Japanese Property Legal Guides & Akiya Due Diligence
Plain-English explanations of the Japanese building law that decides whether an akiya can ever be rebuilt — written for overseas buyers doing their own due diligence.
How to Buy an Akiya in Japan as a Foreigner
The whole purchase, end to end: why no visa is needed, akiya banks versus portals, the four checks that decide the deal, and what the process really costs.
Read the guide 10 min readWhat a Cheap House in Japan Really Costs
Why Japanese houses sell for ¥1–5 million, and the three layers of cost the sticker price hides: purchase fees, renovation tiers, and yearly holding costs.
Read the guide 9 min readJapan Property Tax Explained for Foreign Owners
Fixed asset tax, city planning tax, acquisition tax, the demolition trap that raises your bill, and how to pay municipal tax from overseas.
Read the guide 8 min readShigaika Chōsei Kuiki (市街化調整区域) Explained
What an urbanisation control area means for a rural property: why rebuilding needs permission, which exemptions exist, and how to verify the zoning.
Read the guide 10 min readCan You Turn an Akiya into an Airbnb or Minpaku?
The three legal routes for short-term rentals, the zoning and building traps, and why most cheap rural akiya make a poor Airbnb investment.
Read the guide 10 min readArticle 42 Roads in Japan: 2-Kō Dōro & Setback Rules
Every statutory road class, why deemed roads (みなし道路) force land surrender, how centerline and one-sided setbacks are calculated, and how to claim the tax exemption.
Read the guide 12 min readWhat is Saikenchiku Fuka (再建築不可)?
The rebuilding-prohibited trap explained: the four root causes, what renovation is still legal, the available legal workarounds, and the financing and tax consequences.
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