Tokyo Real Estate News & Information

Tokyo's Property Market & Useful Tips for Property Owners

Stay informed on Tokyo land prices, redevelopment projects, taxes on Japanese real estate, real estate terms, and more. We provide useful news and information especially for foreigners (non-residents) interested in buying, selling, and owning properties in Tokyo.

About the Handling of Keys for a Rental Housing Japan

What should you do if you lose a key for a lease house? Here we provide guidance about how to handle losing a lease housing key and how much it costs for recovery or compensation. What should you do if you lose a key for a rental housing such as a rental apartment or a rental detached house? Here w…

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What is Group Credit Life Insurance (Danshin)? - Insurance attached to a Housing Loan

When taking out a housing loan, you are required to join “Group credit life insurance” as one of the conditions of the loan. Group credit life insurance is a life insurance policy specifically for housing loans that reduces the loan debt to zero in the event that a housing loan borrower dies or bec…

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Agent commission for real estate transactions in Japan

In Japan, agent commissions are often paid in real property transactions, but many people may wonder why should they be paid?  So, we will explain here what the agent commissions are and how the amounts are determined, etc., for the case of buying, selling, and leasing. What is an agent commission?…

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Joint mortgages for married couples

In Japan, the number of households with dual-income couples is increasing, and more and more housing loans are being taken out by married couples. Rather than applying by one spouse alone, combining the income of both spouses can increase the borrowing amount, and depending on how the loan is struc…

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Housing Loan FAQ for foreigner’s real estate purchase

We receive many inquiries about getting a housing loan from a Japanese bank at a lower interest rate from foreign customers who are considering purchasing real estate in Japan. We contacted a bank loan representative–who has experience providing foreigners with housing loans–about some of the most…

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Expat Housing in Tokyo - Renting Expat Standard Apartments

Moving to Tokyo as a foreign expat takes a lot of work to find a house and get settled. Navigating the process of securing long-term rental housing in Tokyo involves a series of tasks, from property selection and area orientation to coordinating with movers, completing registrations, and managing v…

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The Quality of Homat Series Apartments in Tokyo

Kowa Real Estate created and constructed Homat brand apartments especially for foreign company executives and diplomats residing in central Tokyo. Homat rental apartments have grown significantly since 1965, mostly in and around central Tokyo in places like Hiroo, Azabu, Akasaka, and Roppongi. Thes…

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The Jonan Gozan - 5 hilltop brand residential areas in Tokyo

The Jonan Gozan (go= five, zan= mountain) is a term used to define the 5 hilltop areas in the Jonan (Jo= castle, nan= south) district of Tokyo - the area from Meguro Station to Shinagawa Station. The 5 mountains are respectively: Ikedayama, Gotenyama, Shimazuyama, Hanabusayama, and Yatsuyama. Each…

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What is Act on Rental Housing Management Business (Act on Optimization of Rental Housing Management Business)?

Act on Rental Housing Management Business (Act on Optimization of Rental Housing Management Business, etc.) came into effect on June 15, 2021. With the enforcement of this act to optimize the management of rental housing, the former registration system required by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructu…

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Guide to Japanese apartment layout terms

When renting a property in Japan, floor plans often use English or English abbreviations in their descriptions due to limited space, so you may not know what these would mean. We here, would like to explain the meaning of descriptions in floor plans as well as the difference between Japan and Euro-…

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