111 in-depth articles on buying and running a property in Japan: building condition, taxation, short-term rental licences, city-by-city markets. Written by immoJapon, a data curator on Japanese real estate.
Real estate in Japan: the 2026 overview → · Editorial plan (6 weeks) →
How off-base housing works in Japan: OHA ceilings, housing office approval, what a Japanese lease really costs, and what changes if you buy…
2026-09-13 BuyingJapan has 9 million vacant homes, but only 3.9 million are truly abandoned. Where they are, why they emptied, and what buying one really…
2026-09-12 BuyingBuying a vacation home in Japan: real price bands from Atami to Karuizawa, the annual holding bill, the second home taxes nobody mentions…
2026-09-11 TaxationSelling property in Japan as a foreigner: steps, agent fees, capital gains tax, the 10.21% non-resident withholding and how to sell from…
2026-09-10 ArchitectureWhat an irori is, why its smoke kept the roof alive, whether you can still light one, what the law and your insurer require, and what…
2026-09-10 Visas & relocationJapan visa for US green card holders: your passport decides entry, not your card. Long absence rules, the routes that let you stay, and…
2026-09-09 ArchitectureWhat a kominka is, what one really costs in 2026, where to find one, and the seven checks before you buy. Real prices from the 240 we track.
2026-09-08 Visas & relocationJapan spouse visa vs dependent visa: how each one changes mortgage eligibility, property ownership, inheritance and divorce when you buy a…
2026-09-07 ArchitectureWhat a tokonoma is, its parts and four types, the etiquette that still applies, and what it costs to keep, adapt or remove one when you buy…
2026-09-06 Practical guidesHow to move to Japan in 2026: the seven residence routes, what the move really costs in yen, the month by month timeline, and where buying…
2026-09-03 Practical guidesMoving to Japan from the UK: the six month stay only Britons get, the visa routes, sending pounds to Japan, HMRC after the move and a full…
2026-09-02 Practical guidesThe cost of living in Japan line by line: 314,001 yen a month on average, plus everything the official survey leaves out once you own the…
2026-09-01 Cities & neighbourhoodsPrices, protected zones, archaeological digs, tsunami risk and non rebuildable plots: the complete guide to buying a house in Kamakura in…
2026-08-31 Cities & neighbourhoodsBuying a house in Hokkaido in 2026: real prices city by city, the true cost of winter, closing costs under 6 % and the full process from…
2026-08-30 Cities & neighbourhoodsPrice per square metre, what each budget buys, total cost including fees and the week-by-week timeline for buying a Tokyo apartment from…
2026-08-29 Cities & neighbourhoodsBuying a house in Fukuoka in 2026: real prices ward by ward, what each budget buys, purchase costs under 6 % and the full buying process…
2026-08-28 Cities & neighbourhoodsBuying a house in Osaka in 2026: land prices ward by ward, what each budget really buys, closing costs under 6% and the full process from…
2026-08-26 Cities & neighbourhoodsBuying property in Kyoto in 2026: real prices ward by ward, machiya or house, costs under 6 %, the three local rules and a costed yield…
2026-08-25 Cities & neighbourhoodsBuying a house in Okinawa as a foreigner: 2026 land prices, best areas, military land rules, concrete upkeep costs and a full worked…
2026-08-24 Practical guidesMoving to Japan from the US: should you buy a house before or after the move? US tax filing, wiring funds, visa routes and a full worked…
2026-08-23 Visas & relocationRetiring in Japan in 2026: there is no retirement visa. The residence routes that work, healthcare after 65, the yearly budget and the…
2026-08-22 Cities & neighbourhoodsWhere to live in Japan as a foreigner: real house prices by prefecture, big cities, mid-sized towns and countryside compared, climate and…
2026-08-21 ArchitectureGenkan, doma, washitsu, engawa, tiled roof: what every part of a traditional Japanese house tells a buyer before purchase, and what it…
2026-08-20 Practical guidesSUUMO has no English site on the for-sale side: it is Japanese only. How to search SUUMO, at home and HOME'S from abroad, what REINS hides…
2026-08-19 MarketJapan real estate bubble explained: what happened in 1991, how far prices really fell city by city, and what it means if you are buying in…
2026-08-18 ArchitectureThe genkan, the raised entrance of a Japanese house: anatomy, what it reveals at a viewing, fire-rated door rules and real renovation costs…
2026-08-17 BuyingJokaso, kumitori or public sewer: what a Japanese house actually treats, what the law requires of the owner, and what a replacement really…
2026-08-16 BuyingAkiya bank explained: how Japan's vacant house banks work, how to register, what a purchase really costs and the conditions foreign buyers…
2026-08-15 MarketThe average house price in Japan in 2026: median prices actually paid, prefecture by prefecture, the true total budget once fees and works…
2026-08-14 Cities & neighbourhoodsCompare all 23 Tokyo wards: official 2026 land prices, population, short-term rental rules and the real cash budget needed to buy in the…
2026-08-13 RenovationHow long a kawara roof really lasts, what to inspect before you buy, what a Japanese roof replacement costs, and the 2022 tile-fastening…
2026-08-10 TaxationTransferring Japanese property during your lifetime: zoyozei gift tax from 10 to 55 %, allowances, transfer costs and a costed…
2026-08-03 TaxationNon-resident owner? A tax representative in Japan (nozei kanrinin) is mandatory. Forms, deadlines, real costs and penalties, explained…
2026-07-31 InvestmentBuying property in Japan, Thailand or Portugal in 2026: ownership, fees, financing, yields, taxes and visas compared side by side for…
2026-07-29 InvestmentTower mansion in Tokyo: 2026 prices, real monthly fees, reserve-fund shortfall, the 2024 and 2027 tax reforms and a fully costed rental…
2026-07-28 RenovationMold and damp in Japanese houses explained: real causes, a viewing checklist, treatment costs in yen and euros, and the mistakes to avoid…
2026-07-27 Cities & neighbourhoodsInvesting in Nagano: Karuizawa, ski resorts, onsen towns and rural kominka. Prices, rental yield, hot-spring water rights and pitfalls to…
2026-07-25 RenovationWhy Japanese houses are cold, what the dannetsu grades really mean, the true cost of insulation work and the 2026 grants worth up to 1…
2026-07-24 ArchitectureTatami, shoji and fusuma care in Japan: real lifespans, costs per mat and panel, humidity control and the mistakes that quietly ruin a…
2026-07-23 TaxationReporting rental income in Japan: deadlines, forms, blue vs white return, deductible expenses and a worked example for foreign landlords.
2026-07-20 RenovationTermites in Japan: how to spot shiroari, the pre-purchase inspection, the legal rules and the real cost of treatment and prevention for a…
2026-07-19 InvestmentADR, occupancy, revenue per listing, taxes and ownership rights: the full Airbnb comparison between Bali (Canggu) and Japan (Kyoto)…
2026-07-19 Cities & neighbourhoodsBuying near a Yamanote line station in 2026: all 30 stops compared, real closing prices, land values by ward, and where the upside still is.
2026-07-17 FinancingHow to open a bank account in Japan as a foreigner: accessible banks, required documents, resident vs non-resident rules, and how investors…
2026-07-16 BuyingCondo fees in Japan: kanrihi, repair reserve fund, official 2024 averages, planned increases and the real impact on your yield. Expert…
2026-07-14 MarketIn Japan the building depreciates to almost zero in 20-30 years while the land holds its value. Understand why and buy accordingly: 2026…
2026-07-13 BuyingSelling property in Japan: brokerage vs buyout, the resale steps, every seller's cost, capital-gains tax and how a non-resident sells…
2026-07-12 Cities & neighbourhoodsInvesting in Sapporo: low prices, 5-7% yields, record winter tourism and the Rapidus effect. Districts, a worked case and pitfalls for…
2026-07-11 MarketNew or old property in Japan (shinchiku vs chuko): depreciation, warranties, tax, yield, financing. The complete comparison to choose…
2026-07-10 Cities & neighbourhoodsInvesting in Yokohama: prices 30-50% below Tokyo, 4-6% gross yields, new direct lines to Shibuya and where to buy. The complete guide for…
2026-07-09 Cities & neighbourhoodsInvesting in Nagoya: low entry prices, 4-6% gross yields, Toyota industry, the Linear project and where to buy. The complete guide for…
2026-07-08 BuyingBuying an apartment in Japan (a mansion condo): types, monthly fees, due diligence, budget and costs under 6%. The 2026 expert guide with a…
2026-07-06 MarketWeak yen and Japanese real estate: how a strong euro or dollar boosts your buying power, and how to manage currency risk on resale. Clear…
2026-07-05 Practical guidesA glossary of Japanese real estate vocabulary: 30+ key transaction terms (listing, contract, fees, financing, architecture) translated and…
2026-07-05 Practical guidesCan't travel? Have the agent tour the property on video. Full remote naiken checklist: damp, structure, noise, transport, jūyō jikō…
2026-07-05 Visas & relocationJapan's digital nomad visa (6 months) requires roughly ¥10M/year of income and an eligible nationality. Rules, what it allows, and why…
2026-07-05 BuyingHidden defects in Japan property: how the 2020 reform changed kashi tanpo into keiyaku futekigo sekinin, deadlines, buyer remedies and the…
2026-07-05 MarketRecord tourism in Japan (42.7M visitors): hotel strain, regulated short-term rental boom. Winning cities and real yield vs the hype. Clear…
2026-07-05 Practical guidesThe toki-bo, Japan's land registry: its 3-part structure, how to get it for ~600 yen and what it reveals before you buy property in Japan.
2026-07-05 TaxationAccommodation tax in Japan (shukuhaku-zei): which cities charge it, per-night rates, who collects it, and the real impact for Airbnb hosts…
2026-07-05 Practical guidesThe shihō shoshi registers the transfer of ownership at the land register on settlement day. Duties, fees, difference with a Western…
2026-07-05 Visas & relocationPermanent residence in Japan (eijūken): rules (10 years or HSP), the 2026-2027 tightening with possible revocation, and what it really…
2026-07-05 Cities & neighbourhoodsJapan ski resort real estate Niseko Hakuba: foreign-driven market, high ski ADR, freehold for life, seasonality and snow dependence. The…
2026-07-05 ArchitectureRelocating a kominka via ichiku: dismantle an old timber farmhouse, move it and rebuild it. Feasibility, cost, miyadaiku craftsmen and…
2026-07-05 ArchitectureJapanese tsuboniwa garden: create a small courtyard garden in a machiya, choose stones, moss and tsukubai, understand its value and…
2026-07-05 Cities & neighbourhoodsInvesting in Okinawa: resort market in Naha, Onna, Ishigaki and Miyako, freehold ownership, Airbnb yields and risks from typhoons and US…
2026-07-05 Cities & neighbourhoodsInvesting in Kanazawa: machiya cheaper and less saturated than Kyoto, geisha districts, Kenroku-en, preserved heritage. Strengths, rental…
2026-07-05 Cities & neighbourhoodsInvesting in Fukuoka: rising population, low entry cost vs Tokyo, Hakata, Tenjin and Ōhori districts, higher yields and the city's startup…
2026-07-05 BuyingReal estate auctions in Japan: the kyobai court process, the 3-piece document set, the possible discount and the risks to know before you…
2026-07-05 MarketJapan demographics and real estate: population is shrinking, yet metros capture jobs and youth. Where property value truly holds, and where…
2026-07-05 Practical guidesKasai hoken (fire) all but mandatory, jishin hoken (earthquake) an optional state-run add-on: cover, price, obligations. The full guide for…
2026-07-05 Cities & neighbourhoodsBuying in the Japanese countryside: satoyama, rural akiya, akiya banks. Tell dead rural from accessible tourist rural, dodge the traps…
2026-07-05 Visas & relocationBusiness manager visa Japan (keiei kanri) and real estate: buying property grants NO visa. 2025 reform, higher capital, GK vs KK, and the…
2026-07-04 Taxationkotei shisan-zei 1.4% + toshi keikaku-zei 0.3%: how Japan's annual property tax is calculated, the 1/6 residential-land relief and a full…
2026-07-04 ArchitectureJapanese architecture styles: minka, kominka, machiya, sukiya, gassho-zukuri. Recognise each style, its strengths and constraints when…
2026-07-04 BuyingShakuchiken (leasehold land right): buying the building without the land, 30-50% discount, ground rent, hard financing. Your guide to the…
2026-07-04 Visas & relocationMoving to Japan by buying a house: buying property grants NO visa or residence right. The real routes to settle and what a property…
2026-07-04 MarketEarthquakes, typhoons, floods: assess a property's natural-disaster risk in Japan with the hazard map, the shin-taishin (1981) seismic…
2026-07-04 InvestmentAirbnb yield in Japan by city: the legal regime (minpaku 180 nights, Osaka tokku, ryokan-gyō) matters more than ADR. Yield drivers and how…
2026-07-04 MarketJapan property prices 2026: big cities up, rural areas down, weak yen and record tourism. Where to buy and how to read the market without…
2026-07-04 TaxationReselling in Japan: ≈39% if held ≤5 years, ≈20% beyond. Understand the jōto shotoku calculation, non-resident withholding and the…
2026-07-04 RenovationJapan's 1981 seismic code (shin-taishin) separates safe buildings from earthquake risks. How to check the date, run a taishin shindan…
2026-07-04 Practical guidesDecode a SUUMO or HOME'S listing: 3LDK, madori, tsubo, chikunen, toho, fees. The complete glossary to read a Japanese property listing with…
2026-07-04 Cities & neighbourhoodsHigashiyama, Gion, Nishijin, Kamigyō, Sakyō, Kyoto Station: a district guide for buyers, with entry tickets, uses and heritage constraints…
2026-07-04 BuyingThe jūyō jikō setsumei is the legal document handed over before any contract in Japan. What it contains, the watch points and the grid of…
2026-07-04 Cities & neighbourhoodsWhich Tokyo wards are truly affordable? Real yields by investor profile, prices, a tight market: the clear, practical guide to investing in…
2026-07-04 Cities & neighbourhoodsThe Osaka market, districts (Chūō, Kita, Naniwa, Nishinari, Tennōji) and one unique edge: 365-day Tokku Minpaku. Your guide to investing in…
2026-07-04 InvestmentIncome property in Japan (ippon-mono): concrete vs wood, gross/net yield, occupancy, depreciation, major repairs and cash financing for…
2026-07-04 InvestmentManage a rental or Airbnb in Japan from abroad: management firms, real commissions, contracts, tax agent and the pitfalls to avoid.
2026-07-04 FinancingFinancing a Japan property purchase from abroad: cash, SWIFT vs Wise transfers, yen/euro currency risk, anti-money-laundering paperwork and…
2026-07-04 BuyingYes, a foreigner can buy a house in Japan without a visa or residence, in full freehold. But buying grants no right to stay: here is the…
2026-07-04 TaxationA property in Japan is subject to Japanese inheritance tax, even for non-residents. Deduction, 10-55% scale, valuation and the France-Japan…
2026-07-04 Visas & relocationSetting up a company in Japan to invest: gōdō gaisha (GK) vs kabushiki kaisha (KK), costs, ~30-34% corporate tax, banking and the visa link…
2026-07-04 InvestmentAirbnb operating costs in Japan: OTA fees, management company, cleaning, consumables, lodging tax and insurance. A sample P&L in % to go…
2026-07-04 Practical guidesThe complete checklist before signing in Japan: property due diligence, legal, financial, technical (seismic) and tax checks. Print it…
2026-07-04 RenovationArchitects and craftsmen in Japan: who does what, how to find a kenchikushi and a komuten, read a mitsumori quote and run a renovation…
2026-07-04 TaxationProperty depreciation in Japan: 22-year life for wood, 47 for concrete, buildings only, the used-asset formula and its effect on taxable…
2026-07-04 Buying1 yen akiya: why these houses are nearly free, how akiya banks work, and the true all-in cost. Our decision grid to avoid the free-house…
2026-07-04 Airbnb & licencesAirbnb in Kyoto: Japan's strictest city. minpaku limited to a winter window in residential zones, ryokan-gyō licence for 365 days, and a…
2026-07-04 BuyingHow a Japanese real estate agency works: commission capped at 3%, the licensed agent, and dual agency with its conflicts of interest. Your…
2026-07-04 BuyingBuying land in Japan: freehold for foreigners, zoning, non-rebuildable land, road access, servicing and costs. Your complete guide before…
2026-07-04 InvestmentBuying a working ryokan in Japan: ryokan-gyo licence, business transfer, staff and okami, per-room valuation, due diligence and cash…
2026-07-04 Airbnb & licencesThe kan'i shukusho simple-lodging licence under Japan's ryokan gyō-hō: year-round rentals with no night cap, zoning, floor-area rules, fire…
2026-07-03 Airbnb & licencesHow to register a minpaku in Japan: the 180-night cap, mandatory manager, fire-safety notice, condo bylaws and local ordinances in Kyoto…
2026-07-03 Taxation20.42% withholding, annual tax return kakutei shinkoku, mandatory tax agent nōzei kanrinin, deductible expenses and depreciation: how…
2026-07-03 TaxationAgency commission, acquisition tax fudōsan shutoku-zei, registration, shihō shoshi fees: every cost of buying property in Japan, with a…
2026-07-03 FinancingOnly residents with a salaried job in Japan can get a Japanese mortgage. Banks, criteria, 2026 rates and honest alternatives for…
2026-07-03 RenovationMachiya and kominka renovation budget, item by item: kawara tile roof, structure, taishin hokyō seismic reinforcement, plumbing. Ranges in…
2026-07-03 Airbnb & licencesOsaka's tokku minpaku: year-round Airbnb with no 180-night cap, 2-night minimum stays, 25 m² rule, city certification nintei, and how it…
2026-07-03 Cities & neighbourhoodsReal machiya prices in Kyoto, where to buy (Gion, Nishijin), the keikan jōrei landscape rules, the ryokan-gyō licence and rental returns…
2026-07-03 BuyingWhere and how to buy an akiya in Japan: municipal akiya banks, the true cost of 1-yen houses, the pitfalls to avoid (location, saikenchiku…
2026-07-03