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用語集·Glossary

Japanese property terms, explained.

The words you'll meet owning a home in Japan — on tax bills, in contracts and from the town hall — in plain English.

ACDEFHIJKMPRST

A

空Akiya空き家A vacant house — a home that nobody currently lives in.空Akiya bank空き家バンクA municipal listing of vacant homes for sale or rent.

C

都City planning tax都市計画税A local tax on property in designated urban areas, billed with fixed-asset tax.

D

敷Deposit and key money敷金・礼金A refundable deposit (shikikin) and a non-refundable payment to the landlord (reikin).

E

地Earthquake insurance地震保険Cover for earthquake, tsunami and volcano damage, sold only with fire insurance.重Explanation of important matters重要事項説明The formal disclosure a licensed agent must give before a property contract.

F

火Fire insurance火災保険Japan's main home insurance — covering fire, wind, snow and more.固Fixed-asset tax固定資産税The annual municipal tax on land and buildings in Japan.定Fixed-term lease定期借家契約A tenancy that ends on a set date without automatic renewal.

H

ハHazard mapハザードマップOfficial maps of flood, landslide, tsunami and other disaster risk.

I

相Inheritance registration相続登記Registering inherited property in the heir's name — mandatory since April 2024.

J

司Judicial scrivener司法書士A licensed professional who handles property registration and related documents.

K

古Kominka古民家A traditional Japanese house, typically timber-framed and decades old.

M

民Minpaku民泊Renting a home to travellers for short stays.水Mizunuki (water drain-down)水抜きDraining a house's water pipes so they can't freeze and burst in winter.

P

管Poorly managed vacant house管理不全空家A vacant house heading towards dangerous neglect — a category since December 2023.

R

相Renouncing an inheritance相続放棄Formally giving up an inheritance through the family court.保Rent guarantee company保証会社A company that guarantees a tenant's rent, used instead of a personal guarantor.住Residential land exception住宅用地の特例The tax relief that cuts property tax on land with a home on it.

S

震Shindo (seismic intensity)震度Japan's scale for how strongly an earthquake is felt at a place.シShiroari (termites)シロアリTermites — a common threat to Japan's timber houses.障Shoji and fusuma障子・襖Sliding panels: translucent paper shoji and opaque fusuma.特Specified vacant house特定空家A vacant house officially judged dangerous, unsanitary or harmful to the area.

T

畳Tatami畳Traditional woven rush floor mats, sized by region.納Tax representative納税管理人A person or company in Japan appointed to receive and pay your tax bills.梅Tsuyu (rainy season)梅雨Japan's early-summer rainy season — peak mould season for empty houses.
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