As the whole world knows, Japan suffered from a huge earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in the Tohoku region in 2011. You might be worried about the risks such events present. (My coauthor, Masatoyo Ogasawara, covers earthquakes and fire in chapter eight.)
The damage wasn’t restricted to that region, either. Despite the considerable distance between the two areas, the 2011 quake ruptured a major water pipeline in Chiba Prefecture, and people in the Maihama area close to Tokyo Disneyland had no water for a month or so. Water also flooded roads there and damaged cars. When the market saw the situation, property prices in the Maihama area dropped dramatically.
Land pollution is another threat most property buyers Japan are only peripherally aware of. When I bought my building in Chiba, for example, I never checked pollution levels, and fortunately it’s never been an issue. The country does not have very strict laws and regulations about land pollution, however, and unfortunately some places are polluted.
To Be Continued
The Savvy Foreign Investor’s Guide to Japanese Properties How to expertly buy, manage and sell real estate in Japan
Buying real estate in any country involves risk and unknowns. This book tells foreign investors how to buy high-yield properties in Japan with confidence.