Editors Note: If your interested in purchasing Japan property Ziv has many years experience and is well situated to handle any questions you may have.
Hey there!
I am Ziv Nakajima-Magen – born and raised in Israel, migrated to Australia in 2003, at which point I first became aware of Japan and have started visiting the country regularly, and finally moved here on a permanent basis in 2013.
Since 2011, I have begun to purchase investment properties in Japan, with the help of my wife, ex-Tokyoite Chikako Nakajima-Magen, and shortly thereafter we both realised that there are many foreigners out there who could use our help in purchasing, selling and managing their Japan properties. For this purpose, we have established Nippon Tradings International (NTI) a buyers’ agency and portfolio management firm, which assists investors, holiday home owners and anyone interested in Japan’s property market to research, negotiate, conduct due diligence on, purchase and manage properties anywhere in the country.
Many “Hurdles” in getting things done.
As you may be aware, it can often be quite difficult to do business in Japan, for a variety of reasons, not the least of which is the notorious foreigner-shy nature of the Japanese, and the all-too-frequent reluctance to deal with foreigners – let alone those foreigners who do not speak, read and write Japanese, and/or do not reside in the country on a permanent basis.
Another big hurdle is the almost complete lack of remote facilities available to non-residents of Japan – there is no option for them to open personal bank accounts, pay most bills online, communicate with professionals via email or conduct meetings via video communication tools, etc – local telephone numbers, paper-based postage and/or fax transmissions remain the communication methods of choice in the country, and anyone residing overseas who requires services or wishes to conduct business communications of any sort with local Japanese companies, would normally require personal, physical representation – preferably native Japanese – and a local address and phone number.
This is a huge disappointment to many who do wish to conduct business in Japan or with the Japanese, but cannot do so, for the reasons mentioned above. Fortunately, companies like ours and the others featured here on SMEJapan’s AMA section exist to bridge this gap – both culturally and practically – and provide the much needed local know-how and expertise which makes it possible to enter and operate in this exciting market.
Japan, one of the world’s most attractive property markets.
Japan is the world’s second biggest property investment market, renown world-wide for hassle-free tenancies, ultra-professional management services, affordable properties (condo units and beautiful old traditional homes can be purchased here for as low as 20,000 USD!) and high rental yields.
It is also a dream holiday destination for many – whether it’s winter sports enthusiasts after the perfect slope and most powdery snow on the planet, foodies in search of the perfect ramen bowl or mouth-watering sushi, or various cultural “Japanophiles” who regularly visit the country’s fascinating cities and tranquil countryside getaways. So much so that buying a Japan holiday home is becoming common.
Japan property market questions?
Feel free to Ask Me Anything related to Japan’s property market, how it works, which areas and types of properties are are most suitable for your particular budget, what are the common challenges faced by foreign buyers here, and about the many fascinating differences between this markets and others you may be more used to operating in.
Got any questions? Feel free to ask me anything!