A breakdown of search result data by one Japanese apartment hunting company reveals a big surprise.
real estate (Page 2)
“More care than a nuclear weapon” required to restore the burial mound dedicated to Japan’s most vengeful spirit.
Before-and-after photos of revamped vacant houses combine traditional beauty with modern style.
A hidden treasure opposite the Imperial Palace looks set to go under the hammer for a high price.
And even if the owner won’t budge on the rent, you can still negotiate for some concessions that could save you a ton of cash.
While they might look appealing to visitors, according to residents, these suburbs can be hell to live in.
When was the last time you sat down to watch a YouTube video by a real estate company? We’re going to assume never, because who even knew that real estate companies had YouTube accounts?
Japan’s Mitsui Real Estate Residential, however, not only has a YouTube account, but their recently posted video is becoming wildly popular. The company managed to combine their housing expertise with the fail-safe giant robot genre to create a short animated series about apartment buildings that transform into giant robots!
It’s no secret that Japan’s elderly population is on the rise while the younger population is on decline. Though everyone from the government to economists is trying to figure out what the ramifications of such a top-heavy population will be, Japan is already feeling some of the consequences.
No place is this more apparent than in Japan’s northern prefecture of Aomori. What was once a thriving area a few decades ago is now by all accounts a snowy ghost town.
The most recent event to highlight just how bad things have become is Aomori City practically give away prime real estate. Why has this happened and just how bad are things in Aomori? Read on to find out!
While perusing Japanese restaurant website Tabelog recently, I came across a little cafe in Takarazuka, Hyogo Prefecture, called Pink Pussy. Quite what it was I don’t know, but something about the place really appealed to me so I hopped on a train over there. It was a bit of a journey but I’ve traveled farther to get some, and you can’t put a price on a good cup of coffee.
However, when I arrived I was shocked to find that Pink Pussy had been put up for sale.
Tokyo is a big place, both in terms of population and area, and if you’re moving here from anywhere else, you might be at a bit of a loss in terms of where to look for an apartment. Obviously, a large part of that decisions is up to personal preference, but we do happen to have some advice for areas to look at if this will be your first time living alone!
These five areas were selected by a local real estate agent, so you know they must be good, right?
Movoto, one of America’s biggest real estate agents, doesn’t just list property, it also has a blog and, more importantly, a very good sense of humour. A few months ago, the site treated manga and anime fans to a tour of Naruto Uzumaki’s house (on the market for just $100,000), but this week they have something special for gamers – the house that used to belong to Aerith from Final Fantasy VII.
If you’re interested in buying the property, though, we hope you’re feeling flush. With 1,176 square feet of floor space and the honour of being “the nicest house in Sector 5”, Aerith’s house is listed for nearly US$2 million, or 37,726,080 Gil to be exact.
In Japan, places where people have died are considered bad luck, so unsurprisingly apartments where there has been a suicide, murder, or other death are rented at much cheaper prices than usual due to a lack of demand. However, real estate agencies are seeing a surge in people specifically seeking these kinds of ‘death rooms’. That may sound horribly morbid, but usually it’s not out of a desire to be close to death. Rather, for those who can put aside their culturally-ingrained reservations, it’s a way to save money during tough times.
While living in Tokyo, or any of Japan’s big cities, it’s hard not to want to get away from the crowds every once and a while. Of course the countryside offers a considerable amount of extra breathing room, but we know you’ve no doubt day dreamed of being alone on your own private island as you were sandwiched between two sweaty salarymen on the rush hour train. For those unable to tolerate the constant congregation of city-dwellers, this list is for you. Take a look at five uninhabited islands for sale right now in Japan and start to plan your life of solitude.
Real estate brokerage Movoto generally focuses their interests on, you know, real estate, but every now and again, they’ll also post their estimates on fictional properties. Most recently, they turned their interests to Naruto Uzumaki’s apartment in Hidden Leaf Village. Factoring in location, furnishings, size, and market, they came up with $100,000.
Here’s the listing they whipped up:
In 2010, Nara City in Nara Prefecture celebrated the 1,300th anniversary since becoming the imperial capital of Japan. During its relatively brief time as capital, the city flourished in culture so that even today the area is filled with ruins and relics of it rich distant past.
To have such a city overflowing with cultural heritage representing a romantic period in the history of Japan is both awesome and, well, a royal pain in the butt for anyone who wants to develop land there.
Just ask one poor guy, who tried to build a home to start his life in only to be shot down five times in a row after ruins were found on his land. Distraught and with nowhere else to turn he posted his woes on internet advice site MyNavi News Q & A for help. Here is his translated post.
MOST POPULAR
Now
Mt. Fuji decorated with a 500,000-flower pink carpet is Japan’s ultimate spring view
Howl’s Moving Castle’s scene-stealing dog is here to clean your home as a plushie mop
30 Pikachus want to share a Tokyo hotel room with you that has separate Grass, Water, Fire spaces
Pringles Chocolate, but with a Japanese twist, is the snack hack you should be trying right now
New Travelling Bento pouches turn your luggage into a Japanese lunch box
Japanese politician arrested on charges of accepting bribes to reduce number of monkeys in park
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Starbucks Japan opens new Kyoto store in Place of Scenic Beauty
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
It’s like the samurai era never ended at this beautiful Japanese mountain town
Weekly
Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Starbucks Japan closing only Shinkansen platform branch for popularity-triggered renovations- You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Two food hacks take Japan’s convenience store fried chicken to amazing new sandwich heights
7-Eleven Japan’s new baked-in-store sweet treat is only available in three parts of the country
Man bites woman at cherry blossom park in Japan, dies shortly after
Peanuts and Coke becomes a viral hit in Japan, but is it a trend worth joining?
Can a downtown Tokyo super sento bathhouse beat a hotel for a one-night stay?
New Japanese KitKats come in sakura flavour, with poetic symbolism for success
Monthly
- Japan reportedly adding Japanese language skill requirement to most common foreigner work visa
- Pokémon and Ikea Japan cross over into each other’s worlds with collaboration events
Japan now has a special desk for people who work at home with a pet cat[Photos]
Famous Tokyo cherry blossom spot installs view-blocking screens to fight overcrowding[Video]
Uniqlo announces new T-shirts for One Piece, Naruto and more for manga publisher’s 100th birthday
Train station platform ramen store closes its doors on half a century of history in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan releases new My Fruit³ Frappuccino at only 34 stores around the country
Krispy Kreme releases Super Mario doughnuts in Japan for a limited time
Studio Ghibli releases Catbus pullback keychain that runs like the anime character
Japanese onsen egg maker from 100-yen store Daiso needs to be on your shopping list
Yearly
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
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
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
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】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
RECOMMENDED STORIES
Japanese politician arrested on charges of accepting bribes to reduce number of monkeys in park
You can assemble a well-balanced team of Pokémon, them eat them, thanks to Japanese cake chain
Starbucks Japan opens new Kyoto store in Place of Scenic Beauty
Tokyo turns its phone booths into free Wi-Fi hotspots, and here’s how to use them
It’s like the samurai era never ended at this beautiful Japanese mountain town
Foreign man arrested for walking on Shinkansen tracks, claims he was on the run from yakuza
Saitama women arrested for dueling
Shiseido Japan’s same-sex kiss ad wins gold in Epica advertising awards
Samurai, ninja, and anime butlers join dinosaur staff at Tokyo’s “Weird Hotel”【Photos】
Man arrested for violating Japan’s anti-dueling law in downtown Tokyo
This huge shank of anime meat is actually a sweet dessert
Sailors Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto join Sailor Moon in getting cool new anime pens
Bulbasaur burgers to eat and Pokémon to keep you company are part of Tokyo hotel’s summer plans
-
