How much will distance from the station affect rent?

The walking distance from the nearest train station is a major factor when searching for an apartment or house in Japan. The closer to the station, the higher the rent. So, how much does rent change as you look at places that are 5, 10 and 15 minutes away?

The following is a translation of an interview between a writer and real estate agent that appeared on the MyNavi news site on January 3, 2013:

-- Where I live the difference in rent is approximately 10,000 Yen/month between a property 5 minutes from the station and one that is 10 minutes away. Are other areas the same?

Although it will depend on the area, that would be the approximate difference in rent that you will see. For properties over a 10 minute walk, the rent will be even lower. As for one-room studio apartments, there is almost a 30% difference in rent between properties that are 5 minutes and 10 minutes away.Read more


Studio apartment sale listings reach all-time high

The number of secondhand 'one-room' or studio apartments listed for sale in greater Tokyo has reached an all-time high. According to Tokyo Kantei, as many as 70,000 units were listed in 2012, an increase of almost 10% from 2011.

Many of the studios were built during the bubble period from the late 1980s to 1990 and are hitting the market as investors show a trend towards reducing their asset holding time.Read more


Japan's emerging share house market

In an aging society that is seeing falling occupancy rates in the property market, unused real estate is becoming an increasingly serious problem. However, this has led to a creation of a new market for share house developers. According to an investigation by a major real estate company, the number of sharehouses has risen 26-fold in the past 8 years, with Tokyo being the most popular location.

In a typical share house, tenants have their own private rooms while the kitchen, living and bathroom areas are shared. Unlike a typical Japanese guest house which is designed for travelers staying for a short period, share houses cater to long-term tenants.

While it may be common in many countries for the younger generation to rent an apartment or house with several friends, share houses in Japan are only a recent phenomenon.Read more


Able to offer improved rental apartment service for foreign students

Japanese rental agency, Able, have introduced a new service for foreign students that will assist them in finding an apartment to move into as soon as they arrive in the country.

Up until now, foreign students have had to stay in temporary accommodation, such as student dormitories, until they receive their alien registration card. It was only when they had received the card that they could rent an apartment privately. This resulted in the student waiting several weeks before moving into more permanent accommodation.Read more


47-yr old ryokan converted to sharehouse in Tokyo

Real estate company R Bank have converted an old Japanese inn (ryokan) into a character-filled female-only sharehouse in Tokyo's Katsushika ward. Called 'Tokyo Kita Wave', the property was renovated from a 47 year old post-war inn, and is their 30th sharehouse.Read more


Lose weight and pay less rent?

One share house in Osaka has come up with a unique concept of combining weight loss with rent. The 'Beauty&Diet Ladies Sharehouse' in Suita City is offering tenants a discount of 1,000 Yen off their monthly rent for each kilogram they lose while living in the house.

The monthly rent charged to each tenant is calculated by how much they each weigh. For every 1 kg, you are charged 1,000 Yen/month in rent. Lose weight, and your rent goes down. The landlord, Broad Enterprise, believe this might be the first of its kind in the world.Read more


Rent a house in a UNESCO World Heritage area for just 10,000 Yen/month

A 88-year old house in Gokayama has been listed for rent at just 10,000 Yen/month (127 USD) in a bid by Nanto City to entice families to the area.Read more