First-of-its-kind tax would bring in nearly one billion yen, but government says it’s not about the money.
Housing
Dilapidated outbuilding at the SoraHouse contains some surprise items that could tell a story or two.
The announcement suggests you can print your own futuristic home sphere for the price of a car!
A breakdown of search result data by one Japanese apartment hunting company reveals a big surprise.
Expert dishes on important factors that are leading young people to shun living in certain areas of the capital in favor of other suburban centers.
Not having enough money to pay rent each month isn’t their biggest problem is securing permanent housing, though.
While they might look appealing to visitors, according to residents, these suburbs can be hell to live in.
Real estate company creates a “Let’s Enjoy Bikini Size!“ video that shows off more than just their rooms.
If you love anime and you’re looking for affordable housing in Tokyo, your search may be over.
Chinese officials are set to discuss ways to stimulate the country’s sputtering housing market during its Central Economic WorkingConference later this month, according to Chinese state media.
Seeing as how the entire English-language RocketNews24 team is composed of people who at some point moved to Japan, we’re pretty big proponents of living here. One unpleasant part of the package, though, it that since you can’t claim the whole country as your residence, living in Japan means finding an apartment in Japan, which is generally agreed upon as one of the least enjoyable parts of the expat experience.
Why? For the following four reasons.
As you may have heard, the population of Japan is getting older and smaller. While other (smarter) people have debated the problems and complexities of this issue, we do know one thing: It’s left a lot of prefectures without many young people. Some places are celebrating when the community has even a single wedding, but Tsuwano in Shimane Prefecture thinks they’ve hit upon an idea for injecting some new, young blood into their town. They’re giving houses away for (kind of) free! Of course, there are a few stipulations…
If you’re looking for a pricey vacation home for the end of summer, we’ve checked out what $5 million can get you in real estate around the world. Our friends at Point2Homes helped us find everything from a tiny apartment in Monte Carlo to a 16,000-square-foot mansion in Qatar. Needless to say, $5 million should get you pretty far no matter what city you live in.
There was a point in time when you could turn on the TV at any time of day and find at least three home remodeling shows playing. I personally had no idea why they were so freaking popular…but I think I’m finally starting to get it after seeing these photos.
One ambitious Japanese man, named Makoto, bought an old, junked-out house with rotten floorboards, clogged pipes, and filled with trash for 1,950,000 yen–about US$19,500–and over the course of six months turned into one of the most beautiful homes I’ve ever seen. And I’m not the only one who thinks so. Japanese Internet users were amazed by the transformation–and you will be too!
Some Japanese apartments are incredibly sparse. In the most extreme cases, your lease gets you four walls, a kitchen sink, bathroom, and that’s it. Oh, you want lighting fixtures, a stove, and air conditioning? Sorry, you’ll have to purchase all that on your own.
As a result, savvy apartment hunters are always on the lookout for properties that include some of these amenities. And while it’s incredibly convenient to find a place that already comes with ceiling lamps, it still can’t match the thrill some animal lovers in Japan experience when they find a new pad that comes with a cat.
Housing in Tokyo is notoriously cramped, but this is ridiculous! With a total of 7.2 ㎡ (77.8 square feet) per floor (that’s smaller than the inside of Japan’s famously crowded train carriages), this towering five-story house packs a lot of rooms into a petite frame. So if you’ve ever fancied living in a tiny triangle, now’s your chance because this baby is on sale now!


















East Japan Railway announces plans to abolish magnetic-strip tickets
New Square Enix Cafe reveals Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Nier, and Fullmetal Alchemist menu items
Shakey’s Japan creates matcha mochi, Kyoto fish, and Kansai Chili Con Carne pizzas
7-Eleven Japan reinvents convenience store fruit sandwiches with new salty pink sakura peach variety
Trigun Legacy Cafe coming to two Japanese cities this summer to salute series’ original form
Starbucks adds new Fruit Gummy sweets to stores in Japan
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
Starbucks Japan releases new “torori” drinks exclusive to 7-Eleven convenience stores
Burger King Japan offering all-you-can-eat quad-burgers, whoever eats the most gets more in December
7-Eleven Japan releases a chocolate chip sandwich… that tastes like ice cream
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
Japanese convenience store shows us how to dress for the rainy season
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Japanese rice cooker recipe gives us a tasty new way to enjoy vegetables and wieners
Kyoto public junior high school becomes first in Japan with a hoodie school uniform
Tokyo’s Pokémon Cafe reopens this month with brand-new sweets and Pikachu show
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Colour Hunting: The hot new street photography trend changing how we see Japan
Tokyo’s life-size Gundam anime mecha statue will be removed this summer
Ichiraku Ramen-inspired ramen sets from Naruto anime pay homage to Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura
Kanji ice cream becomes a sell-out hit in Japan
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
New official Ghibli anime food cookbook will teach you how to make Ponyo’s ramen and more
Japanese convenience store Lawson launches new “mini supermarket” chain, L Minimart
Japan’s real-world Pokémon hot spring’s first photos are here![Photos]
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new drinkware and goods for Valentine’s Day
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Starbucks Japan releases new sakura goods and drinkware for cherry blossom season 2026
Japan’s newest Shinkansen has no seats…or passengers [Video]
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Japan’s 5.3 million beautiful Hitachi Nemophila flowers are now in full bloom[Photos]
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks adds new Fruit Gummy sweets to stores in Japan
Family Mart commits “reverse fraud” in new Giant All-Star Festival, and we couldn’t be happier
Starbucks Japan releases new “torori” drinks exclusive to 7-Eleven convenience stores
Burger King Japan offering all-you-can-eat quad-burgers, whoever eats the most gets more in December
7-Eleven Japan releases a chocolate chip sandwich… that tastes like ice cream
Pump yourself up with Yokohama’s new extravagant Cool Fuel ice cream
New Tokyo sweets shop offers 648 different mochi ice cream dumpling combinations
Gun found in Japanese convenience store restroom, traced to forgetful on-duty cop
Ghibli’s No Face continues to demonstrate his generous character growth by dispensing soy sauce
Godiva melts minds by releasing a new corn chocolate drink in Japan
Even at twice regular Daiso price, this handy item is still great for summer travel in Japan
This shop combines traditional Japanese sweets with…mayonnaise?!?[Taste test]
Uniqlo reveals third round of massive 100-year-anniversary manga T-shirts for Jump’s Shueisha
Shinto shrine’s night sky firefly sweets are Japan’s newest breathtaking, mouthwatering desserts.