should tell you.
- Buying Guide
Do You Need Permanent Residency to Buy a Home in Japan? Purchase and Loan Realities by Visa Status
With Japan's immigration authority proposing stricter permanent residency requirements, we look at what actually matters for buying property here — and how loan terms differ by visa status.
- Property Investment
What Do Rising Rates Mean for Property Investment in Japan? Yields, Loans and Picking Assets
With Tokyo stocks swinging day after day, interest in rental income keeps growing. Here is how rising interest rates change yields, financing and property selection in Japan.
- Market & Areas
When Stocks Swing Wildly, What Happens to Japanese Property? Markets vs. Real Estate
The Nikkei surged one day and tumbled the next. What do such swings mean for Japanese property prices? We unpack how stocks, interest rates and currency actually affect real estate.
- Tax & Legal
What Tax Do You Pay When Selling Property in Japan? Gains and Withholding
How capital gains are calculated, how the rate turns on your holding period, and what withholding and exemptions mean for non-resident sellers.
- Visa & Immigration
How Many Years to Permanent Residence in Japan? Terms and Fast Tracks
The core requirements for permanent residence, how the Highly Skilled Professional points system shortens the residence term, and the tax and pension records to get in order first.
- Renting & Living
Will You Get Your Deposit Back? Restoration Rules in Japanese Rentals
Where normal wear ends and tenant liability begins, how the move-out inspection works, and the records that keep deposit settlements from becoming disputes.
- Buying Guide
What Does a Japanese Home Cost Beyond the Price? A Breakdown
Agency fees, registration tax, acquisition tax, judicial scrivener fees and more — the costs to budget for before you sign, with typical levels.
- Property Investment
Is an 8% Gross Yield Actually Profitable? Reading Net Yield Instead
Advertised gross yields say nothing about what holding the asset costs. How to work in running costs and vacancy to get to a net figure.
- Market & Areas
Where Is Tokyo's Resale Condo Market Moving in Late 2026?
Price trends across the central three wards, the Jonan area and the waterfront, and what the districts favoured by Chinese-speaking buyers have in common.
- Tax & Legal
What Tax Do Non-Resident Owners Pay? Property Tax, Income Tax, Withholding
The practical points overseas property owners need to cover: fixed asset tax, income tax on rent, and withholding at source.
- Visa & Immigration
What Does the Business Manager Visa Require After the October 2025 Reform?
The October 2025 amendment raised the capital threshold to ¥30 million and added new conditions. Here is the current picture, and how real estate can qualify as a genuine business.
- Renting & Living
Can Foreign Residents Rent in Tokyo? Guarantors and Friendly Listings
For newcomers and overseas applicants: what a guarantor company does, how to find listings open to foreign tenants, and the fees to check before signing.
- Buying Guide
Can You Buy a Home in Japan From Abroad? Title, Financing and Status
For overseas buyers looking at Japanese property for the first time: the registration, financing and residence-status basics worth settling before you sign.