Economy | ANALYSIS
Households to take hit from tax hike
by Tomoko Otake
The consumption tax increase will hit every household in Japan hard, with many people’s financial future hanging on whether their wages rise enough to offset the hike's impact.
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Nov 6, 2012
Danchi housing lets you think outside the usual box
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
Japanese housing experts have a list of casual terms to describe the layouts of apartments and condominiums: kamaboko (fish paste), yokan-giri (sliced bean jelly), ta no ji (rice paddy ideograph) and chocolate bars. What these terms have in common is geometrical utility. All are ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Oct 2, 2012
Second homes may be cheap, but they are often in disrepair
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
Atami The ad said the property was 2 km from Ajiro Station on the Ito Line, but it was difficult to tell how far we were traveling in the agent’s car. Most of the trip was up a steep, winding road into the hills ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Aug 7, 2012
The size of your dog could depend on your landlord
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
A 53-year-old woman was recently arrested after she moved out of a 50-sq.-meter rental apartment in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, leaving behind 26 dogs. She hadn’t paid her rent for some time and went missing in early June. By the time someone entered her apartment ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Jul 3, 2012
Dip into the history of the Japanese 'system bath'
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
Japanese people love their evening bath, but tubs in private residences are a relatively recent development. By 1963, only 60 percent of Japanese homes had them. The small amount of living space necessitated by economic reality, not to mention the paucity of indoor plumbing, ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Jun 5, 2012
At times, there's no getting away from the neighbors
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
The house we were inspecting in Shiroi, Chiba Prefecture, looked better and larger in the photos that the realtor had posted on its website. Those pictures had been taken with a wide angle lens at the eastern side of the house, which bordered a ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS May 1, 2012
Who you buy a home from can make a big difference in price
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
We met the real estate agent at Honda Station on the Sotobo Line in Chiba Prefecture. As we drove to the property we talked about the area. Though a typically cramped Japanese bedroom community, it’s a bit older than most, so the houses were ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Apr 3, 2012
Little houses crammed in a big city
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
The neighborhood of Minami Senju in Tokyo’s Arakawa Ward is serviced by three train lines that provide easy, quick access to all parts of the city and beyond. East of these lines is an area called Shioiri, highlighted by a relatively new urban development ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Mar 6, 2012
Don't judge a house by its exterior
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
The house stood out among its neighbors: not because of its box shape or the tall ham-radio tower planted in the parking space, but because of its bold two-tone exterior of wine red interrupted by sections of gray. The company that built it keeps ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Jan 3, 2012
The rise and fall of property taxes
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
There are many incentives for buying a home. One of them is to simply get out of paying rent — but that isn’t to say that once you own your residence there aren’t costs that have to be paid on a regular basis. If ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Dec 6, 2011
If you can't afford the land, why not just buy the house?
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
The real estate agent picked us up in a company car at Takayanagi Station in Kashiwa, Chiba Prefecture, about an hour and 15 minutes commuting time north of central Tokyo. The car had long scratches on the side, probably incurred during attempts to park ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Nov 1, 2011
Japan's 'new towns' are finally getting too old
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
In September, real estate developer Tokyo Tatemono started to demolish the Suwa Ni-chome apartments in the western Tokyo region of Tama. The Suwa danchi (housing development) was an integral part of Tama New Town, which opened in 1971. Of the various “new towns” built ...
How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Oct 4, 2011
Buying a brand new home: cookie cutter or order made?
by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku
We went for the six-pack of beer, which the manufactured-housing company was giving away to the first 10 people who came to inspect its new model homes. Competition is fierce among Japan’s many manufactured home builders, and the one we were visiting is No. ...