🇯🇵 Japan
Japan Guides
10 guides on moving to, living in, and buying property in Japan as an American. Organized by topic below.
Cost of Living
2 guides
Cost of Living in Japan for Americans (2026) — Real Monthly Budgets
Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Fukuoka — surprisingly affordable rent, NHI healthcare, konbini culture, and the resident tax trap.
Cost of Living in Japan vs. USA (2026) — Real Side-by-Side Numbers
Real side-by-side numbers: Tokyo vs NYC, Osaka vs Denver. Japan is 24% cheaper with the world's best transit, $6 ramen lunches, and universal healthcare.
Visas & Immigration
1 guideBuying Property
5 guides
How to Find a Bilingual Real Estate Lawyer Abroad (and What to Pay Them)
A practical guide to vetting, hiring, and paying an English-speaking real estate lawyer in Spain, Italy, France, Portugal, Ireland, Mexico, Japan and beyond.
Buying a Home in Tokyo on a US Salary: Full Cost Breakdown
Can you buy a home in Tokyo on an American salary? A line-by-line breakdown of prices, taxes, mortgages, and the realities of buying property in Japan in 2026.
How to Buy a House in Japan Without Speaking Japanese
You can legally buy Japanese property with zero Japanese — but you need a bilingual agent, a scrivener, and a translated contract. Here's the realistic 2026 playbook.
Kyoto vs Osaka Akiya: Buying a Cheap Japanese Home in 2026
The 2026 reality of buying an akiya (abandoned home) in Kyoto and Osaka: prices, renovation costs, what Americans actually pay, and the traps to avoid.
The Real Risks of Buying a Japanese Akiya in 2026
Akiya deals look great in YouTube videos. The reality in 2026: no visa, renovation blowouts, inheritance tax, and the 1981 seismic code cliff. What to actually watch for.
