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.

Putting Holes in Rented Apartment Walls in Japan
You may be wondering if it is allowed to drill holes in the walls of rented properties in Japan, and if so, what size holes are permitted. Putting holes on the walls will enable you to hang posters, hang wall clocks, install shelves and many other decorative items however, you may or may not be res…
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What are Off-Market Properties? - Are these good bargains, or really bargain properties?
When searching for properties for rent or sale, you may often see the messages such as "There are off-market properties!", "How to find off-market properties", etc. However, many people may have questions such as “Is there really a real estate that is not on the market in these days when we can ea…
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Renting vs Buying Which is better?
Which is better: living in a rental property and continuing to pay rent or buying a property for sale? This is a frequent question that many people are wondering about. It is very difficult to give you a clear answer because it depends on the person’s life plan, the way of thinking about his/her lif…
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Insurance for Flood Disaster (water damage) caused by heavy rain, typhoons, and others
Over the past few years, large-scale flood damages have frequently occurred in various parts of Japan due to typhoons and local heavy rains. Almost every year in some part of Japan there is heavy rainfall the likes of which is only seen once every few decades and due to this heavy rainfall, the ris…
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How to rent out a residential property in Japan – Long-term vs Short-term vs Minpaku (Vacation Rentals)
There are various lease methods in Japan for managing a real estate property (a house and an apartment room) for investment. These methods include a short-term lease called minpaku (lodging at a private residence for example Airbnb/Vacation Rentals), weekly apartments, monthly apartments, a long-te…
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What to do if I can't find a tenant?
The following article was written by Ziv Nakajima-Magen – Partner & Executive Manager, Asia-Pacific Nippon Tradings International (NTI) The Income Stream Paradigm Investment properties are, generally, only as good as the rental income they generate. Sure, there are speculative markets and strat…
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My Tenant Died In My Property - When Tenants Become Sick or Die
The following article was written by Ziv Nakajima-Magen – Partner & Executive Manager, Asia-Pacific Nippon Tradings International (NTI) When Tenants Become Sick or Die While Japanese tenants, from a landlord perspective, are normally extremely docile and headache free, and while tenancies are g…
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The Amendment of the Civil Code – Regarding the Guarantor of a Lease Contract
The Civil Code has been greatly amended for the first time since its establishment around 120 years ago. Some of the new amendments will start being enforced as early as April 1st of 2020. Among the amendments made at this time, the rules regarding the protection of a guarantor have been reinforced…
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English-speaking Realtors and Real Estate Professionals in Japan
We would like to introduce you to some English-speaking real estate agents and professionals located throughout Japan. When conducting a real estate transaction, it is often said that you should work with a real estate agent from the location of the property if possible. A local real estate agent w…
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Ordinary Lease Contract vs. Fixed-term Lease Contract
When renting out a real estate property to a lessee or renting from a lessor, you have the choice using either an “Ordinary Lease Contract” or a “Fixed-term Lease Contract” when making a contract. The “Act on Land and Building Leases” provides guidelines for midterm cancellations and contract renew…
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