BUYING & FINANCE
Can Foreigners Buy Property in Japan? The Honest 2026 Answer From a Tokyo Insider
Yes, foreigners can buy property in Japan with zero restrictions. A Tokyo-based insider explains what's actually true, what the catch is, and what…
BUYING & FINANCE
Buying, Finance & Legal
The how-to spine: ownership, financing, contracts, taxes — the process end to end.
All 37 articles
BUYING & FINANCE
No Visa, No Residency, No Problem: What Actually Limits Foreign Buyers in Japan
Japan's law is wide open for foreign buyers. So why do so many deals fall apart? A Tokyo-based insider explains the real barriers — none of them legal.
BUYING & FINANCE
The 5 Things Nobody Tells You Before Buying Your First Property in Japan
From repair fund traps to inheritance surprises, a Tokyo-based insider shares the five things that blindside first-time foreign buyers in Japan.
BUYING & FINANCE
Tourist Visa to Title Deed: Can You Buy a Tokyo Condo on a 90-Day Stay?
Yes, you can buy Tokyo property on a tourist visa. A Tokyo-based insider walks through exactly what's possible, what you need to arrange beforehand…
BUYING & FINANCE
Freehold Forever: Why Japan Gives Foreigners Full Ownership Most Countries Don't
Most countries restrict foreign land ownership. Japan doesn't. A Tokyo-based insider explains why Japan's freehold system is unusual — and what it…
BUYING & FINANCE
The Complete Beginner's Roadmap to Buying Property in Japan (Start Here)
A Tokyo-based insider walks you through every step of buying Japanese property as a foreigner — from first search to title deed.
BUYING & FINANCE
What Happens at the Settlement Table — A Minute-by-Minute Walkthrough
A minute-by-minute walkthrough of the Japanese property settlement meeting — who's there, what's handed over, and what to watch for.
BUYING & FINANCE
Decoding the Important Matters Statement: The 30 Minutes That Decide Your Whole Purchase
The Important Matters statement is Japan's mandatory pre-contract disclosure document. Here's what's in it, what agents gloss over, and what to challenge.
BUYING & FINANCE
The Purchase Contract Explained: Every Clause a Foreign Buyer Must Check
The purchase contract is Japan's binding property agreement. Here's every clause that matters for foreign buyers — including the ones agents rush past.
BUYING & FINANCE
How Long Does It Really Take to Buy Property in Japan? A Realistic Week-by-Week Map
How long does buying property in Japan take? A week-by-week timeline from search to settlement, plus the remote buyer critical path and the 2026 FEFTA filing.
BUYING & FINANCE
Making an Offer in Japan: Purchase Application, Price Negotiation, and What's Actually Binding
A Tokyo-based insider explains how Japan's offer letter works, how to negotiate price, and what's binding before you sign the purchase contract.
BUYING & FINANCE
The Role of the Judicial Scrivener and Why You Can't Skip One
A Tokyo-based insider explains what a judicial scrivener actually does in Japanese property transactions, how they protect buyers, and what they…
BUYING & FINANCE
How Foreigners Actually Get a Mortgage in Japan: Work Visa, PR, or Non-Resident
A Tokyo-based insider breaks down Japanese mortgage approval into three borrower tracks — permanent resident, work visa, and non-resident abroad — with the lenders, down payments, and documents each one actually needs.
BUYING & FINANCE
The True All-In Cost of Buying a Tokyo Apartment: Every Fee, Tax and Line Item
A complete, itemized breakdown of what it actually costs to buy a Tokyo apartment — agent commission, registration tax, acquisition tax, stamp duty, scrivener fees — with a worked example on a real price.
BUYING & FINANCE
Property Taxes for Foreign Owners in Japan: The Full Timeline From Purchase to Sale
A Tokyo-based insider maps every tax a foreign owner pays on Japanese property — acquisition costs, annual fixed-asset tax, rental-income tax, capital gains, and the 10.21% withholding that ambushes non-resident sellers.
BUYING & FINANCE
How to Move the Money: Wiring Funds Into Japan for a Property Purchase Without Surprises
A practical guide to wiring purchase funds into Japan — reporting thresholds, why JPY can't travel by SWIFT, double-FX traps, lifting fees, and source-of-funds checks.
BUYING & FINANCE
New-Build vs Resale in Tokyo: The Buyer Process, Timeline and Real Trade-offs
New-build (shinchiku) and resale (chuko) Tokyo property are two different buying processes with different timelines, prices, and tax outcomes. A Tokyo-based insider breaks down which one actually fits a foreign buyer.
BUYING & FINANCE
What Happens to Your Tokyo Property When You Die: Inheritance for Foreign Owners
A Tokyo-based insider explains exactly what happens to your Japanese property when you die: which country's law decides your heirs, the 10-month tax clock, and the 2024 registration rule.
BUYING & FINANCE
Before You Buy in Tokyo: Bank Account, Hanko, Tax Representative — the Foreigner Setup Checklist
The administrative infrastructure foreign buyers need before closing on a Tokyo property: bank account options, hanko vs. affidavit, tax representative, and the new FEFTA and nationality-disclosure rules.
BUYING & FINANCE
The Mistakes Foreign Buyers Make in Tokyo (and the Disclosure Lines That Catch Them)
The expensive errors foreign buyers make in Tokyo property deals, mapped to the exact disclosure and contract lines that catch them — and how to read each one before you sign.
BUYING & FINANCE
Which Japanese Banks Lend to Foreigners: A 2026 Buyer's Guide
A Tokyo-based insider explains which Japanese banks lend to foreigners, bank by bank, covering SMBC Prestia, SBI Shinsei, Tokyo Star, Suruga, AEON and au Jibun Bank.
BUYING & FINANCE
American Buying Property in Japan: A US Citizen's Tax & Finance Guide
A Tokyo-based insider explains how a US citizen buys Japan real estate: freehold rights, FATCA and FBAR, US tax on rental income, financing, and exit gains.
BUYING & FINANCE
Chinese Buyer Tokyo Real Estate: An Honest Guide to Wiring In
A Tokyo-based insider explains why mainland Chinese buyers park capital in Tokyo property, the USD 50k forex quota, AML source-of-funds checks, and remote buying.
BUYING & FINANCE
Japan Property for Singapore & Hong Kong Buyers: No ABSD, Real Yield
A Tokyo-based insider explains why Singapore and Hong Kong buyers face no foreign surcharge in Japan, plus freehold title, higher yields, wiring, financing and exit.
BUYING & FINANCE
UK & Australian Buyers of Japanese Property: An Honest Guide
A Tokyo-based insider explains how UK and Australian buyers purchase Japanese property remotely, plus non-resident landlord tax, SMSF risks, CGT, and FX.
BUYING & FINANCE
Does Buying Property in Japan Get You a Visa? The Honest Answer
A Tokyo-based insider explains why buying property in Japan does not grant a visa or residency, what immigration routes actually exist, and the real caveats.
BUYING & FINANCE
Buy Tokyo Property on a Work Visa: An Agent's Honest Guide
A Tokyo-based insider explains how work-visa holders buy property in Japan: ownership rights, financing reality, what happens if you leave, and PR impact.
BUYING & FINANCE
Selling Property in Japan as a Foreigner: Capital Gains Tax
A Tokyo-based insider explains capital gains tax when foreigners sell Japanese real estate: the 5-year short vs long rule, the 10.21% non-resident withholding, and refunds.
BUYING & FINANCE
Real Estate Agent Commission in Japan: What Buyers Actually Pay
A Tokyo-based insider explains the real estate agent commission in Japan: the 3% + 60,000 yen cap, who pays the fee, ryote double-siding, and how to know you are represented.
BUYING & FINANCE
Renovation Cost for a Tokyo Apartment: A Foreign Buyer's Guide
A Tokyo-based insider explains what foreign buyers should budget to renovate an older Tokyo apartment, from cosmetic refresh to full skeleton reform, plus rules and lead times.
BUYING & FINANCE
Earthquake Insurance for Japan Property: A Foreign Buyer's Guide
A Tokyo-based insider explains how fire and earthquake insurance work for foreign property owners in Japan, including payout caps, lender rules, and directional costs.
BUYING & FINANCE
Buying Tokyo Property Through a Japanese Company: When It Wins
A Tokyo-based insider explains when buying property through a Japanese GK or KK beats personal ownership for foreign investors, and when the costs kill it.
BUYING & FINANCE
Koteishisanzei: The Annual Property Tax in Japan, Explained
A Tokyo-based insider explains koteishisanzei annual property tax in Japan, how assessed value works, the residential-land reduction, and who pays in the purchase year.
BUYING & FINANCE
When Are You a Japan Tax Resident Property Owner? A Plain Guide
A Tokyo-based insider explains when you become a Japan tax resident property owner, how domicile and the one-year test work, and why it reshapes your filing.
BUYING & FINANCE
Buying Tokyo Property With a Japanese Spouse: Loans, Shares, Tax
A Tokyo-based insider explains how a Japanese spouse changes financing, ownership shares, and the gift-tax trap when buying Tokyo property as a foreigner.
BUYING & FINANCE
From a Two-Week Trip to a Title Deed: How Visiting Japan Turns Into Buying
Almost every foreign buyer we meet started as a tourist who fell in love on a trip. Here is the honest bridge from that feeling to a title deed — the emotional pull, the rational reality-check, and what actually happens between them.
BUYING & FINANCE
Moving to Japan? Rent vs. Buy as a Foreigner, by the Numbers
A Tokyo-based insider runs the relocating foreigner's rent-vs-buy math — why renting here is often harder than buying (guarantor, key money, 'no foreigners'), what the ~6-9% all-in really costs, and how to decide.