Japanese Real Estate Blog

Did you know that finding a house in Tokyo is not at all like moving to a different state in the same country? It’s very different in Asia – the culture, people and lifestyle.  Hands down, there’s nothing to argue about – a foreigner
will need a real estate company or real estate broker to negotiate for him. Most expats are lucky because the company hiring would probably do all the legwork for him in helping him get settled in. However, if this isn’t the case there are always sites like http://www.housing4expat-tokyo.com to fall back on.

But before approaching a broker, an expat must have some answers ready. For example, what are the ideal conditions for closing a deal? Will the expat need a place near the office or in a certain type of neighborhood? Many expats tend to stick together and live close to each other. This is understandable as they need a support system for themselves and for their families. They will also have to accept certain standard terms for leasing a property like the usual 2 year period, 2 month security deposit, goodwill or key money, insurance, taxes and broker’s fee.  Monthly payments must be settled before the current month which means rent payment must be given a week before. There may be additional charges for maintenance of the building which the tenant usually assumes.
In Tokyo and most places in Japan, if the contract is to be signed by an individual, he or she must have a guarantor who is a respectable Japanese individual. This guarantor will assume the headaches of the rent in case the tenant skips town or bounces a check.
The expat will be expected to open an account in order to issue checks to pay the rent. Landlords will not accept international checks or even credit card payments. They will be more willing to accept local company checks and sign a contract with the company instead.

Reference:http://www.housing4expat-tokyo.com

Nagano is a place of natural beauty and traditional culture.  The inhabitants of Nagano are free of all types of crowd, noise, excessive humidity and high price of goods. Life is easy and comfortable here. Kansai, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Gunma and Shizuoka are some best places to lead a peaceful and chaos-free life.

Kobe is another nicest place to live in Japan. It is surrounded by beautiful mountains. Usually it is attractive for its convenient facilities and simple way of living.

Osaka is very popular for its food, community and lively people. But the crowdies, air pollution are disturbing here.

Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa are famous for their rural beauty. These places are more livable than the heart of Japan known as Tokyo. Kansai is another nice city to live in.  This city is noticeable to get job easily.

Tsushima is a beautiful island situated between Kyushu and Korea. Here the population is less than 40,000.  A number of places along the Izu peninsula, or even out in the Izu islands, are wonderful to live for having beautiful beaches in summer and very mild winters. Delicious fresh food from the sea, and convenience to Tokyo is another plus point to reside here.

Fukuoka boasts of its most convenient airport in the world. And it is the best place to enjoy first class seafood, ramen, and much more. To spend weekend day, this city is special. The natural scenary of Fukuoka is well known.

The above mentioned places are noticeable not only to live in Japan but also to spend leisure time to get rid of from exhausted business.

Japan, a group of four major islands houses one of the most populated cities in the world. Japan is almost 3 times more populated than Europe and more than 12 times more densely populated than United States. The population of Japan is surely going to affect the country’s future. Japan is also the most densely populated country in the world. Due to the extreme population, Japan bears extremely high land prices. This resulted in families and locals commuting every day up to 2 hours each way for work in Tokyo and other populated cities in Japan. Long commuting is not an uncommon phenomenon in cities like Tokyo. Japan has smaller and scarcer parklands by almost one-tenth as compared to Europe and United States. Japan is getting costlier and housing prices in cities are rising at an alarming rate people are exceedingly increasing; trying to move into city areas despite of the high cost. Japanese Government is working trying to make cities more attractive by making better transportation networks for people to commute. Also, the price of transportation is being controlled as much as possible.

Nevertheless, populated cities in Japan have their own benefits. Tokyo for instance is great for students to pursue education from. Let us have a brief introduction on 3 most populated cities in Japan.

1)  Tokyo

Japan’s capital city Tokyo is by far not only the most populated city in Japan but also in the world and the numbers don’t seem to stop anywhere. Tokyo is spread around 2187 Sq km and also amongst one of the most expensive cities in the world. Headquarters of Government, the Imperial Palace and the Japanese Royal Family, all can be found in Tokyo. Tokyo is also the centre of all the financial activities of Japan and houses one of the most extensive networks of transportation systems in the world.

2)  Yokohama

Yokohama is home to more than 3 million people. It might not be as populated as Tokyo but has managed to rank number 2 on Japan’s most populous cities. Yokohama is a crucial trading center base for businesses in Japan; it has significant number of foreigners settled inside the city. Yokohama is also Japan’s largest incorporated city. It is one of the major ports of Japan from where all other businesses exercise import and export activities with the rest of the world.

3)  Osaka

Osaka houses more than 2 million people. It is one of the major industrial centers in Japan, located in the main island of Honshu. Osaka is the third largest city by population after Tokyo and Yokohama in Japan. It is located at the Osaka bay. Osaka is the hub of fine dining and great restaurants in Japan which is why; it is a major tourist attraction.

Many have probably not heard of the place Mukogaoka Yuen. This underexplored area of Kawasaki ward in Kanagawa hosts Ikuta Ryokuchi Park, which contains a number of exciting cultural outlets. Mukogaoka Yuen is situated only 20 minutes train ride away from Shinjuku on the Odakyu line.

Ikuta Ryokuchi Park covers a large area of Tama hills and is surrounded by small woods made up of various oaks. The park contains many varieties of seasonal flowers such as cherry blossoms (usually in full bloom in April), irises, hydrangeas, camellias, and azaleas. “Rose Garden” which is open to the public in the spring and autumn.

We recommend you to visit the Taro Okamoto Museum of Art, also located within the park. It accommodates the works of the world famous Taro Okamoto and his parents. The Museum also offers a rich events program with lectures and workshops available to the public.

Also within the park are traditional Japanese houses built 200 to 300 years ago. These houses have been selected as important national cultural asset and offer hands-on workshops.

Enjoy a stroll around the park and absorb the creativity that Ikuta Ryokuchi offers! If you’re interested in visiting, check out nearby yokohama guesthouse for accommodation!

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