Columns by a licensed real estate agent in Tokyo on land registries, property rights, protecting family assets, avoiding fraud, and Japan's property market.
A field report from a search that ended without a contract. Which Tokyo landlords refuse foreign missions, why pet clauses eliminate the towers, and why a 1,850 mm parking limit rules out a Mercedes — none of it visible from a listing.
A son returns home and demands his father hand over assets worth ¥100 million for 'investment management.' Government data shows 40% of elder abuse perpetrators are sons. A licensed agent explains how aging parents can protect their real estate and savings.
A relative moved in to care for a disabled uncle and renovated his deteriorating home using his savings. Without guardianship or a parent-child relationship, other relatives sued for asset embezzlement. Why does the law criminalize good intentions without legal authority?
An elderly person lost their entire savings in a fraudulent property share transaction. A relative manipulated a grandfather with dementia into suing his own son. Real estate fraud does not always come from strangers. A licensed agent explains what adult children can do to protect their parents.
A Chinese executive renounced his household registration when hit with a massive tax bill. The battle between China's wealthy and authorities — and what their asset defense strategies mean for Japan's property market.
In spring 2025, China tightened overseas remittance controls and brought Hong Kong under mainland restrictions. Nearly a year later, Chinese buyer viewings have vanished, price cuts are spreading, and ultra-luxury properties are appearing on REINS.
A plot of Hokkaido wilderness bought in a 1970s real estate scam turns out to be near Japan's hottest land price boom, driven by Rapidus. A title deed discovered after a relative's death reveals the tangled intersection of fraud, solitary death, and unregistered inheritance in modern Japan.
Breaking down five common real estate investment sales pitches and exposing the structure they share with scams and brainwashing — making you believe it was your idea all along. A licensed agent explains how to reclaim your judgment.
A former software engineer turned licensed real estate agent examines whether the "split land parcels to get inheritance tax refunds" scheme actually works — and what the tax authority did about it.
A field report on reading 9 land registry records from a 1970s subdivision: subdivisions, co-ownership shares, private roads, and absent heirs — how half a century of ownership changes created a tangle of property rights.
