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For elderly residents, city life doesn't get old

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Sep 3, 2016

For elderly residents, city life doesn't get old

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

The government in Japan is facing an immediate demographic crisis with regards to seniors, whose numbers relative to the general population are increasing rapidly. One of the main problems is where they are going to live out their lives. According to a 2015 report by ...

A rise in vacancies won't mean drops in rent

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Jul 2, 2016

A rise in vacancies won't mean drops in rent

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

According to the June 11 issue of Nikkan Gendai, the vacancy rate for rental properties in the 23 wards of Tokyo is currently 33.7 percent, while in surrounding prefectures, it's even higher: 35.5 percent in Kanagawa and 34.1 percent in Chiba. One real estate consultant ...

Yukarigaoka proves 'new towns' can age well

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Apr 30, 2016

Yukarigaoka proves 'new towns' can age well

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Tama, in western Tokyo, is currently trying to find a way to rehabilitate Parthenon Tama, the city's public cultural complex. During headier times, Parthenon hosted world-famous classical musicians and theater companies, and in addition to a large auditorium and a small auditorium, it contains ...

Low interest rates cause spike in refinancing

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Apr 2, 2016

Low interest rates cause spike in refinancing

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

It has been more than a month since the Bank of Japan introduced negative interest rates in its bid to revitalize the economy. For consumers, the rate change is a mixed blessing. Obviously, interest on deposits will not go up any time soon, but ...

Tohoku is literally still waiting to move on

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Mar 5, 2016

Tohoku is literally still waiting to move on

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Earlier this month, the NHK travel series, "Tsurube Toasts Families," in which rakugo (traditional comic storyteller) performer Shofukutei Tsurube and a guest visit a town and talk to residents on an impromptu basis, went to some new communities in the area destroyed by the ...

The ups and downs of apartment elevators

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Feb 6, 2016

The ups and downs of apartment elevators

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

In the 2014 American movie, "5 Flights Up," Morgan Freeman and Diane Keaton play an elderly couple who think about selling their two-bedroom Brooklyn apartment. Since they have lived in the unit all their married life, the decision is a difficult one, and the ...

Getting a high rise out of dodging taxes

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Jan 2, 2016

Getting a high rise out of dodging taxes

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

About a year ago, we talked about using real estate purchases to lower inheritance and gift taxes. Obviously, people who are able to take advantage of these schemes are already well off — the average person doesn't have to worry about paying inheritance taxes ...

<em>Aota-uri</em>: 'green' condominiums to be wary of

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Dec 5, 2015

Aota-uri: 'green' condominiums to be wary of

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Each year between 1990, when Japan's asset bubble burst, and the 2007 recession, about 200,000 new condominium units were added to Japan's housing stock. After 2007, the number dropped to about 100,000, but, depending on the year, anywhere from 50,000 to 70,000 of these ...

Not-so-friendly neighborhood associations

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Oct 31, 2015

Not-so-friendly neighborhood associations

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

When the U.S. military took charge following Japan's surrender in 1945, one of the first things it did was ban jichikai, or community associations. The thinking was that these organizations had carried out the work of the military government at the neighborhood level and ...

Don't be green about the charm of tatami

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Oct 3, 2015

Don't be green about the charm of tatami

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

When we were thinking of buying a condominium, we visited several old danchi — apartments built by Japan's former public housing corporation — because they were cheap and, we thought, easy to renovate. One of the units we inspected had bedroom floors made of ...

Score eco points for your home ground

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Sep 5, 2015

Score eco points for your home ground

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

Several months ago we had most of the windows in our home replaced, even though the house is less than 2 years old. When we had it built we ordered standard double-glazed windows with aluminum frames and sashes, thinking it would be enough, but ...

Your home may be your castle, but not all of it is yours

How-tos | HOME TRUTHS Aug 1, 2015

Your home may be your castle, but not all of it is yours

by Philip Brasor and Masako Tsubuku

When we were thinking about buying a condominium some years ago, we looked at older units and brand new ones, and one of our least favorite features was pebbled or fogged window glass, which was ubiquitous. Early on, when we didn't know any better, ...

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