(Sunset in Katsuura city)
* Foreigners can buy a property in Japan without having special qualification.
The days with the ocean view spreading in front of you will make your time away from your busy city life. You can enjoy BBQ, parties etc in the garden with your friends.
Minamiboso area -Minamiboso city, Tateyama city, Kamogawa city and Katsuura city- in Chiba prefecture
can offer you such priceless time.
If you have never been there, you would be amazed to see the beautiful blue ocean.
Okinawa is better ?
Well, there is really no comparison.
I am not saying Kamogawa is the most beautiful in the world and have topped the list of dream holiday destinations.
There’s no doubting the allure of its perfect white sand beaches and swaying palms in Okinawa or Ishigaki islands.
But you can’t go to Okinawa every week.
Kamogawa certainly is a good place to get away from busy Tokyo and treat yourself to a view of the blue oceans, and wide skies.
In fact, in order to captivate the opportunities due to the recent market dynamics in private lodging law, I am seeking a property (house) to renovate and run as a hotel in Kamogawa right now.
Today I am discussing the viability of the investment in Kamogawa and surrounding area.
Where is Kamogawa ?
(Map from Tokyo to Kamogawa city)
Kamogawa (鴨川市 Kamogawa-shi) is a city located in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
As of May 2018, the city had an estimated population of 32,789. It is a small city.
Kamogawa is near the southeastern tip of the Boso Peninsula, facing the Pacific Ocean, about 70 km south of the prefectural capital, Chiba City,
and about 85 km from Tokyo.
The area has a warm maritime climate with hot summers and mild winters.
(perfect for weekend villa or second house !)
Kamogawa is home to Mount Atago, which at 408.2 m (1,339 ft) is the highest point in Chiba Prefecture.
Why do I recommend Kamogawa and surrounding area for the investment ?
There are many lovely places in Japan I want to recommend however
I particularly recommend Kamogawa.
Here are the beauties of Kamogawa and surrounding cities.
Very nice location and proximity from Tokyo
Kamogawa is only about 85km from Tokyo; merely 1.5 hours drive away.
If you don’t want to drive, there are very frequent cozy express bus service and night express bus service from Tokyo station to Kamogawa.
The bus takes only 2 hours and 10 mins.
Alternatively, you can take a JR train from Tokyo station to Kamogawa and it takes about 2 hours and 45 mins.
Beautiful blue ocean
(Beaches in Kamogawa and Minamiboso)
Kamogawa is well-known as a sea resort located only 1.5 hours from Tokyo.
You can not miss blue ocean in the Pacific ocean spreading in front of you.
Kamogawa has been well-known for beaches in the old days.
However, in recent years, surfing and other marine sports have also attracted more and more attention.
There are plenty of spots for marine leisure around Kamogawa.
You can enjoy comfortable sea breeze in Kamogawa all through the year.
Satoyama Mountains
(Rice terrace in Kamogawa)
Satoyama is a word referring to the state in which there exists a traditional Japanese ecosystem that is influenced by peoples in the hills and mountains adjacent to a settlement or habitat, or similar geographical conditions.
Enjoy the scene of Satoyama.
Although Kamogawa is primarily renowned for the beautiful ocean, if you extend your legs inland for 10 mins by car, there are still scenes of nostalgic Satoyama ,mountains as well as the terrace fields.
Satoyama is a vast park full of the natural beauty of satoyama （woods located near human habitats and tended by human beings）, but it is also designed so to enable people to feel how the original landscape of Japan used to be, by allowing them to enjoy each of the four seasons, cherry blossoms in the spring, sunlight filtering down through the trees in the summer, autumn leaves in the fall and snowscapes in the winter.
Oyama Senjita Terrace rice field in Kamogawa was selected as “Best 100 Terrace Rice fields in Japan”
Green mountains are also a hidden charm of Kamogawa
Kamogawa Sea World
(Kamogawa Sea World)
“Kamogawa Sea World” that commands a magnificent view of the Pacific Ocean is characterized by the popular performances of heroic killer whales, dolphins that have a sense of speed, and comical sea lions.
In the “Tropical Island,” you can fully enjoy walking in the southern ocean feeling like a diver. In the “Rocky World,” you can observe sea lions and sea otters both from land and from under water.
You can also take a photo with killer whales and laughing sea lions and touch them. Your kids will love it.
Morning market in Katsuura city
(Morning market in Katsuura)
The Katsuura morning market, which has continued for over 400 years, is one of the three major morning markets in Japan with about 80 venders selling diverse products, such as seasonal vegetables, fresh fish, dried fish, seeds and seedlings, and other goods.
The morning market is open on Shimohoncho Asaichi St. from the 1st to the 15th every month, and on Nakahoncho Asaichi St. from the 16th to the end of the month, from 6 am till around 11 am.
ake a photo with killer whales and laughing sea lions and touch them
Moriya beach in Katsuura
(Kamogawa)
If you seek blue ocean and beautiful beach near Tokyo.
Here is the best place!
Take a highway near here and drive only 90min from Tokyo.
Rich and Varied Food in Chiba
Chiba Prefecture is blessed with rich nature including various beautiful shorelines and green hills, and the agriculture, forestry, and fisheries industries have long been active. There are a lot of products from the sea and riches of soil and many traditional ways of cooking of them. Chiba proposes its original dishes or many ways of cooking and eating.
Seafood
Chiba Prefecture is located on the Boso Peninsula, which faces the Pacific Ocean. Varieties of fish are caught in great quantities in the prefecture, home to some of Japan’s major fishing grounds like Choshi Port, and its harvests of Japanese sardine, anchovy and sea bass are one of the top in Japan. In addition, it is also famous for abalone, Japanese spiny lobster, alfonsino and other types of seafood.
(Sea foods I ate in kamogawa!)
Vegetables and Fruits
Blessed with warm and fertile soils, Chiba Prefecture has a vibrant agriculture industry. In particular, it boasts of one of the top national yields of vegetables including onions, daikon, spinach, sweet potatoes and carrots, and fruits including pears, watermelons. Production of its specialty peanuts and flowers are also bustling.
Kameda medical center
(Kameda hospital in Kamogawa)
（Heliport of Kameda hospital)
Lastly, I want to tell you about the hidden gem in Kamogawa.
If you want to retire in Kamogawa, there is a world class hospital there.
It is called Kameda Medical center.
They have 34 Departments.
Internal Medicine, Infectious disease, Psychiatry, Neurology, Pulmonology Medicine, Digestive Organs, Cardiovascular, Allergy, Rheumatology, Pediatrics, General Surgery, Orthopedics, Plastic Surgery, Cosmetic Surgery, Neurosurgery, Cardiac & Vascular Surgery, Digestive Surgery, Pediatric Surgery, Dermatology, Urology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Rehabilitation, Radiology, Anesthesiology, Dentistry, Orthodontics, Pediatric Dentistry, Oral Surgery, Oncology, Emergency department, Pathology diagnosis, Breast Surgery
In August of 2009, Kameda became the first hospital in Japan to be accredited by Joint Commission International.
Kameda General Hospital, a 917-bed hospital, is one of the core facilities of Kameda Medical Center.
Kameda General Hospital has become a world-class magnet hospital.
For patients in need of acute care, Kameda General Hospital has become well-known for their first-rate intensive care units (ICU, CCU, ECU, NCU, NICU, and MFICU).
Their services, including all medical departments, have received ISO9001 certifications, and are accredited by The Japan Council for Quality Health Care (JCQHC).
This certification has proven our passion for improving quality care and the overall patient experience at Kameda.
Also, unique to K-Tower is Kirakutei, an ocean view restaurant featuring Japanese and Italian cuisine which sits atop the building.
Kirakutei Restaurant serves Japanese and Italian cuisine, as well as a Teppanyaki counter, prepared from fresh, local ingredients by some of Kamogawa’s top chefs, along with breathtaking views of the city and the Pacific. It is open to the public and also provides room service meals to patients and their families.
One source says about 200 Chinese people visited Kameda General Hospital
last year for medical examination. (medical tourism).It is said that reputation such as one-to-one system is spreading in word of mouth.
The waiting room for VIP has a catalog of Takashimaya department store written in Chinese.
Onsen (Hot springs)
There are several onsen hotels In Kamogawa where you can relax and stretch your legs.
(Gyosai nagomino yado in Kamogawa)
Bottom Line
Here are more practical reasons for the investment.
Affordability
Kamogawa still exhibits a low-key location for the investment.
Hence, the real estate price is still very affordable.
You can buy this pretty house (3 bed rooms) with decent garden sitting 100 meters from the ocean in Tateyama
for 83 million yen (U$83,000)
(Property in Tateyama)
A charming 80 years old Kominka (Japanese old folk house) in Minamiboso city is listed for 12.8 million yen (U$128,000)
This komika has 7 bed rooms in 124m2 interior.
(kominka in Minamiboso)
Proximity from Tokyo
Location matters.
For vacation rental business, Izu in Shizuoka also could be a good option but Izu is much farther from Tokyo.
It may take as long as 4 hours to drive from Tokyo to Shimoda (major city in Izu)
The beaches in Kamogawa and surrounding area are far better.
It takes only 80 mins to Haneda Air port by car.
Various investment options
Surfers around the globe are complaining that there is no decent
guest house and rental villa in Kamogawa.
The owners of minshuku (guest house) in Kamogawa are ageing and a lot of them are winding up
their business.You can purchase those minshuku property with the proper hotel license and then run a private lodging rental (Airbnb) for 365 days.
(The “minpaku,” or private temporary lodging law, the first national legal framework for short-term home rental in Asia, limits home-sharing to 180 days a year,
a cap some hosts say makes it difficult to turn a profit. But you have a hotel license you can operate as a hotel without such restriction)
(minshuku property in Kamogawa but not for sale!)
Alternatively, you can flip akiya (abandoned house) into a rental property.
(Villa rental property in Minamiboso city)
Dog (and cat) friendly hotels in strong demand
There are only a handful of hotels and guest houses that are dog friendly in the area.
Recently, apartments in which pets are allowed to live and hotels where owners can stay with their dog are becoming very popular.
To meet this trend, there are more and more dog facilities including hotels opening up.
As you can notice, there is the strong demand for dog(and cat) related business in Tokyo but such needs are very difficult to fulfill
in populated cities. You can’t open a dog run facility in Tokyo simply because it is too expensive to buy such a large plot.
Inbound tourism
Japan’s inbound tourism is BOOMING and it is the fastest growing market in the world.
Inbound tourism continues to thrive as a record 28.7 million tourists visited Japan in 2017, up 19 percent and keeping the nation on track for the government’s target of boosting the annual number of visitors to 40 million in 2020.
Again proximity from Tokyo is a huge advantage to attract the tourists from overseas countries.
You will be surprised to read a number of positive comments left by foreign tourists in Tripadvisor and Airbnb who enjoyed the surfing
and the breathtaking sunset in Kamogawa area.Tourists can enjoy a one day trip while enjoying Mother Nature in Kamogawa.
If you would like to know more details, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Challenges for akiya investment
There are thousands of treasures all over Japan but it is not easy to find them.
Why ? Because most of Akiya are not listed widely in the market place due to various reasons.
My father’s family has two akiya in Tokushima prefecture but they are not listed.
So you need to search for the very closed circles/connections. It is quite a daunting task to
look for akiya with good condition.
The cost of renovation is also an issue. The cost could be as much as 20-25 million yen to make them into the decent conditions.
Do not cherish a fond hope that you can get a good deal by buying akiya.
Other Helpful Articles
Are you interested in akiya 空き家（abandoned house) for free in Tokyo ?
Tips for buying and renovating kominka
Other useful links.
Kamogawa city official web site
Katsuura city official web site
Minamiboso city official web site
Tateyama city official web site
Our Consultation Service
Spot consultation is available for those who are interested in buying an old Japanese property.
Spot consultation fee starts from 50,000 yen per two hours (plus tax). Consultation over Internet telephone is possible for those who are distant from Tokyo.
If you are seriously interested in buying akiya, please contact us. Consultation fee starts from 50,000 yen per two hours (plus tax). We provide the following consulting service for akiya investment as well.
1) Akiya search service
100,000 yen (plus tax) per project. We will look for an appropriate akiya for you.
It requires time consuming process.
Finding a good akiya is not as easy as you might think.
If you buy a wrong property in a wrong location, your investment could be a disaster.
We will not search akiya for free.
If you are seriously interested in buying a Japanese old house, please contact us.
(Kamogawa port)
(Chikura : flower garden)
Toshihiko Yamamoto
Real estate investing consultant and author.
Founder of Yamamoto Property Advisory in Tokyo.
International property Investment consultant and licensed
real estate broker (Japan).
He serves the foreign companies and individuals to buy and sell
the real estates in Japan as well as own homes.
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from
Osaka Prefecture University in Japan
and an MBA from Bond University in Australia
Toshihiko’s book, “The Savvy Foreign Investor’s Guide to Japanese Properties: How to Expertly Buy, Manage and Sell Real Estate in Japan”is now out on Amazon, iBooks (iTunes, Apple) and Google Play.
About the book
Amazon.com Link
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