YukiHomes Blog
Guides, insights, and tips on buying property in Japan.
The Bento Box: Issue 8
Today, I’ll be focusing on properties in Nagano. Nagano is an excellent area to own a home, as it offers access to numerous ski resorts throughout the prefecture. Some of the most popular include Shig
These Are the Most Powerful Tools for Home Buyers in Japan
And thought's about the looming Japanese depopulation crisis.
Bento Box: Issue 7
Hi everyone! I’ve been coming across so many great properties lately that picking just three each week honestly feels a bit unfair. There’s a lot more out there right now, and if you’re curious, you c
This One Mistake Cost Our Client Their Dream House in Japan
If they used Wise, they’d own this house today.
The Bento Box: Issue 6
_— Hey guys, quick plug before we start:_
What Makes Buying a Home in Japan so unique?
_— Hey guys, quick plug before we start:_
The Bento Box: Issue 5
_— Hey guys, quick plug before we start:_
What I've Learned as a Small Buisness Owner in The World of AI
_— Hey guys, quick plug before we start:_
The Bento Box: Issue 4
_— Hey guys, quick plug before we start:_
April 1st: The end of the Airbnb Free-For-All
I'm Excited!
The Key Differences Foreigners Need to Understand Before Buying a Home in Japan
_— Hey guys, quick plug before we start:_
Investment Guides
As our business has grown, we’ve gathered **a lot** of data on specific towns. As most of our readers know, we’re snowboarders, so a lot of the clients we attract are, surprise… skiers and snowboarder
The Bento Box: Issue 3
I hope everyone’s week is going great! We’ve been finding some amazing homes for our clients lately—[but they’re selling FAST!](https://www.nipponhomes.com/blog/yukihomes/ive-never-seen-this-happen-in
I’ve Never Seen This Happen in Japan… Until Now
If You’re Thinking About Buying a House… Read This...
The Bento Box: Issue 2
What can $10K–$60K get you in Japan right now? This week, we found three properties that might surprise you, from a quiet countryside home to a hidden gem with real potential.
When Japanese Tradition Collides With My Need for a Workspace
When I bought my house in Japan, I texted my contractor and told him I wanted to turn this space into a small workspace. Rip the whole thing out, clean it up, drop in a thick slab of hinoki, and give
The Bento Box
Issue 1.
This Is How We Help Clients Actually Make Money in Japan
If your interested in Otaru read this article...
Backcountry + Konbinis Is the World’s Greatest Combo
As you guys know, I’m located in one of the snowiest zones on earth. The resorts near my house average around **820 inches a year**. It’s unreal tree skiing. Deep & consistent and never ending refills
My Biggest Gripe With Japan
Its about coffee.
A Month in One of the World’s Snowiest Places
Today’s blog is going to be a more personal one.
Why Japan Has No MLS
(And what it uses instead)
How Airbnb-ing in Japan Changed How I Run My Stateside Airbnbs
and vice versa
Build New or Renovate an Old Home in Japan?
The answers pretty easy in my opinion.
Why Japan Might Be the Best Country to Buy a Holiday Home if you have young Children
Its Safe. Easy. Affordable. And fun for kids.
The World’s Biggest City Is Also… Weirdly Quiet
I mean this as a good thing...
Stop Looking for Ski-In / Ski-Out in Japan
It (Basically) Doesn’t Exist
The Konbini Layer.
A New NipponHomes Feature.
How to Get the Most Out of the "Zillow of Japan" NipponHomes
The ONLY Free Zillow of Japan
NEW ON NIPPONHOMES: LAND LISTINGS ARE LIVE
We are listening!!
Zoning and Lack of NIMBYism Is the Real Driver of Japanese Housing Prices.
Not population decline.
Ikon Just Added 7 Ski Resorts in Japan
So… What Happens Next?
Why Buy a Home in Japan If You Only Visit a Few Times a Year?
I get this question all the time. “Why would I buy a house in Japan if I only go once or twice a year?”
How to Take the Leap
Become a home owner in Japan don't listen to the nay-sayers.
Will Japan ban foreigners from buying homes?
If you’ve been dreaming about buying a home in Japan, the last few months of news probably feel… rough.
Is There a Zillow in Japan? YES!
Just so happens we built it.
Am I the Villain for Selling Homes to Foreigners in Japan?
Keep Japan for the Japanese
Whats the difference between us and the other guys?
_Our owner Derek_
“A House Can’t Cost $26,000… Can It?”
It can cost cheaper...
Stop Renting Your Peak Self
(Why owning a home in Japan is the ultimate snowboard optimization move)
How I Stay Productive While Traveling
Swell's incoming, work's outgoing, traveling on a budget while keeping a company running successfully is not magic. It's hard, and it's not as glorious as Instagram makes it seem.
Surf Towns You Can Actually Afford to Live In
Find a proper surf spot to own property in without breaking the bank
Yuki Homes' Guide: Is Now the Best Time to Buy in Japan?
Timing your purchase for maximum advantage and minimal headaches
Spring 2025 Outlook: Why Investors Are Turning to Japan Real Estate
The smart money is moving East while others chase overpriced U.S. markets
Is Japanese Real Estate the Smartest Investment of 2025? Yuki Homes Explains
While American investors chase overpriced properties, smart money is looking East
Yuki Homes' 2025 Guide to Buying Homes in Japan as a U.S. Investor
Everything you need to know before diving into the Japanese real estate market
Japan Guest House Permits: The Real Deal
If you're looking at guest house investments in Japan, you need to understand the three main permit types. Here's what actually matters.
The 1981 Rule: Why Earthquake Building Codes Changed Everything for Akiya Buyers
The date that separates manageable renovations from structural nightmares
Why Japanese Houses Get Moldy (And How to Actually Prevent It)
The reality of humid climate living—and the strategies that actually work
The Hidden Akiya Market: Why the Best Properties Never Make It Online
The properties you can't Google are often the ones worth finding
The Legal Side: Akiya Contracts, Conditions, and Gotchas
Everything you need to know about akiya bank legal requirements so you don't get blindsided
Success Stories: Foreign Buyers Who Nailed Their Akiya Purchase
Real people, real properties, real lessons learned from successful akiya bank deals
Renovation Budgets and Reality Checks: What ¥2 Million in Repairs Actually Gets You
Breaking down the real costs of making an akiya livable (without the fairy tale endings)
The Best Akiya Bank Regions for Foreign Buyers
Where to focus your search for maximum value and minimum headaches
How to Navigate Municipal Akiya Bank Websites (Even When You Don't Speak Japanese)
Your step-by-step guide to hunting Japanese municipal property databases like a pro
Japan's Akiya Banks: Your Gateway to Affordable Real Estate
The secret weapon most foreigners don't know about when house hunting in Japan
To Airbnb or Not To Airbnb?
That’s the question on almost every client’s mind.
Why Japan Is a Dream Destination for Architects
A quasi-review of “The Japanese House” by Naomi Pollock
I Might Kill Your Dreams with This Post.
Not because I want to. But because someone needs to tell you the truth.
A Learning Experience in Home Buying in Japan
Beware of bad actors.
Introducing our new product: Nipponhomes.
The Japanese Zillow
Cost Breakdown of Our Japanese Home + Renovation for Airbnb
For all those curious minds.
Why Digital Nomads Should Consider Owning and Not Renting in Japan
With Japan’s Digital Nomad Visa allowing you to live and work remotely in the country for up to six months, more and more remote workers are flocking to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. They’re staying in Air
What does LDK mean in Japanese real estate?
And where does it come from.
Japan’s Love Affair with Modular Homes
What we can learn in the West and what we can learn as foreign buyers in Japan.
Izu Peninsula Spotlight: Tokyo’s Closest Affordable Escape
Surfing, beaches, proximity to Tokyo all at a good price
How do I pay my property taxes in Japan?
If you don't plan on living in Japan, you'll need local help
Myoko Spotlight: A Booming Ski Town
Are we Late to the Party?
To Buy or Rent a Car in Japan?
The Math is simple. The desire to own a JDM is strong.
From Dreaming to Owning: Your Japan Home Buying Journey, Demystified
Hey there,
Most Common Questions Clients Ask Me
I hope this answers a lot your guys questions !
New Referral Program
Hey Everyone !
Best Vending Machine Drinks in Japan (and a Few to Avoid)
Something more fun this week.
Otaru Spotlight: A Hidden Gem for Skiers, Investors, and Travelers
_Outside The Coast Pizza, The owner imports all the cheese from Italy_
The anomaly in the Japanese Real estate market
The Japanese real estate market is famous for oversupply, low prices and flat or even decreasing home values. But these generalizations miss a crucial market, Ski Towns. While Japan lacks the traditio
Our Story
_Our house in Otaru_
Book Review: Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City
In my ongoing quest to understand what makes Tokyo, and Japan more broadly, feel so uniquely livable, connected, and dynamic, I recently _picked up Emergent Tokyo: Designing the Spontaneous City_ by J
New Subscribers—Start Here!
_Me in front of Kinkaku-ji_
Goat Farms, Ski Lodges, and Sake Shops: Why Japan’s Zoning Laws create dynamic living
Japan’s flexible zoning laws ([which I’ve explored in detail in a previous newsletter](https://yukihomes.substack.com/p/why-houses-in-japan-are-so-cheap)) offer an incredible level of freedom for crea
10 Things I Look for When Buying an Akiya in Japan
_A renovated Akiya we stayed in, in Otaru_
Is Tokyo the Greatest Food City—Scratch That—the Greatest City in the World?
_Looking East Towards the Toyko Skytree from Kappabashi street_
From Skepticism to Success: How Ann Turned Her Japanese Property Dream into Reality with YukiHomes.
The process of buying a home in Japan can be extremely overwhelming and with so much material out there to digest, I understand why some people cut short their dreams just from information overload. A
The Case for Hokkaido: Japan’s Most Underrated Prefecture for Living, Investing, and Adventure
Going to try something new with this blog style post let me know what you guys think!
While the US has lost the soul of Skiing, Japan still embraces it.
_Sun valley ski area at Shiga Kogen_
Why Houses in Japan Are So Cheap
_A barber just west of Yoyogi park_
Japan’s Building Standard Law Has Changed — What It Means for Akiya Buyers in 2025
As of April 2025, an important update to Japan’s Building Standard Law has officially come into effect and it has meaningful implications for anyone buying or renovating vacant homes, known as _akiya_
Comparing Ski Town Real Estate in Japan — And Where I Think the Next Hotspot Is
_Skinning up Mount Myoko_
Is Japan Really a Monolithic Society and what does this mean for Foreigners buying homes in Japan?
There’s a commonly held—and almost romantic—belief that Japan is a homogeneous society. This notion has deep historical roots, often tied to Japan’s famous isolationist period known as Sakoku, a polic
What a Strengthening Yen Means for Buying a House in Japan
I’m not an economist, and to be honest, predictions about currency markets are all over the place. So, your guess is as good as mine. But here’s what I tell my clients — most of whom are looking to bu
How to Approach the Japanese Real Estate Market as a Foreigner
One of the first things we tell our clients is that if you're coming from a Western country—Australia, New Zealand, the U.S., Canada, or Europe—the Japanese housing market is going to look completely
Who are we at Yuki Homes?
We’re a group of friends who’ve spent the last decade traveling together, mainly on surfing and backcountry splitboarding trips. After spending our first winter in Japan in 2023, we’ve been back every