Why Japanese Real Estate Service Fees Are Necessary for Buyers

When foreign or domestic buyers approach Japan’s countryside housing market, they almost always ask the same question: Why do I need to pay upfront? Isn’t commission enough? The confusion is understandable, but it’s based on an urban-centric misunderstanding of...

Creative Rural Japan Projects Begin With Media, Not Meetings

Why Rural Prototypes Matter More Than Proposals Creative rural Japan projects begin with story, not scheduling. Those Who Cross the Stillness, a winter music film made in Shinano, doesn’t ask for permission. It simply exists. With snow falling across silent forest...

Rural Development in Japan Needs Future Thinking, Not False Nostalgia

When people talk about Japan’s shrinking countryside, they often reach for one phrase: rural development. But all too often, it gets replaced with “revitalization,” a term soaked in false nostalgia. That word choice matters. “Revitalization” assumes that rural Japan...

Rural Japan Needs Entrepreneurs, Not Just Families

Rural Japan entrepreneurs are not just wanted, they’re essential. Despite ongoing rural revitalization efforts, most government policies still target families rather than founders. But if the Japanese countryside is to become more than a place of retreat, we...

Akiyaz on NOS: Truth Behind Cheap Japanese Houses Revealed

Our Appearance on the NOS Japan Segment Earlier this month, Akiyaz was featured on a widely viewed NOS Japan segment, where we addressed global curiosity around cheap Japanese houses. Titled “Het geheim achter spotgoedkope huizen in Japan: ‘Het is...