Frequently asked questions

Straight answers about this site and Japanese real estate.

Are the listings on this site real?

No — every listing is clearly labeled Sample listing (placeholder inventory). They exist to demonstrate the product and will be replaced by live inventory. What IS real: all market statistics, land prices, and the “Recent transactions” records, which come from Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT).

Where does the market data come from?

Three official MLIT sources: the Official Land Price Publication (地価公示 2025), the Prefectural Land Price Survey (都道府県地価調査 2025) — together ~47,000 surveyed sites — and the real-estate transaction database (anonymized deal records, latest fully-published four quarters). See Data sources in the footer for licenses.

What does the heat map show?

Year-on-year change in official land prices: the median across each municipality's surveyed sites, plus the single highest-rising site ("top site"). Zoom in to see all 1,737 municipalities with survey data; the Activity toggle switches to transaction-count trends.

Why do most rural towns show 0% or negative?

Because that is what official data shows — land values outside major metros and resort areas are flat or declining in much of Japan. The map does not dramatize.

Can foreigners really buy property in Japan?

Yes, with no nationality or visa restrictions on ownership. Financing is the practical constraint — see the Buying guide and Mortgage page.

Can I buy without living in Japan?

Yes — non-residents own freehold with full title, and remote purchases via power of attorney are routine. See the “Buying from overseas” guide.

What is key money (reikin)?

A customary non-refundable payment to the landlord, typically 0–2 months' rent, separate from the refundable deposit (shikikin). See the Key money guide for a full fee table.

Do I need a guarantor?

Nearly all leases require either a Japanese guarantor or (far more commonly now) a guarantor company costing ~50–100% of one month's rent. Listings tagged “Guarantor company OK” accept the latter.

What do 1K, 1LDK, 2LDK mean?

Room count + L(iving) D(ining) K(itchen). A 1K is a single room with kitchenette; a 2LDK has two bedrooms plus an open living/dining/kitchen.

Do you value or buy properties?

No. YADONEST is a brokerage demo: we present Japanese properties to English-speaking buyers and tenants. Listing pages show an asking price positioned against the area's ACTUAL transaction medians (blue "Market medians" badge) — market context, not an appraisal.

Is my data collected?

No personal data. The site has no accounts and no forms that send data anywhere; saved homes live only in your browser. We count page views with cookieless Cloudflare Web Analytics, which does not track individual visitors.

How current is the data?

Land-price surveys: 2025 editions (published Mar/Sep 2025). Transactions: the latest four fully-published quarters, labeled on every figure (e.g. “4 qtrs to 2025 Q3”).

Who runs YADONEST?

It is an independent demo product study — see About in the footer. It is not affiliated with any existing marketplace.

Sources: MLIT land-price surveys 2025 (Official Land Prices & Prefectural Survey) and the MLIT real-estate transaction database — actual anonymized records, not listings. Operated as a product study by Scrum Value Agents Inc., Minato, Tokyo (svachain.com). Listings on the main site are placeholder samples; market statistics are real official data.