Category: Japan

Top Real Estate Agencies in Tokyo: The Definitive Guide

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Tokyo is the financial center and the city that attracts by far the most foreigners in Japan. Even if property is not the cheapest in the region, nor the country, many decide to buy here.

You’ll find many estate agents who have both Japanese and foreign nationals, ready to cater to local and overseas buyers. However, the information about the different agencies is rarely summarized in a detailed way.

Therefore, I decided to write this article where I list some of the top real estate agencies in Tokyo. Let’s have a look.

1. Colliers International

Colliers International is one of the largest real estate agents with around 70 offices and thousands of employees working worldwide.

In 2017, the company officially announced that it will open its first office in Japan, the Managing Director will be Katsuji Tokita who has a long experience of working in the real estate industry. Continue reading Top Real Estate Agencies in Tokyo: The Definitive Guide

Top 10 Property Developers in Japan: A Complete Guide

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Japan is one of a few developed countries in Asia and has managed to build up a number of reputable companies over the decades.

Not surprisingly, you’ll find a number of local real estate developers that build different kinds of property, not only in Japan but also overseas.

In this article, I list some of the biggest and most reputable property developers in Japan.

1. Mori Trust

Mori Trust Co., Ltd. is a leading Japanese real estate developer, headed by Akira Mori, the 7th richest person in Japan. The company was founded in 1970 with a base in Tokyo and is one of the oldest property developers in the country.

It was formerly known as Mori Building Development Co., Ltd but changed its name to Mori Trust in 1999. The company owns multiple subsidiaries, including Mori Trust Hotels & Resorts.

Mori Trust is also developing office buildings in the United States.

Property types

They build residential projects, office buildings, apartments, condominiums, hotels, resorts, and retail projects. However, they’re best known for their high-rise condominium residential projects.

Continue reading Top 10 Property Developers in Japan: A Complete Guide

How to Buy Property in Hokkaido: A Complete Guide

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Hokkaido gets increasingly popular among foreign and Japanese investors, who want to find less costly properties, a holiday retreat, or just a place to escape the cities.

You most often hear that foreigners go to Hokkaido (and often Sapporo) to spend one or two weeks skiing. The other seasons are also great, offering a great quality of life and astonishing nature.

In this article, I explain all the essentials you need to know when buying property in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido real estate market

Hokkaido and its real estate market are significantly different from the Japanese mainland and the three major Japanese islands.

Firstly: It’s among the least densely populated areas in Japan, the population density is less than 65 people per kilometer.

That’s around 1% compared to the population density in Tokyo, where the density is more than 6000 people per km.

Secondly: it’s the 2nd largest island in Japan, but also the northernmost part of the country, thus exposed to a colder climate, with a comparatively harsher winter season.

Continue reading How to Buy Property in Hokkaido: A Complete Guide

How to Buy Property in Tokyo: A Complete Guide

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Tokyo is the financial hub and the most popular city for foreigners in Japan.

Due to its great size, prices differ much between different areas. It’s important that you study well in advance, before buying a property in this city.

In this article, I explain the basics when buying property in Tokyo.

Property market in Tokyo

It might not come as a surprise that property prices and rental yields are highest in Tokyo, compared to other cities in Japan.

Tokyo is the capital, the largest city, and the most popular city among foreigners.

It offers all the amenities and luxuries of modern life, and was ranked as the safest city in the world by The Safe Cities Index.

Dailymail has also listed Tokyo as the best city to live, leaving behind the major cities in Europe and North America.

Tokyo attracts more foreigners

Even when the native population is in decline, there is a significant increase in the number of foreigners living in Japan, mainly in Tokyo.

In the past years, there’s been a big year-on-year increase of foreigners living in Japan, the numbers are currently the highest historically. Tokyo outperforms the average value in Japan with a couple of percentage points.

Personally, I’ve visited Nagoya, Kuwana, Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo. I preferable like Tokyo and would probably move there, if I went to Japan.

At the moment I’m writing this article, almost 1/4 of all foreigners residing in the greater Tokyo area, which speaks for itself.

Continue reading How to Buy Property in Tokyo: A Complete Guide

Buying Property in Osaka: A Complete Guide

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Osaka is one of the biggest and most popular cities in Japan.

As one of the commercial centers, attracting people from not only Japan but all over the world, you can do great property deals, if you do your research thoroughly.

The demand is in decline in Tokyo, at the same time as the market is heating up in Osaka. In this article, I explain the essentials you need to know when buying property in Osaka.

Property market outlook in Osaka

Continue reading Buying Property in Osaka: A Complete Guide

Buying Property in Nagoya: The Ultimate Guide

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Nagoya is one of the biggest cities in Japan but often overshadowed by Tokyo and Osaka.

I’ve been to Nagoya 3 times in total, doing business trips, traveled and attended my Japanese friend’s wedding.

Personally, I believe it’s a great city, with cheap restaurants and it’s generally livable.

Many locals and foreigners have opened up their eyes to Nagoya due to the above-mentioned reasons, offering a greater quality of life compared to the more expensive cities.

However: before you buy a Nagoya property, it’s important that you study well beforehand and learn the local areas and market.

Continue reading Buying Property in Nagoya: The Ultimate Guide