Initially it was investment by foreigners mainly from Australia driving land and property prices; your average husband and wife investor with an interest in snow sports looking to take advantage of the equity that had been established in their family home.

However, in the last 12 months has seen a swing to other Asian and European markets, such as China, Malaysia, South Korea, Russia and the United Kingdom. Along with this swing has also generated interest from international resort corporations such as the Hilton Group, AP Land and Capella Resorts – the big players in the resort industry have arrived.

With the arrival of these international resort corporations into the outer areas of Niseko has once again started to drive surrounding property prices upwards with savvy investors looking to capatalise on the big names that have come to the area. Only 12 months prior property prices where nearly a quarter of the price of the main village area.

This trend has also been reported by the two official surveys of land values that are made in Japan each year. One is by the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry (MLIT) and is calculated on Jan. 1; the second is by prefectural governments and takes place on July 1.

In each survey, average land prices plummeted for 16 consecutive years from 1992 with the exception of the Niseko village. According to the survey, a sample property in Niseko saw an annual increase in value of 40.9 percent to July 1. This rise is almost entirely due to money flowing in from non-Japanese investors and buyers. According to statistics provided by the town, the number of approvals of new building applications increased in the Niseko area from 95 in 2005 to 121 in just the first five months of this financial year. In 2005 only 11 applications were by foreigners; this year there have already been 70 by foreigners.

With this alarming increase of international investment and investment opportunities has now caught the attention of foreign banks, such as Australia’s Commonwealth Bank, are starting to offer mortgage services in Japan. “We found that there was a fair number of foreigners wanting to buy Japan real estate who couldn’t, or found it too difficult because of language issues, life-insurance issues, residency issues,” said Richard Harris, the bank’s general manager in Japan. Since launching these services in May, they have received 350 inquiries.

Real estate investment in Japan falls under two categories such as investing in real estate properties for private purposes and acquiring real estate properties solely for investment purposes. Included in the options that are most suitable for private purposes are brand new houses as well as condominiums, brand new apartments, second hand apartments with lowest rate of depreciation, and second hand houses. Options for investment purposes include both brand new and second hand apartments and houses.

The prices of property vary depending upon the nature of the property as well as the place where it is located. For instance, purchasing a new apartment or house in such sought after areas as Azabu, Akasaka, and Aoyama in Tokyo would serve as an excellent investment and could undoubtedly fetch you good returns in the form of rent. Likewise, investing in properties located in such hotspots of Central Tokyo as Roppongi, Nogizaka, and Atago, can also fetch you good profits.

in Japan, a real estate property can be acquired by anyone. However, it would be more convenient to those investors with a long term visa. It would be even better if an investor has a permanent visa. The prime reason for this is due to difficulty in availing for loans. It is quite difficult even for a Japanese to avail loan in the country. Hence, it would be even chaotic if a foreign investor does not have proper visa and job. In Japan, the laws and regulations in connection with buying and selling of real estate property is managed by the Legal Affairs Bureau, under the administration of the Ministry of Justice. According to the Japanese Civil Code, on the registration of a real estate property, the rights pertaining to its ownership or leasehold would be legally established.

A plethora of realtors as well as real estate firms are now in the scenario in order to help you find a property in Japan that goes according to your unique requirements. They provide a range of services such as market analysis, consultation, project management, asset evaluation, property management, and valuation and advisory services. In some instance, these firms even render the services of professional attorneys in order to verify the authenticity of real estate documents.

Any property having the potential to generate revenue may be called commercial real estate. Apart from the property types listed above, capital gains and income by way of rent can also be acquired through investment in niche properties. A career in this field is likely to take hours of coursework and a satisfactory pass in one or more licensing exams. Investing in the country’s real estate is a bold move, one that is extremely advantageous if carried out correctly. Anyone can acquire a property on the island. Investors must keep in mind that it is somewhat difficult to obtain a loan from a bank nowadays.

That depends on the area in which you want to invest your money. Tokyo is certainly the most expensive. Prices, as a rule, decrease steadily as the distance to the capital center increases. Old buildings are substantially cheaper than newly constructed ones. Remote areas such as Hokkaido and Tohoku, or regions such as Yamaguchi and Shimane can be especially cheap. In certain areas, local governments offer land for free to those who are willing to settle there for a number of years. Investors can easily get an idea of prices by checking with country-wide search engines.

In the mid-80′s, the country’s real estate market was excessively regulated and difficult to penetrate. Many factors have played in the easing of those regulations and Japan has now become a more open economy. Developments in technology and the Internet and internal changes in the economy have opened the Japanese market in many directions – telecommunication industry, medical equipments and pharmaceuticals industry, energy production, information technology industry, insurance industry, and financial services.

The striking 70 percent fall in the commercial real estate costs from their height in the early 1990′s shows the extent to which a loan supply imbalance can affect real economic activity. Companies and investors that are keen on entering the market can benefit by finding a reliable, well-reputed distributor or agent to represent them in the market. Japanese give a high degree of importance to personal relationships. You need much patience and repeated follow-up actions to clinch a real estate deal. If you are a foreigner entering in commercial real estate in Japan, it is a good idea to hire a professional interpreter, as many Japanese businessmen and executives do not speak English.

Commercial property market in Japan is considered the largest in the world, after the US. Japanese commercial real estate includes office space, executive suit, commercial land, industrial property, and retail space. Investing in a commercial property in Japan is regarded as a great way to diversify your portfolio as well as to build wealth and enjoy tax benefits. Further, Japanese commercial real estate is considered an excellent long term investment, yielding huge returns and profits.

The commercial real estate prices in many of the areas in Japan have record prices. For instance, a piece of commercial property in Ginza shopping district of Tokyo cost around 26 million yen per square meter. Likewise, commercial real estate prices are skyrocketing in such areas as Niseko, an enchanting ski resort in the northern part of the Hokkaido Island, Nagoya, situated along the Tokaido Shinkansen road between Osaka and Tokyo, and Osaka, at the basin of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay.

Anyone can purchase or acquire a commercial land or property in Japan. But, only appropriate visa holders can invest in real estate in Japan. It would be even better if one has a permanent visa. Likewise, it is quite difficult for a foreigner to obtain mortgage through a Japanese bank in order to invest in a real estate in Japan. For the foreigners to apply for loan, it is mandatory to have at least permanent residency status and collateral in the country. A Japanese mortgage is considered a great way to finance for your commercial property. The interest rates are exceptionally low, and majority of the financial institutions provide a mortgage in yen.

Among the steps involved in the buying process of a real estate in Japan are ensuring that you have sufficient finance to buy property, making offer to the vendor, signing contracts written in Japanese which is translated in English, if required, and opening of a trust account. Additionally, the commercial property purchase transaction include expenses in the form of stamp duty, registration and license tax, property acquisition tax, and fixed assets tax. A plethora of real estate firms, realtors, and property builders are now available to help you in locating a commercial property according to your budget and requirements, no matter it is industrial property, office buildings, or retail spaces. Many of the real estate firms have a section exclusively to cater to services with regard to commercial real estate. Some of them even provide the service of an expert lawyer to verify the authenticity of documents.

Mostly, these firms render a continuum of services in connection with commercial real estate, such as, helping you in locating a commercial land or property that goes with your requirements as well as effectively dealing with the procedures involved in the sale or purchase of a property. Apart from these, there are certain real estate firms providing the service of solicitors, who in turn offer services such as checking of the content written in the contract, ensure that the commercial property is unencumbered, trust fund services, and independent objective advice. In some instances, these firms offer services such as asset management, office leasing, and finding a suitable tenant.