The appeal of Japan

I have met few people who have visited Japan and not been blown away by the experience. The experience I think is enough to convert the most ardent nationalist, racist to concede some ground. I say that because I've seen it happen. It usually takes a week or two. Japan is particularly special because it is so DIFFERENT from the West, and of course it has the appeal of being a large population, clean, organised, friendly, safe and always interesting. Everything on the surface is where it should be. You can buy a home there, pay as little as $US300 a year in taxes, not even have to worry about insurance.

Westerners are allowed to stay in Japan for 90 days, and its easy to fly to Korea for a weekend for an extension. I have a better way. Get a Japan Rail Pass, or several of them, and travel to Fukuoka and get a RETURN ferry to Pusan (South Korea). There are some great capsule hotels in Fukuoka you need to check out as well.

In my 20s, when I first arrived in Japan, I was fascinated by the people, loved the modern architecture (with its emphasis on function over style), the food and the girls. I've since lost interest in the girls. Very polite, fun to be with, but not very ambitious or interesting for me. I know there are exceptions. All the smart ones I met seem to have hang ups. But if I was in my 20s again, I'd be spending more time there. Maybe even my 30s. :) I think Japan is an experience that all Western people need to have. Not because they need to learn a better way of living, but because they might reflect on their own culture with a different perspective.

What would I want them to learn?

1. How China/Japan are not becoming more Westernised, the West is becoming more collectivist.

2. The importance of good organisation. That kids going to 'cram school' are not necessarily repressed, they might actually enjoy the experience of being with friends.

3. Food ought to be bought for quality, not super-sized on volume

4. The person with the biggest house in the street is not the most successful

5. The cost of collectivism is the mindlessness evident in Japan - they are just better organised

NZ Property Guide
Philippine Real Estate Guide
Foreclosed Japan Guide
Author
Andrew Sheldon
Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Searching for Japanese foreclosed property

One of the best ways to search for foreclosed property in Japan is to use the online database of provided by Bit-Sikkou. In recent times their website has been overhauled. Until the 18th May 2010 you can still access the old format, however I would advise you to become accustomed to the new version before the old format dies.

The question then is - how do you access the new service? The problem of course is that Google Translate will only do a partial translation because many of the buttons are linked graphics rather than hypertext. This obstacle is easily overcome because each of the links is readily translated. For your convenience however I have am providing a translation. Once you know where you want to go, the process is pretty seamless, because you will likely be searching the same areas, and the Translation tool is seamlessly integrated by Google.

Provided below are two screen captures for the graphic links on the Bit-Sikkou website. One of the screen images shows a 'Glossary of terms'. Aside from using this to find definition of terms, you can also use it as a means of finding the kanji equivalent term if you need to converse with any non-English speaking Japanese court office staff, or otherwise you can refer Japanese friends, etc assisting you.

NZ Property Guide
Philippine Real Estate Guide
Foreclosed Japan Guide
Author
Andrew Sheldon
Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Japan's climate and travel tips

One of the appealing aspects about Japan is its distinctive climate. I personally have not lived in a place before where the climate extremes are as wide as Japan. Of course the extremes are even greater inland. In winter you can freeze your ears off. I remember walking 2km to a shopping mall and having that problem. I was not accustomed to that level of cold in Narita City, particularly as it was April already.

The opposite is true in the summer. Humid days create a stark contrast. This weather is great for the whitewater kayaking I like to do in Japan, since I live between two canoeing rivers just 1 hour from Tokyo. Japan is of course a surprisingly long country, though tilted on a NE-SW axis. I would however suggest that the NE (i.e. Hokkaido) is far colder, and the SE far warmer. This is both because of latitude considerations and the influence of ocean currents.

For more climate details for Japan, check out Wikipedia. The great news is that Japan is appealing at any time of year. There are great ski packages. You can be based in Tokyo, and jump on a shinkansen (i.e. Very Fast Train) to say Nozawa, just on the other side of the range, in Niigata prefecture. In summer, the same region offers canyoning, MTB and rafting activities.

Most people go to Toyko, however I am very fond of some of the larger cities like Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Nagoya. I do however suggest getting a Japan Rail Pass which offers a huge concession for holiday-makers, and travelling to some of the smaller, more remote areas. I particular was keen to take all the train routes that followed the river valleys. They are often slow trains stopping at all stops. I have a collection of GPS coordinates for all the train stations I have been to. Thought it might come in handy for future canoeing/kayaking. i.e. So I know when to get out of a river and walk to the station with my inflatable canoe. The landscapes are pretty special. The culture is not simply in the cities.

There are some pretty unique people around. Some worthy of mention:

1. Small bar in Matsue offers some of your obscure alternative rock bands from home, well in my case Australia & NZ. Anyone for Straightjacket Fits, The Chills or Ned's Atomic Dustbin. I didn't get everything I wanted. The guy has a collection of over 6,000 CDs.

2.

Sorry, its a short list, as all of my other experiences were in bars, and I can't remember them, but you get the idea.

NZ Property Guide

Philippine Real Estate Guide

Foreclosed Japan Guide

Author

Andrew Sheldon

Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

Regional property market outlook

For those of you interested in property in the Asia-Pacific region, consider the following news with respect to each of the markets we cover.

1. The Philippines property market prices appears to have bottomed according to Global Property Guide. This company relies on a number of indices produced by Colliers International. You can view their quarterly market report at Colliers. Based on other posts I have made about the Philippines, I have a lot of confidence in the nation's fundamentals. This is of course evident from the latest edition of our report.

2. Japan Property Market has never really recovered so if you are looking for a turnaround story then Japan might be a place to consider. The prospect of reform-minded government is looking less likely given the controversies which have put the alternate government (i.e. Democratic Party of Japan) on the back foot. The country does however remain a great place to live and work, and the foreclosed property offerings at huge discounts make it an appealing option. The fundamentals are deteriorating, though the foreclosed market is still trading at huge discounts for anyone happy for property more than 1 hour from the largest cities.

3. New Zealand Property Market is still to find a base in the cities though you can find cheap property in some rural areas. The exchange rate for NZ and a number of commodity based countries makes this market less appealing, except for the committed retiree who can loan funds locally. In any respect this is not the time to transfer assets to NZ, or to buy property generally.

NZ Property Guide

Philippine Real Estate Guide

Foreclosed Japan Guide

Author

Andrew Sheldon

Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com

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NZ Property Guide

Philippine Real Estate Guide

Foreclosed Japan Guide

Author

Andrew Sheldon

Applied Critical Thinking | www.SheldonThinks.com