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Expert guides, market analysis, and practical advice for international property owners in Japan.
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Akiya Guide
The Complete Guide to Buying Akiya in Japan
Comprehensive guide covering what akiya are, how to find them, legal requirements for foreign buyers, typical costs, and renovation considerations.
June 15, 20254 min read
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Tax & LegalTax Obligations for Foreign Property Owners in Japan
Everything international property owners need to know about Japanese property tax, income tax on rental earnings, withholding obligations, and tax treaty benefits.
May 20, 2025 5 min read
RenovationAkiya Renovation: Costs, Timeline, and What to Expect
A practical breakdown of renovation costs by scope, common structural issues in older Japanese houses, realistic timelines, and how to find the right contractors.
Apr 10, 2025 6 min read
Market InsightsJapan Property Market 2025: Trends for International Investors
Key market trends shaping Japanese real estate in 2025, from yen weakness and tourism-driven rental demand to regional price shifts and government incentives.
Mar 5, 2025 4 min read
Property ManagementRemote Property Management: How It Works from Abroad
A practical overview of how remote property management works for international owners, covering digital reporting, communication, emergency handling, and cost structures.
Feb 18, 2025 3 min read
Akiya GuideUnderstanding Japanese Property Types: From Mansion to Kominka
A clear explanation of Japanese property terminology for foreign buyers, covering mansion, apart, kominka, machiya, ikko-date, and akiya.
Jan 22, 2025 4 min read
Tax & LegalCan Foreigners Buy Property in Japan? The Complete Legal Guide
Yes — foreigners can buy property in Japan freehold, with no visa or residency required. Here's exactly how ownership, financing, and the purchase process work for non-residents.
Aug 4, 2025 6 min read
Property ManagementHow Much Does Property Management Cost in Japan?
A transparent breakdown of what property management actually costs in Japan for overseas owners — management fees, inspection cadence, pass-through costs, and how to budget realistically.
Aug 18, 2025 5 min read
Tax & LegalFixed-Asset & City Planning Tax in Japan: A Guide for Overseas Owners
How Japan's annual property taxes work, how the bill is calculated, when it arrives, and — crucially — how a non-resident owner actually pays it from abroad.
Sep 1, 2025 6 min read
Property ManagementIs Your Akiya Insurable? Home Insurance in Japan for Foreign Owners
Fire, earthquake, and vacant-home insurance in Japan explained for overseas owners — what's covered, what raises premiums, and why an empty house is harder to insure.
Sep 10, 2025 6 min read
Property ManagementWinterizing a Vacant House in Japan: Preventing Frozen Pipes & Damp
Japan's winters quietly destroy empty houses. A practical guide to protecting a vacant property from frozen pipes, snow load, and cold-season damp while you're away.
Sep 18, 2025 6 min read
Property ManagementPaying Your Japanese Property Bills From Abroad: The Non-Resident's Guide
Property tax, utilities, and municipal fees in Japan are built to be paid locally in Japanese. Here's how a non-resident owner actually keeps the bills paid from overseas.
Sep 22, 2025 6 min read
Akiya GuideHow Akiya Banks Work — and How to Use One from Abroad
Akiya banks list Japan's vacant houses, often cheaply. Here's who runs them, what the listings really mean, the catches for overseas buyers, and how to go from a listing to a house you can trust.
Oct 1, 2026 7 min read
Tax & LegalInheriting a House in Japan as a Foreigner: Steps, Deadlines and Choices
Inherited a home in Japan while living abroad? The decisions with deadlines come first. A clear walk-through of renunciation, inheritance tax, the new registration duty, and what to do with the house.
Oct 2, 2026 8 min read
Tax & LegalJapan's Mandatory Inheritance Registration: The 2027 Deadline Explained
Since April 2024, inherited property in Japan must be registered within three years — and older inheritances have until 31 March 2027. What it means if you live overseas, and how to get it done.
Oct 3, 2026 5 min read
Tax & LegalAppointing a Tax Representative (納税管理人) in Japan
Live outside Japan but own property there? You'll usually need a tax representative to receive and pay your bills. What a 納税管理人 does, who can be one, and how to set it up.
Oct 4, 2026 5 min read
Tax & LegalRenting Your Japan Home as a Holiday Let: Minpaku Rules Explained
Short-term letting in Japan is allowed — within limits. The 180-night rule, why owners abroad need a registered management company, local ordinances, and the alternatives.
Oct 5, 2026 7 min read
Tax & LegalSelling an Inherited House in Japan: Tax, Timing and the Special Deduction
How capital gains are taxed when you sell a house you inherited in Japan, the withholding that applies to sellers abroad, the special deduction for some inherited vacant homes, and how to prepare the house.
Oct 6, 2026 7 min read
Tax & LegalJapan's Rules on Neglected Vacant Houses (管理不全空家) — and the Tax Risk
Since December 2023, Japanese towns can act earlier against poorly kept empty houses — and a recommendation can cost you the property-tax relief on the land. What triggers it and how to stay clear.
Oct 7, 2026 6 min read
Property ManagementProtecting an Empty House in Japan During Typhoon Season
Typhoons hit Japan every late summer and autumn. A practical guide to getting a vacant house ready, what to check afterwards, and how insurance fits in.
Oct 8, 2026 6 min read
Property ManagementMould and Humidity in Empty Japanese Homes: The Rainy-Season Problem
Japan's rainy season and humid summers are hard on closed-up houses. Why mould takes hold, the humidity numbers that matter, and a care routine that keeps tatami, timber and futons dry.
Oct 9, 2026 5 min read
RenovationTermites in Old Japanese Houses: Signs, Seasons and Treatment
Timber houses and humid summers make termites a real risk in Japan. The two species to know, the swarming season, warning signs, and how treatment and warranties work.
Oct 10, 2026 5 min read
Property ManagementRenting Out Your Japan House Long-Term from Abroad
Leases, guarantor companies, rent withholding for overseas landlords and what tenants expect — a practical guide to letting a Japanese home while you live elsewhere.
Oct 11, 2026 7 min read
Property ManagementAfter an Earthquake: Checking an Empty House in Japan and Claiming Insurance
What to check at a vacant home after a quake, how Japanese earthquake insurance assesses damage, the claim time limit, and why photos before and after matter.
Oct 12, 2026 6 min read
RenovationRestoring a Kominka: What to Expect Before You Start
Traditional farmhouses are beautiful and demanding. The structure, the trades you'll need, where the money goes, and how to run a restoration from overseas without losing control.
Oct 13, 2026 7 min read
Akiya GuideReading Japan's Hazard Maps Before You Buy or Renovate
Japan publishes detailed maps of flood, landslide, tsunami and storm-surge risk. How to find them, what the colours mean, and how to use them when choosing or caring for a house.
Oct 13, 2026 5 min read
Property ManagementOpening Up Your Japan House for a Visit: A Checklist
Coming back to a house that's been shut for months? What to do before you fly, on arrival and when you leave — so the visit is a holiday, not a cleaning weekend.
Oct 14, 2026 4 min read
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