In early 2014 the Japanese Financial Instruments and Exchange Act (JFIEA) was amended to allow easier venture-based crowdfunding for investment. Japan now has more than 50 crowdfunding platforms.

The government announced that it was going to help stimulate the medical sector by creating new guidelines to encourage Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs) to invest in hospitals.

The company owes about JPY2.5trn (US$31bn) to the banks and other bond holders, a crushing debt burden, with shares slipping from around JPY800 this time last year to just JPY198 on Friday.

CreditBy Chris Cleary-- “The recent stock market woes have dented my investing confidence, so I’m sitting on the sidelines right now. I’m scared markets will go down more...if they don’t I’ll curse myself!” -- When is a good time to invest? Obviously at market lows. And to disinvest? Obviously at market highs. The dictum buy low/sell high is perfectly rational. However, market conditions are always uncertain. Fluctuation is the mechanism of price discovery. Markets fluctuate perpetually: whether they are moving sideways, upwards or downwards

J@pan Inc looks at an overseas investment opportunity

J@pan Inc is proud to present a new regular feature that focuses on an investment opportunity beyond the shores of Japan.

Being a good student of British history the word "gentrification" conjures up images of seventeenth century farmhouses and Oliver Cromwell championing the rise of parliament. But in real estate, the term is more related to high yield investment opportunities than the beginning of the end of aristocratic power. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines it in the following manner:

By Hirokazu Mukai, CEO, Minato Asset Management

To maximize cash-flow, you have two choices, one is to work harder at your office. The other is to make your money work for you and dedicate more of your time to your own concerns. And if you’re thinking about making an investment, the smart money is in real estate. Since Japanese interest rates are so low, and the Japanese currency is so weak against other currencies such as the Euro, or the Pound, you’ll find Japanese real estate a very attractive option.

by Simon Jackson, Project Director, RidgeRunner Architectural Design & Development
How Niseko looks like a great investment with a dose of sustainable development

The rapid rise in Niseko real estate prices are being described as a bubble by some, but with the number of overseas visitors continuing to grow strongly, and large tracts of inexpensive land still available, the region’s investment potential looks strong if we develop sustainably.