Insurance

2026/10/13

Disaster risk, and what is actually disclosed

Disaster risk, and what is actually disclosed Japanese agents must show you where a property sits on the flood hazard map, and whether it lies in a designated landslide or tsunami alert zone. Liquefaction and earthquake hazard carry no duty to explain at ...

2026/10/13

Insuring a house in Japan that nobody lives in

Insuring a house in Japan that nobody lives in Japanese fire insurance classifies a building by how it is used, and a house with nobody living in it is generally not classified as a home. The class decides the premium, what riders you may attach, and whet ...

2026/10/26

The morning after a typhoon, the damage is not where you are looking

The morning after a typhoon, the damage is not where you are looking You walk around the house. No broken tiles, windows intact, nothing down in the garden. From that you conclude there is no damage. It is the conclusion that costs the most, because Japan ...

2026/10/13

An empty house announces itself every day

An empty house announces itself every day Mail overflowing the box. Grass grown tall. No light at night, no footprints after snow. A house with nobody in it cannot conceal the fact, and some people are looking for exactly that information. By Toru Fujito ...

2026/10/22

A second home you visit four times a year

A second home you visit four times a year Buying a house in Kyoto, Niseko, Hakuba or Okinawa to use several times a year is a different proposition from buying somewhere to live. The building is empty for most of its life, and almost everything that goes ...