Tag Archive for real estate

2019-03-19

YouTube clip : Capital gain tax in Japan

by Yamamoto

When you buy a property and sell it in profit in the future, you are liable to

the capital gain tax of the Japanese government whether you are in

Japan or overseas country.

How does it work ?

How much is tax ?

Please find out more details in my video below.

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

2019-03-15

The number of foreign tourists is sky-rocketing in Japan: Is it good timing to invest in the hotel segment ?

by Yamamoto

If you are seriously interested in the real estate investment in Japan, the hotel segment is growth potential.
The number of foreign tourists to Japan is set to rise for the seventh straight year and hit a record level of
more than 30 million in 2018.

(Chart : Number of foreign tourists, unit: 10 thousand)

The government is targeting 40 million foreign visitors by 2020, when Tokyo will host the Olympics.

Japan accepted an all-time high of 28.69 million foreign visitors in 2017, up 19.3 percent from the previous year

and the number of visitors are still on rise.

The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan in February 2019 rose 3.8 percent from a year earlier to a record 2,604,300,

but the growth in Chinese tourists slowed.

By country and region, the highest number of visitors came from China at 723,600, up 1.0 percent from a year earlier,

according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

However, the pace of growth slowed from 19.3 percent in January with a declining number of cruise ships making stops in Japan.

South Korea was second at 715,800, up 1.1 percent, followed by Taiwan at 399,800, down 0.3 percent, and Hong Kong at 179,300, up 0.5 percent.

The number of visitors from Southeast Asia jumped in February, with Vietnam marking a 68.6 percent leap to 39,400,

Thailand up 31.4 percent to 107,800, and the Philippines up 28.0 percent to 35,200, according to the agency.

On a yearly basis, the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan surpassed 30 million in 2018.
Read more

2019-03-11

Retro Kominka (Japanese old folk house、古民家) for sale near Mt. Fuji : You can run a hotel with view of Mt.Fuji and the lake

by Yamamoto

(Lake Saiko)

Glamorous and chic.

One of my friends is now listing the great KOMINKA (古民家) in Fujikawaguchiko-machi, Yamanashi prefecture (by Lake Saiko)

The house is less than two hours drive from Shinjuku station and its takes about 2 hours and 15 mins by express bus/train from Shinjuku.

The access is excellent from central Tokyo.

Where is Yamanashi and what is its feature ?

Located within two hours of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, Yamanashi boasts fresh air, crystal clean water, and a multitude of attractions

which people come to see all year round. Starting with the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, Yamanashi is surrounded by four national and quasi-national parks

– but the region’s natural charms do not end there. You can stroll along the shores of the Fuji Five Lakes, hiking along the Southern Alps,

and feasting your eyes upon Yamanashi’s plateaus, valleys, and lush fields of flowers.

2019-03-10

YouTube Channel launched !: ‘Japan Real Estate Investment for Foreign Investors’

by Yamamoto

Dear readers,

We have recently launched our own YouTube Channel.

It is called ‘Japan Real Estate Investment for Foreign Investors’

The channel will post various useful information and property information for foreign people.

We hope you enjoy our videos.

If you have a question or topics you want us to pick, please let us know.

YouTube link ↓

Japan Real Estate Investment for Foreign Investors

2019-03-06

Japan real estate market update : Market off to shaky start in 2019 amid price dip, sluggish demand ?

by Yamamoto

Now, the real truth about the real estate market in Japan　!
I am often asked about the trend of the real estate market in Japan.

The most common question is

“Is it going to come off after Tokyo Olympics in 2020 ?”

What do you think ?

It is always difficult to predict how the market will behave but we can always make some analysis.

There are a few perspectives we should focus when analyzing the market.

First, let us walk through the recent high level market trend.

Average land prices in Japan rose from a year earlier for the first time in 27 years in 2018, fueled by the increasing foreign tourists and by urban areas where redevelopment projects are ongoing.
For example, the number of foreigners who stayed overnight in Kyoto in 2017 totaled 3.53 million, a record high.

The national average of benchmark land prices as of July 1 (in 2018) rose 0.1 percent from a year earlier.

The national average of commercial land prices was stronger than the residential segments and it went up
by 1.1 percent.

2019-01-01

Expect home sales to continue on a downward trend ? : Japan real estate market recap 2018

by Yamamoto

Happy new year 2019 !　Year of Boar.

New year has just begun and I would like to quickly review the market using some statistics.
The data always tells you the fact. How to read the data is a key for success.
It is too early to know if housing is in another bubble in Japan (I don’t think so)
It will depend on what happens with the global economy. Unfortunately, bubbles are only recognized with 100 percent certainty
in 20/20 hindsight.

The national average standard price of land
According to the government announcement, the national average standard price of land (基準地価) published in September 2018
by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, land lots for all uses excluding forest lands nationwide
went up by 0.1% compared with the previous year, rising for the first time in 27
years since 1991. The average rate of residential areas was down 0.3% nationwide, falling for 27
consecutive years, but the rate of declines shrank 0.3% from the previous yearRead more

2018-12-27

What to know about Akiya (unused house) investment in Japan : Options you should be aware. Is it really free ?

by Yamamoto

Interested in high-performance Akiya (空き家, unused house or abandoned house) investment in Japan ?
Here are what you should know. If you are considering buying a akiya house, you need to know the basic knowledge of akiya investment.
There are lots of things you should know about before ever considering purchasing akiya property.
It is in your best interest to educate yourself about akiya to avoid getting into a situation that you regret.
Buying akiya can be quite useful and comfortable, but only if they are properly searched and if you share the same goals with your agent.Some investors find out akiya investment where they have purchased is not what they expected. In many cases, you’ll be disappointed to find out that the renovation cost of akiya is very expensive. There are a few options in akiya investment.But before I get into details, I want to warn you that I can’t teach you how to get rich overnight by akiya investment or find you a dream
akiya house for free near the ocean in Tokyo area. Unfortunately no house is free in Japan.

2018-11-28

Can foreigners buy a property in Japan ? : Fundamental rules when acquiring a property

by Yamamoto

Interested in buying a property in Japan where the country risk is lowest in the world ?
Japan is a rare Asian country insofar as it allows foreigners to buy a property. Foreigners can buy both land and building without special qualification.　When it comes to buying a property here, Japan has very few restrictions than the Western countries.

Ownership rights to land and building in Japan by a foreigner is also permitted just like Japanese citizens.

When a registrar has made a registration of ownership with respect to a real property with Legal Affairs Bureau, he/she shall can officially claim the title deeds of the property. However, there are restrictions on agricultural land (farmland). You need to get prior permission from a local agriculture committee (nogyo-iinkai) or governor when you buy the farmland. At least one corporate manager (one member of new owner) has to engage in full-time farming. In other words, if you want to buy farmland, you must become a farmer. The

2018-11-03

Discover restful and super-affordable properties in Chiba Boso peninsula: Within easy reach from Tokyo

by Yamamoto

（Boso peninsula)

* Foreigners can buy a property in Japan without having special qualification.

Explore the charming houses by the lovable ocean and beach
New listings in Boso peninsula, Chiba prefecture!
If you live in Tokyo and want to buy a second house near the ocean and beach, I always recommend Boso peninsula (Kamogawa city, Katsuura city, Minamiboso city, Tateyama city etc). The location is excellent and it takes only 1.5 hours from central Tokyo by car.
You can drive on a highway all through to Kamogawa city from Tokyo and there is no traffic. If you don’t want to drive and rather want to indulge in drinking a beer on the way, there is very comfortable express bus service from Tokyo station. The seafoods and vegetables are nice and fresh (In fact, Chiba prefecture is a major supplier of seafood and vegetables to Tokyo Metropolitan kitchens so nice foods you are eating in Tokyo are often produce of Chiba). Izu peninsula area in Shizuoka prefecture is also very famous for nice beaches and onsen (hot springs) but Izu’s location is not perfect. It takes about 3.5 hours by car to Izu Shirahama beach from Tokyo. In the modern busy life, proximity matters.
In Boso peninsula, they have great surf in the pacific ocean and the quality of sea water is superb. (Believe me you can’t imagine how good the quality of water is in Kamogawa city which is merely 1.5 hours away from Tokyo). In 2020, Tokyo Olympics surfing competition will be held in Katsuura city. According to one of my surfer friends, Boso peninsula is the best surfing spot in Japan.
Today I picked up two interesting properties in Boso Peninsula, Chiba prefecture.

2018-10-31

Akiya (unused house) for sale, 50 mins from Tokyo : Is it really a good investment ?

by Yamamoto

* Foreigners can buy a property in Japan without having special qualification.

Japan has too many houses and there are more than 8 million empty houses/rooms here (which accounts for 13% of total number of properties). Houses that are not used for a long time is called ‘akiya’ (空き家) in Japanese or ‘Empty house’ .Some home owners are virtually sitting on the empty houses doing nothing due to various reasons. And more and more individual investors are paying attention to this akiya market.
In the light of Suruga bank scandal, Japanese banks are generally tightening their lending stance for the individuals investors.
Their business with institutional investors, of course, are as usual but individuals investors are facing more challenging situation.
I am beginning to see more bogus-like hyperbole ads by rogue agents to lure the naive investors.
Please be careful and skirt such dangerous investment.
Individual investors are, in fact, shifting their eyes more towards akiya investment (abandoned house) because akiya investment does not require the large cash payment and offer the relatively attractive yield (return) . We recently spotted the following two properties in Chiba prefecture (Chiba prefecture is right next to Tokyo Metropolitan) and are happy to share the information with you.
Read more