Latest Posts
The Best Websites for Buying a House in Japan, Ranked by Use Case
Compare SUUMO, HOME'S, at home, akiya banks, English sites, and cross-portal search by what each one actually helps a house buyer do.
Comparing Japanese Real Estate Websites for Overseas Buyers
Japan has no single property website with every home. Learn how to combine major portals, local agents, akiya banks, and English search tools.
Zillow Alternatives for Houses for Sale in Japan
Zillow is built around the US housing market. Learn how Japan property search differs, which sources to combine, and how to verify a house before acting.
Japan Real Estate for Sale: How to Find Houses and Homes That Are Actually Available
Looking for houses for sale in Japan? Learn where Japanese property listings appear, how to narrow your search, and what to check before you buy.
How to Choose Japanese Property Websites as an Overseas Buyer
A practical guide to Japanese property websites, useful search terms, overseas purchase planning, and the checks to make before viewing a house.
Buying Property in Hokkaido: Three Markets That Have Almost Nothing in Common
Niseko, Sapporo, and rural Hokkaido price differently, sell to different buyers, and cost different amounts to keep warm. Plus the winter running costs nobody budgets for.
Home Insurance in Japan: What Fire Cover Includes and What Earthquake Cover Does Not
Kasai hoken, jishin hoken, and the flood clause people leave off. How earthquake payouts are actually calculated, and why the hazard map belongs in your viewing checklist.
Leasehold Land in Japan: Why That Cheap House Does Not Come With the Ground
Shakuchiken explained. Ground rent, renewal fees, landowner consent, and why banks hesitate. One of the real reasons a listing is priced below everything around it.
Buying an Apartment in Japan: What a Mansion Actually Costs to Own
Management fees, the repair reserve, and the bylaws that decide what you may do with the unit you just bought. The costs that never appear in the asking price.
Buying Property in Japan, Step by Step: From Offer to Keys
The actual sequence of a Japanese property purchase, what happens at each stage, what you sign, what you pay, and where a foreign buyer can still walk away.
The Regions of Japan for House Buyers: Where Prices, Climate and Akiya Supply Actually Differ
Japan is usually described as nine regions, and for a house buyer they behave like nine different markets. A region-by-region tour of prices, climate burdens, akiya supply and access, so you can shortlist where to search before you shortlist houses.
Why Is That House in Japan So Cheap? Rebuild Bans, Leasehold Land, and Other Red Flags
Some Japanese houses are cheap because the market is soft. Others are cheap because of saikenchiku-fuka rebuild restrictions, leasehold land, or title problems that never go away. How to tell the difference before you pay.
Cheap Houses Near Tokyo: Where Chiba, Saitama, Ibaraki and Gunma Make Sense
You do not have to move to deep countryside to buy cheap in Japan. A realistic tour of the affordable edges of the Kanto region: what ¥3-10 million buys within reach of Tokyo, and the trade-offs by prefecture.
Akiya Renovation Subsidies in Japan: The Grants Buyers Keep Missing
Many Japanese municipalities will pay part of your akiya renovation, sometimes over ¥1,000,000. How the subsidy system works, who qualifies, and how to check a town's program before you buy.
Tanabata and Japan's Summer Festival Season: What July Feels Like When You Own a Home Here
July is the height of Japan's matsuri season, from Tanabata wishes on bamboo to Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri. What the summer festival calendar looks like, and why it matters when the house is yours.
Cheap Houses in Kyushu: Why Miyazaki and Kagoshima Deserve a Search
Southern Kyushu combines Japan's mildest climate with some of its most affordable detached houses. What the market looks like in Miyazaki and Kagoshima, and what to watch for.
The Annual Cost of Owning a House in Japan (Even When You Are Not There)
Fixed asset tax, insurance, septic servicing, standby utilities, and vacant house management. What a Japanese house costs per year, and the tax penalty for letting it rot.
Does Buying a House in Japan Give You a Visa? Residency Facts for Buyers
Owning Japanese property does not grant any visa or residency status. Here is what ownership actually allows, and the real immigration routes buyers combine with a house purchase.
How to Buy a House in Japan From Overseas: A Remote Purchase Playbook
Foreigners can own Japanese property outright without living in Japan. Here is the realistic remote process, from shortlist to key handover, including power of attorney and money transfer.
Earthquake Standards for Old Japanese Houses: What 1981 Means for Buyers
Why June 1981 is the most important date in any Japanese listing, how to check which seismic standard a house was built under, and what a retrofit really costs.
Akiya House Sales in Japan: How to Search Without Chasing Myths
A practical guide to searching akiya and house sales in Japan without confusing cheap listings, vacant homes, and renovation projects.
Cheap Houses in Japan: The Total Cost Behind the Listing Price
Cheap houses in Japan can be real, but the purchase price is only one line item. Learn what to include before comparing akiya and house sales.
Kominka Renovation in Japan: What Old House Buyers Should Budget For
A buyer-focused look at kominka, akiya, and old house sales in Japan, including the renovation questions to ask before falling in love with the beams.
Osaka House Sales for Foreign Buyers: What to Filter First
A practical search guide for foreign buyers comparing Osaka house sales, condos, old homes, and investment properties.
Airbnb, Minpaku, and Japan House Sales: What Buyers Should Know
How to think about Airbnb and minpaku intent when searching Japan house sales, especially around Osaka, Kyoto, tourism zones, and akiya renovation.
Five Things That Surprise Foreign Buyers in Japan
Cash offers, setback rules, road frontage, the 重要事項説明 ritual, and why renovation isn't always your call.
Foreign Buyer's Mortgage and Tax Primer for Japan
A short, factual primer on what financing and taxes actually look like when a foreign buyer purchases real estate in Japan.
Akiya: The Real Story Behind Japan's Vacant Houses
Why nine million Japanese homes sit empty, what akiya banks actually offer, and the hidden costs that turn cheap deals into expensive ones.
Why Japanese Homes Depreciate, and Where That Breaks Down
Wood houses are written off in 22 years and concrete in 47, but the depreciation curve no longer applies everywhere.
Japan Home Viewing Checklist
A practical checklist for buyers preparing to view homes in Japan and compare listings with confidence.
Understanding Japanese Property Terms
A simple guide to common Japanese real estate terms that overseas buyers often see in listings.
Welcome to Buy Houses Japan Blog
Why we built an AI-first property search for Japan and what this blog will cover.
Osaka Home Search Checklist
A practical checklist to avoid zero-result searches and find matching listings faster.