All Posts By

fukai

27/08/2020
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Dojimagawa Urbanlife ～top-tire apartment in Osaka City

By | Real Estate

This apartment is the top-tire apartment in Osaka City. The building was built in 1992 and the price was over 8 hundred yen (8 million US dollars) at that time. The building is 14 story, not so big building., however, every part of this apartment is designed by special specifications.

Address: 3-1-48, Fukushima, Fukushima-ku, Osaka City
Map: https://goo.gl/maps/cQfrg8iFLtGruyfD7

Plan: 5 bedrooms + 3 bathrooms + 4 toilets
Area: 347.20㎡
Station ：10 minutes walk from JR Fukushima station
Structure：Ferro-concrete & Steel frame 14 story (13th floor)
Completion ：1992
Rent：1,260,000yen
Reikin: 2 months rent
Shikikin: 3 months rent

There are 3 bathrooms and 4 separated toilets. These are enough to accommodate guests.

There are 2 dining rooms. One is for an official dinning with guests and another dinning room can be used for a family.  The big dinning room is connected to the spacious living room which is perfect for reception with a great many people.

(Small dinning room for a family)

The spacious living room and the master bedroom are facing to the Dojima river. It is very quiet and nice night view.

The view from a living room is Royal Hotel and International convention building.  There is a promenade for walking or jogging along the river. It is close to good quality food supermarkets.

The coronavirus makes people leave high rise tower apartments because of a crowded elevator. Dojimagwa Urbanlife is a smaller scale of building, and so  people can stay without anxiety.

“Nakanoshima” has a tradition of Osaka.  There were many leading men in the Japanese history. If you live here for a while, you will be sure to feel the graceful nature of the locality.

22/08/2020
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Conflicts of interests ～exclusively for foreign expats

By | Japan Culture, Real Estate

One of a real estate agent services is a property management.

(A) A property management is that a real estate agent  receives a commission from a building owner and manage the owner’s apartment or house. The real estate agent maintains the building and must attract tenant customers. That is, a property management is a service for owners.

(B) On the other hand a real estate agent receives a request from foreign expats and search for the most suitable apartment or house for the foreign expats. In this case the real estate agent must stand on the foreign expats’ side. That is, searching for an apartment or house is a service for foreign expats.

These two services (A)(B) are mutually exclusive.

“Conflict of interests” is a popular legal term in the United States.
However Japanese do not understand clearly the legal concept of this word “Conflict of interests”

When a creditor and a debtor contend at law, a lawyer for a creditor work for the creditor and a lawyer for a debtor work for the debtor. There are two different lawyers in charge for different interests. If a lawyer for a creditor is the same person as a lawyer for a debtor, there is no doubt that it is illegal because of “Conflict of interests”.

Therefore foreign expats should not trust a real estate agent who receives a commission from owners.

 

 

20/08/2020
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The Period of a Contract～Tenants can cancel anytime in Japan

By | Real Estate

The period is set in a lease contract.
Most foreigners believe that the lease contract cannot be cancelled during the period which is sent by the term of a contract. That is, most foreigners think they must pay the monthly rent until the expiry of their contract.

In general Japanese lease contact for residences set the lease term as two years. However in fact tenants can cancel a lease contract anytime even during the execution of a contract. Tenants must notify the cancellation to the owner one month in advance. Then tenants can terminate their payment of the monthly rent anytime.

Nevertheless a real estate agent in Kobe who is dealing with foreign expats explain to its foreign customers that Japanese lease contract cannot be cancelled during the period of the lease contract. Since foreign expats are hard to find out Japanese laws, foreign customers believe that they must keep their lease contract until the end of the lease.

It is crooked means that the real estate agent makes foreign tenants not to leave their property, but there still are foul play by Japanese real estate agent for many years.

Any Japanese lawyer or realtor easily understands this legal sense. So please be careful with an underhanded real estate agent and ask someone with experience in real estate business.

19/08/2020
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Corporate Contract or Individual Contract

By | Real Estate

Written by Masahiro Fukai , US CPA/ Realtor

Corporate lease contract can reduce tax of both a company and its employees. If a company wants to retain good staff, the company should consider a cooperate lease contract as company housing for staffs.

In case of a cooperate lease contract the following taxes can be reduced.

(For employees)
(1) Withholding tax (Gensenchoshuzei)
Withholding tax is a national tax which is deducted from monthly salary. Since a company pays the monthly rent to the owner, his salary would be decreased. So the withholding tax is reduced.

(2) Local income tax (Juminzei)
Local income tax is also an item which is deducted from monthly salary. In the same way as the above withholding tax, local income tax is also reduced.

(3) Contribution to social insurance (Shakaihokenryou)
The main contributions to social insurance in Japan are ①Health insurance tax (Kenko Hokenryou), ②Employee pension premium（Koseinenkin hokenryou).

(For companies)
(4) Corporate Tax
Since companies pay monthly rent for employees, the expense of income statement will increase. So the corporate tax decreases.

On the other hand in case a company provides housing allowance to employees, the total amount of salary increases. Therefore the above (1) (2) (3) increase.

Corporate lease contract demands nothing. The only one thing is the firm’s accounting workload. However it is not so hard work. Whether or not a company can deal with a corporate lease contract and reduce taxes is essentially a matter of practice.

By adopting a corporate lease contract the firms can enhance the satisfaction level of their employees and so they would always lure high quality people.

29/07/2020
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Ashiya Royal Homes #501 （323.76㎡）

By | Property, Real Estate

Ashiya Royal Homes is very special apartment as the Japanese real estate property.

Ashiya Royal Homes is designed exclusively for foreign executive expats from the early planning stage. There are two full bathrooms and one separate shower room. So the total number of baths is three. Toilets are also three which can guarantee the guest’s privacy.

The 103 square meters living room is enough space to hold formal receptions in this apartment.

The reason why I recommend Ashiya Royala Homes is the apartment caretaker. I think the most important point for rental apartments is the management services. Especially in case of foreigners there are many difficult life because of languages. If the apartment has kind management service, the property would enhance the satisfaction levels.

Mr. Suzuki, the manager of Ashiya Royal Homes, is a talented person rich in experience for building management. He speaks English well, however he study hard German, Chinese, etc when foreign customers are living in his apartment. Mr. Suzuki has a deep desire to be of service.

Ashiya Royal Homes was established on the land of Mr. Nakauchi, the founder of Japan’s top supermarket in 1991 exclusively for foreigners to reside in Japan.

Ashiya Royal Homes is 5 minutes walk from JR Ashiya station. It is only 13 minutes from JR Ashiya station to Osaka station.

“Ashiya” is the top upper-class residential area in Japan. So people’s standard of living is very high. You could understand this meaning if you do in Ashiya. Also there are many very good restaurants and cafe in this area.

“Ashiya” is close to natural mountain of Rokko and on the other hand very good to access of Osaka City for business, too.

In recent years there are worldwide repeated natural disaster. Japan is a country subject to earthquake and Tsunami. The coastal artificial island like Rokko Island is very vulnerable to disaster.

 

Floor plan, the natural environment, living people’s level, convenience to business, safety for disaster. All factors considered, Ashiya Royal Homes is recommended apartment.

Name: Ashiya Royal Homes

Room : 501

Address: 20-10, Ohara-cho, Ashiya City

Floor plan: 5 bedrooms with 2 full baths, 1 shower, and 3 toilets.

Monthly rent: 990,000JPY

Deposit (refundable): 1,980,000 JPY

Deposit(non-refundable): 1,980,000JPY

Area: 333.76 ㎡

Construction: 1991

Parking space : available 22,000JPY

06/05/2020
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The masure to counter the Coronavirus in Osaka for foreign residents

By | Life in Japan

↓Click here
All individual information detail data who are carriers of Coronavirus  in Osaka Prefecture as of May 5.

The above Excel file is all individual information data of all carriers of the Coronavirus in Osaka Prefecture as of May 4 2020.

The total number of carriers is 1,679 persons in Osaka Prefecture now. The above picture is the graphic form which is translated by the results of Excel file.

This is not the secondhand information through mass media, but Osaka Prefecture government investigated the figure and presented for Osaka Prefecture residents.

According to the above Excel file, most dead persons are over 80 years old. The most part of carriers is a light wound.

The Osaka Government’s policy will be different from Japan Government’s policy because  they are different political parties. So those governments will request residents to restrain business and life differently after this. Japan Government says it is until May 31. Osaka Government says until May 15. I think Osaka Government presented more quantitative analysis than Japan Government.

The Japan Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare hints 8 points.

10 8 points from the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare←Click here

Translation

  1. Partition a room into two parts 
  2. People who have something wrong with his or her body should not take care of carriers. 
  3. Wear a mask 
  4. Wash hands well 
  5. Ventilate a room frequently 
  6. Disinfect parts where hands touch like a door nob, a toilet, a washstand
  7. Wash laundry of  linens and cloths
  8. Shut a garbage tightly and dispose quickly  

The following files are measures to counter the Coronavirus published by Japan Government. Please click on the blue letters.

  1. How to prevent from Coronavirus (Thai language)
  2. Measure to counter Coronavirus (English)
  3. How to wash hands (English)

The following contact 06-6647-0641 is Osaka Government crisis center for Coronavirus

The following contact is Suita City Government crisis center for Coronavirus. Please click the links. 

↓Click here
(Thai Language / Translation)
(Japanese)

For Refenrece: My blog about Humidity

The coronavirus is weak by “Humidity” at 50%

When you go to hospital in Japan, this form may be convenient. Please click the following URL for Thai customers.

↓Click here
Thai Language to go to hospital in Japan

I would like you to make better use of house cleaning robot.

  1. Please dispose dusts from the dust box
  2. Please set to charge battery

The following file is the contacts of the Public Health Center in Osaka for Coronavirus

↓Click here
Osaka Health Consulting Center for Coronavirus

05/05/2020
0

Japanese Lease Contract

By | Real Estate

Japanese real estate lease contract is designed for a tenant to be very stronger than an building owner.  Tenants’ legal rights are protected.  This Japanese tenants’ rights are all the more noticeable by contrast with other countries.

Once a tenant makes a lease contract with an owner and move in the property, the owner cannot cancel the lease contract.

To turn a tenant out of the property, an owner must prepare the legal “justifiable reason” why the owner can cancel the lease contract. The “justifiable reason” must meet the qualification prescribed by Japanese tenancy law. However it is extremely difficult to meet the requirements for an owner.

For that reason an owner is concerned about the lease contract and so about 6 months deposit money would be necessary to keep balance between a tenant and an owner.

On the other hand most tenants cannot let money lie idle for many years like the lots of deposit.

Therefore recently “a guarantor company Hosho-Gaisya” is popular with most lease contract in Japan.

Japan is a nation which is under the rule of law as well as other advanced nations.

Even foreign tenant, its right is protected properly by Japanese tenancy law.

If you are a tenant side to make a lease contract in Japan, you are rest assured.

22/03/2020
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The coronavirus is weak by “Humidity” at 50%

By | Life in Japan, News, Society

Ten years ago there was the outbreak  of SARS coronavirus around the world. Then the researchers published the results of the weak point of the virus, which was “Humidity”

Many new researches began for this COVID-19 and Princeton university and University California Los Angels are researching and published the summary the following two points.

(1) COVID-19 stay for three hours in the air and stay for three days on the surface like plastic materials.

(2) COVID-19 will be inactive by 50% humidity and 22.22℃ temperature

This result means that COVID-19 virus is extremely infectious. On the other hand this virus has a weak point about humidity.

SARS coronavirus was inactivated below 1％ in 2 days by 50% humidity. So the same result of research would be expected for COVID-19 virus, too.

It will be good to use a hot shower in the bathroom to make the humidity of bedrooms rise up.

(Photo : Dios Office)

17/03/2020
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Please enjoy your life in Japan～Discoveries through comparative culture

By | Japan Culture, Life in Japan

（Photo: Mt. Fuji climbing by Masahiro Fukai)

I would like many of foreign expats customers to experience and enjoy life in Japanese culture and society. If you scratch a little deeper you will find Japan is really unique country in the world. International students have interests in Japanese language and culture to some degree. However foreign expats  customers’ purpose is business in Japan. So I am under the impression that foreign expats are not so interested in Japanese culture.

To tell the truth, this always makes me regret very much.

Japan is actually very unique country. Japan is very different from neighbour China and Korea.  There are very many differences between Japan and Europe and US, too.

Geographically Japan is an island which is separated from the Asian continent. This geographical conditions make the dead end where people cannot go through. Therefore people didn’t visit Japan from ancient times before the age of the airplane.

People in Sicily Island of Italy eat a fish dish, though European eat a meat dish. Sicily has a cuisine like people living in the East Asian region.  Sicily also isn’t conveniently accessible. So  culture peculiar to that region has been formed as well as Japan.  Portugal is not an island country, however Portugal has also an unique culture because of its geographical position in Europe.

Japan is extremely unique culture country compared to any other country in the world.

Please try to walk in cities, provinces,  rural communities. It would make you discover invaluable things for your life. It is surely a valuable experience. When you compare your mother country with Japan, Japan will be “the miller“. Then I believe you could obtain a deeper understanding of your own country. If you really don’t like Japan, it is very good. Either, however, will do just fine. For you to understand your country well, please experience Japan.

That’s all I wish for.

 

04/03/2020
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Perfect service package exclusive for foreign expats

By | Life in Japan, Real Estate

It must be a real estate company rich in experience for foreign expats’ relocation to Japan. General Japanese real estate agents cannot deal with Internationl expats’ relocation problems because of the language barrier and suchlike. Even if a realtor can speak English, it is not enough. He or she must  have professional skill for international expats. There are many international real estate companies in Tokyo. However the fact is, Dios is the only one company which can provide perfect package service exclusively for foreign expats who work in Japan. 

When Dios Co., Ltd provide perfect service package for expats, Dios is the landlord of your lease contract. Dios is the owner of all furniture and services. That is to say, Dios is your agent, your manager, and your landlord. This service cannot be provided by any other real estate companies in Japan. 

Hotels have a real estate, furniture, and services, but customers have no choice of locations. For example the Ritz Carleton hotel is located only in Nishi Umeda. Customers cannot choose an apartment closer to his or her work place, near kid’s school, or a green environment.  Customers don’t have the freedom to choose a high-rise apartment, a low-rise building, or a detached house with a garden. Dios can provide services like hotels and customers can have many options about locations. 

A 

Our properties are not small like hotels, but large living spaces. So our properties are lower prices than hotels. Our services are more added values for expats, but have price competitiveness. Our more than 20 years experiences, skills and deep affection towards foreign people living in Japan can create these scheme of services. Dios is the only one company in Japan.