In this episode of the Buying A House in Japan Podcast, the team—Erik, Joey, and Take—reunite to discuss critical steps and considerations for purchasing property in Japan. They cover a wide range of topics from setting up a Wise.com account for seamless fund transfers, understanding the cultural and logistical differences in rural Japan, to tempering expectations on the transaction timeline. Eric highlights the importance of a vision board for your ideal property, Joey emphasizes having extra cash on hand and dealing with Japan’s unique bureaucratic challenges, while Take stresses the need for energy and flexibility in this process. The episode also touches on the implications of Japan's current political climate on foreign property buyers and underscores the importance of having realistic expectations. Overall, the discussion provides practical tips for anyone serious about buying a house in Japan.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

00:49 Morning Coffee Rituals

02:46 Current Events in Japan

03:54 Political Climate and Real Estate

09:30 Six Things to Know Before Buying Property in Japan

21:55 Defining Your Dream Home

22:28 The Vision Board Approach

22:49 Real Estate Search Success Story

23:52 Visa Challenges and Realities

25:13 Navigating Japanese Bureaucracy

29:16 Energy and Commitment Required

35:09 Financial Preparedness

37:32 Final Tips and Encouragement

In this episode of the Buying A House in Japan Podcast, Joey and Take reflect on their ongoing journey of purchasing homes in Japan over the past two and a half years. Joey shares his globetrotting adventures from Halifax to various parts of Japan and California. The hosts discuss the challenges and triumphs of maintaining multiple properties, including the importance of road access, weather conditioning, and overall project management. They also explore potential new projects like container homes, and reflect on the enjoyment and struggles with their current AKIYA houses. Despite acknowledging the immense effort required for such undertakings, both Joey and TKE express their satisfaction with owning homes in Japan and consider future possibilities.

00:00 Introduction and Podcast Overview

00:35 Reflecting on Past Episodes

02:24 Current Locations and Recent Travels

03:19 Driving Adventures in Japan

05:37 Traveling with Elderly Parents

10:18 Exploring Karuizawa

13:59 Exploring a Potential Property Project

15:05 Challenges of Maintaining Multiple Properties

17:27 Considering New Property Projects

18:47 Review of Kazaa and Local Attractions

19:49 Unexpected Earthquake Prediction

21:24 Vehicle Registration and Maintenance

22:50 House Maintenance Tips and Challenges

27:07 Reflecting on Property Investments

28:33 Future Property Aspirations

In this episode of the 'Buying a House in Japan' podcast, the hosts discuss the latest updates on their property renovations. Current challenges include overgrown gardens that need immediate attention, and house interiors that are mostly complete, except for outdated kitchens and treacherous staircases. They reflect on the progress made so far and outline next steps for achieving a fully polished property.

00:00 Introduction and Setting the Scene

00:43 House Maintenance Priorities

01:31 Garden Overhaul

04:13 Indoor Renovations and Kitchen Talk

07:21 Shower Experience

11:25 Property Investment Insights

13:37 Final Thoughts and Next Steps

In this episode of the Buying a House in Japan podcast, the hosts celebrate their final in-person recording before switching to remote sessions. They reflect on their time together, especially Joey's recent experiences in Otaru, Japan—a place known for its cold weather, stunning scenery, and surprisingly excellent food scene, including standout Neapolitan pizza. Joey updates listeners on a property purchase in Otaru—a duplex with significant potential for Airbnb rentals or personal use. The discussion spans topics from the challenges of snow removal to the unique architecture of the area. They touch on the real estate market trends in Japan and introduce new features on their Amart platform, including sold data for better market insights. Exciting travel plans and personal anecdotes round out this episode, offering a blend of real estate advice, travel tips, and culinary delights.

00:00 A Bold Pizza Claim

00:24 Podcast Reunion and Future Plans

00:41 California Vibes and Sauna Mornings

01:14 Travel Tales: From Indonesia to Hokkaido

01:53 Property Purchase in Otaru

04:13 Exploring Otaru: Scenic Train Rides and Cold Weather

07:25 Otaru's Food Scene: From Seafood to Pizza

11:37 Challenges of Buying Property in Otaru

13:36 Exploring Dual-Purpose Living Spaces

14:22 Property Condition and Necessary Updates

15:25 Amart Seal of Approval: Nagasaki and Beyond

17:37 Real Estate Trends and Market Insights

21:08 Travel Plans and Personal Stories

26:27 New Features and Future Plans for Amart

Exploring Business Ventures and Sauna Culture with Eric

In this episode of the Buying a House in Japan podcast, the hosts reunite with recurring guest Erick, a licensed contractor in the U.S. who is moving permanently to Niigata, Japan. The discussion covers Erik's impressions of California, comparisons between online and in-person interactions, and the emerging sauna culture in Japan. Eric shares his plans to build saunas in Japan, including potential challenges and preferences for heating units. The conversation shifts to insights from recent consultations, the experience of buying properties in Japan, and potential new ventures like a surf house in Tokushima or Miyazaki. The episode concludes with Erik's business endeavors, thoughts on rebranding the podcast, and upcoming events.

00:00 Welcome and Special Guest Introduction

00:45 First Impressions of California

01:43 The Sauna Culture in Japan

03:40 Building Saunas in Japan

08:22 Nagasaki House Buyer Experience

15:45 Consultations and Market Trends

17:07 Rebranding Discussion

18:57 Choosing a Business Name

20:21 The Process of Starting a Business in Japan

22:44 Exploring Business Opportunities in Japan

30:08 The Surf House Project

35:58 Future Plans and Reflections

Japanese real estate investments—especially outside major metropolitan areas—can feel a bit like a crapshoot. But to economics professor Ninh Nguyen, there's a method to the madness.

In this episode, Ninh explains his market-timing model, steeped in layers of detailed market data; the relationship between the USD and JPY, the cash flow game of Japanese real estate, and the value of solid short-term rental strategies.

Follow along with Ninh's charts here:

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1h7dLXSrfivu63dn4eY_zGZtgS3Taz04k?usp=sharing

00:38 Introduciton

01:41 Ninh's properties

02:15 About Ninh

03:25 Explaining the model

08:03 Timing the market - Best time to buy?

09:28 Rate of change and decision making

12:19 Ninh's Ito property

15:25 Acquiring an Airbnb license

17:18 What didn't go as planned?

18:28 Payments & invoicing

20:30 How Ninh finds Airbnbs

25:45 Market predictions

While celebrating Take's bachelor party in Indonesia, the work never stops. A key part of the AkiyaMart website goes down, and a mysterious series of notes is left inside one of their properties.

00:32 Introduction - On a beach in Indonesia

01:44 Debugging the AkiyaMart website on Indonesian internet

03:27 Our properties - Finally making money!

07:44 The return of Sato-san

11:39 Myoko - Struggles with a new build

14:49 Updates on the Nagasaki house

18:48 Our eyes are on Otaru

21:49 Reflecting back on our journey

When it comes to Akiya, many look for a diamond in the rough—and Matt Guy's new home proves they exist. In this episode, Matt discusses how he found his property, the shifting market in Myoko, and the key things that must align for you to secure your dream home.

00:09 Introduction

02:14 Why Myoko?

03:10 Myoko snow: Like no other

04:44 Soon-to-be neighbors!

06:45 The shifting market in Myoko

08:07 Restaurants in Myoko

10:40 How locals feel

12:19 Matt's new property

13:35 Snowy Japan: A foreigner's bubble

16:36 Matt's property: Price & condition

21:21 Finding the property

26:01 Advice for buying in Myoko

Check out Matt's new property: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSYRyN89erw

Imagine you sign with a real estate estate agent to sell your home—only to find out your agent also represents the buyer.

Among the many things Japan handles differently, real estate transactions can be an opaque if not unreliable experience. From difficulties in scheduling viewings to disappearing homeowners, AkiyaMart Direct agent Ryosuke Takemoto covers what he's learned dealing with foreign homebuyers, difficult seller's agents, and the infamous "Ryote" deals.

00:19 Introduction

01:47 What is a Ryote deal?

08:56 Navigating Ryote deals

14:48 Drowning in paperwork

15:46 Struggles and suspicions with real estate agents

17:53 How hard is it for foreign buyers?

20:04 Buying an Osaka udon shop

24:41 Where in Japan would Ryo buy?

On the heels of joining the AkiyaMart Direct team, Erik Buhrow recounts his journey back to Japan, the red flags he sees in people trying to do the same, the gentle politeness of Japanese people versus the strange gatekeeping behavior of foreigners, and perhaps most importantly—how to get a car (or at least drive one)!

00:00 Introduction / Erik’s origin story

03:27 The lifestyle & cost of living in Japan

05:44 How Erik convinced his wife to move

09:15 All about Erik’s house in Japan

13:25 Things to consider when looking for a Japanese home

14:43 Erik’s renovation work and working with contractors

19:39 Japanese hardware stores

20:48 The politeness of Japanese people & the rude gatekeeping of foreigners

22:37 FAQs & misconceptions Erik hears in his consultations

27:04 Red flags in Erik’s consultations

28:57 Erik’s new venture: Helping foreigners buy cars

36:42 What would you do differently?