Housing Japan vol.10 2016

HOUSING JAPAN VOLUME 10

FRAMING TOKYO See Tokyo through the eyes of the city`s professional photographers.

TOKYO PROPERTY MARKET A look at the Tokyo home and property market.

TOKYO TOURISM

What impacts are growing numbers of tourists having in the metropolis.

GRAVITAS

The story behind Tokyo’s most expensive home in over 10 years.

MODEL LIFE

Life in front of the lens, in a city known for its style.

YOUR KEY TO LUXURY LIVING IN TOKYO BY HOUSING JAPAN, THE CITY`S PREMIER INTERNATIONAL REAL ESTATE FIRM.

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VOLUME 10 2016

Housing Japan Magazine ROBIN SAKAI

EDITORIAL & DESIGN PUBLISHER / Mitsuo Hashimoto

MANAGING EDITOR

MANAGING EDITOR / Robin Sakai ART DIRECTOR / Alfie Goodrich CONTRIBUTORS/ Adam German, Aiko Wadley, Caroline Marti, Akie Kojima, Ben Torode.

ADVERTISING & SALES Custom Media

Robin has been involved in the Tokyo property and media worlds for more than 7 years. He has helped create several platforms for connecting people with property, infomation and entertainment in the city.

ADAM GERMAN MARKETING DIRECTOR

www.custom-media.com

A well-known figure in both the marketing and sales side of Tokyo real estate, Canadian Adam has been been behind some of the most successful property services in Tokyo.

PRODUCTION & PRINTING DESIGN & LAYOUT / Japanorama PRINTING / Mojoprint COVER PHOTOGRAPHY /Alfie Goodrich MODEL / Norie COPYRIGHT All content of the Housing Japan magazine is copyright Housing Japan and / or its respective author. It is used here for editorial purposes. Although every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the content within this publication, some information, such as contact numbers and addresses, may change without notice. Housing Japan and Japanorama accepts no responsibility for misrepresented content or information within this publication. © Copyright 2016

ALFIE GOODRICH PHOTOGRAPHER & ART DIRECTOR Alfie Goodrich is a renowned photographer and art director based in Tokyo. His work is highly regarded by clients, a prestigious list that includes some of the biggest brands in the automotive, travel, media, and consumer technology industries.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS ISSUE

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TOKYO PROPERTY MARKET REPORT — How the property market is performing in 2016 and beyond.

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TOKYO TOURISM — Effects of growing tourism on Tokyo and those that live here.

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UNIQUELY JAPAN — Its not just Tokyo... Living in Japan`s incredible resort locales.

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LIVING MOTIF

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DIANA & DAN — London and Tokyo in harmony with Diana Yukawa and husband, Dan Chuter.

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SERVICE GUIDE & DIRECTORY — International schools and education centers in Tokyo.

— Interior decoration and furniture style in Tokyo.

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HOUSING JAPAN VOLUME 10 2016

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24 11 MARKET REPORT THE TOKYO PROPERTY MARKET EXPLAINED.

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TOKYO TOURISM

THE FOREIGN INGREDIENT

EDUCATION

KOBE BEEF AND STAR CHEF, FREDERICO HEINZMANN.

SCHOOLS AND EDUCATION IN TOKYO

EFFECTS OF TOURISM ON THE PROPERTY MARKET.

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WELCOME W

elcome to the new edition of the Housing Japan magazine, featuring a hand picked selection of luxury homes and fine-living from central Tokyo. Housing Japan is the premier international real estate company for the city, helping to connect people with the best property in the city, and the Housing Japan magazine is a showcase of all that is good about life here.

In this issue we talk with a locally based professional photographer, getting insight into what its like taking those stunning images of Tokyo, seen and enjoyed around the world. We also speak to model Norie, about life on the other side of the camera, in a place that is often defined by its style and fashion.

With the 2020 Olympics on their way, and new developments in the economy, now is an exciting time to be in Tokyo.

We look at some of the spectacular homes the market has to offer, including Gravitas Akasaka, the residence that became the most expensive property transaction in the city for over 10 years.

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MITSUO HASHIMOTO PRESIDENT HOUSING JAPAN

If your search for inspiration is not abatted here, check out our feature on Tokyo’s stylish interior-design shop, Living Motif, or sit down with renowned chef Frederico Heinzmann, the creative gourmet at the Park Hyatt Hotel in Shinjuku.

For serious buyers and investors, what you will also want to know is what are the latest happenings it the market. How the huge growth in tourist numbers is having an effect, what impact the increased number of buyers is having and how Tokyo is responding. Our market reports, driven by first-hand knowledge from our team of Tokyo property specialists provide everything you need to know.

Enjoy the magazine and if you have interest in renting, buying or leasing out a property in Tokyo, then we look forward to hearing from you soon.

PHOTO / BEN TORODE

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TOKYO MARKET REPORT TEXT / ADAM GERMAN. PHOTO / BEN TORODE

2015 was a monumental year, not only for real estate but for Japan overall. To the vast relief of this author, most of the predictions made at the beginning of 2015 have turned into reality.

Looking forward, we can see some evidence that the grand experiment called Abenomics has light at the end of the tunnel, albeit still a pinprick, that gives onlookers cautious optimism that Japan, starting with Tokyo, is on the path to sustainable economic recovery. A recent American Chamber of Commerce Journal article by Anthony Fensom sums up generally the challenges for the year ahead in broad strokes.

Increased Wages: A New Hope There are hordes of datapoints floating around about Japan and what Abenomics is doing for or to the country.

You can find something to back up almost anyopinion on the matter.

Given the implementation to date, Abenomics has boiled down to two points that will dictate its fate; base wage levels and household spending. In October, 2015, Bloomberg released a very informative article that illustrated the movements of both nationwide base wages and household spending levels. Data in 2015 showed base wages moving into positive growth territory while household spending remained volatile.

Increased wages are a precursor to increased household spending and in a country like Japan where corporations and individuals hoard cash in savings accounts, a single

digit increase in corporate and consumer spending translates into a double digit increase in GDP, as exemplified by the April 2014 consumption tax increase.

Immediately prior to this tax increase, consumers and corporations across Japan went on a shopping spree, buying larger items in an effort to save the difference between 5% to 8%.

As a result, the GDP numbers for the quarter ending March 2014 were the highest rise in GDP since the advent of Abenomics. This was followed immediately by one of the worst GDP performing quarters since the advent of Abenomics, as Japan’s shopping spree stopped and everyone went back into saving mode.

Despite Mr. Abe’s government doing everything a public sector can to assist in creating an environment where Japanese companies can rake in record profits, corporations are still slow to the table when it comes to investing those profits into human capital. Sick of trying to coax companies into doing their part, Mr. Abe and Mr. Kuroda, Governor of the Bank of Japan, are looking to take matters into their own hands.

According to Reuters, Mr. Kuroda is now seeking the advice of ETF promoters in large domestic banks on creating an “Abenomics” index of funds whose underlying companies are proven to have track records of spending their profits at home.

Put simply; Mr. Abe and the Bank of Japan are out of patience with Japanese corporations not meeting expectations in terms of raising wages. To underscore this further, on Friday, January 29th, Mr. Kuroda stunned

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PHOTO: GOODRICH

economists worldwide by adopting a negative interest rate policy. This applies to certain excess cash reserves and is meant to spur banks to lend more. For banks that hold excess reserves with the BoJ in addition to what they are legally required to, those excesses will be subject to the tiered negative interest rate policy.

Whether the banks can lend responsibly or not is the question that remains to be seen as irresponsible lending practices, albeit for a different set of circumstances, were what created Japan’s famed Bubble Era economy.

As 2016 progresses, the BoJ’s actions regarding how much further interest rates will sink and whether or not BoJ ETF purchases for companies “doing their part” become a reality will be the actions to watch. If implemented reasonably well, then it will translate into higher wages and more corporate spending.

Women in the Workplace: The Force Awakens Japan has a dwindling workforce due to a declining population. Mr. Abe is determined to make more of a place for women in the workforce specifically in higher lever management positions. However, it is also wellknown that Japan has a dismal record when it comes to gender equality. According to the Japan Times, Japan ranks 104 out of a ranking of 142 developed nations in terms of gender equality.

While the situation is slightly improving, if it stays at the same pace as for the past decade, then it is estimated that Japan will have gender parity 81 years from now.

Mr. Abe is hoping to speed this up drastically with sweeping reforms aimed at enticing companies to hire and retain for of the fairer gender for longer. According to Mr. Abe, women should no longer have to choose between family and career. This is a huge hill to climb as it inherently means Mr. Abe will tackle very traditional societal mentalities when it comes to the role of men

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and women. “Okusan”, Japanese for wife, is represented in the language with the Kanji for “deep”, meaning “the person at the back of the house” (usually where the kitchen in older Japanese homes was designed to be).

From a Western perspective, women should be raising their voices in complete and utter support of a government that is finally pushing gender equality as a staple of it’s governing policy. Unfortunately, most Western media are missing a crucial point; whether women in Japan actually want careers while raising a family.

A survey conducted by the Intelligence HITO Research Institute in April, 75% of the 1,058 respondents said that they did not want more responsibility at work according to an article by The Diplomat.

This contrasts starkly with respondents asked the same question in China and Australia, with 72 and 69 percent respectively answering they wanted more responsibility at work. According to Japan Today, in a similar survey conducted by Japan’s Health, Labour and Welfare Ministry in 2013, out of 3,000 women between the ages of 15-39, a full one-third stated their goal is to become a housewife.

The worrying trend of all this is Mr. Abe’s government is betting that once an environment is created that is conducive to allowing women to be mothers and have a career like it is in other G7 nations, increased participation

by Japanese women in the workplace will naturally follow suit. Would Japan’s women actually want to pick up the mantle and do what Mr. Abe’s government is expecting remains a huge unknown.

While the desire is there from Japan’s women to return to the workforce after pregnancy, the actual numbers returning back are small compared to the other industrialised nations. 2016 doesn’t show any signs of giant changes in domestic mentality which brings us to another aspect of Abenomics.

Increased Immigration: The Phantom Menace Observers of Japan for a long time have argued that in order to fix a dwindling population, increased immigration is the path of lesser resistance to a meaningful demographic solution in the fastest amount of time.

However Mr. Abe’s government is slow to move on this item, mainly due to entrenched apprehensions that exist in the Japan’s society regarding more inclusion of foreigners in society. These apprehensions however tend to be misinterpreted by media outlets that claim to represent the English language view (and therefore the representative “foreign” view) of Japan. A very well articulated Japan tImes article on Japan’s “No Immigration Policy” outline the prevailing journalistic view nicely. However this type of view sits atop an erroneous foundation that Japan wishes to protect the homogenous nature of the culture above all other economic costs.

In Japan, the term “NEET” (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and “Freeter” (a term for people continuously in low impact, part time jobs) are not derogatory terms like they would be in other countries. These are uniquely Japanese terms used to describe the same type of people often called “welfare bums” in Western countries, particularly when referring to “NEET”s. Since the late 90’s, NEET & Freeter rates have been steadily rising with no serious plan to stem the issue. For anyone Western who has raised children in Japan, there is a constant battle between the parent’s desire to nurture a critically thinking, responsible adult versus Japan’s tenancy to make large, sweeping societal excuses for their young not having any ambition. Some immigration reform opponents aren’t racist but more argue that the country should stem the growing numbers of Japanese NEETs and Freeters prior to allowing more immigration.

Other opinions argue that immigration reform would hurt the necessity needed to innovate. According to another, well written Japan Times article, Yoichi Kaneko of the Democratic Party of Japan argues that if the country depended on immigration rather than developing technologies to solve labour shortages, then the urgency to innovate would dwindle. According to Mr. Kaneko, investing in labour saving technologies like this now would not only solve Japan’s declining demographic problem but would also allow Japan to export these technologies to other countries facing the same demographic dilemma.

While Japan has the most pronounced ageing population, it certainly isn’t alone. Germany, South Korea, China and even the United States are some of the economies facing the same ageing population problem. Mr. Kaneko argues that labour saving technologies once developed originally to solve Japan’s ageing issue could be exported

other developed and developing economies. While Mr. Kaneko’s opinion might seem like an idea ahead of its time, the anti immigration stance is one definitely not rooted in racism. The position is more born from a desire to domestically innovate while at the same time stemming spreading apathy among Japanese people.

As a Canadian living in Japan for 13 years, I would rather see a domestic population excited about it’s future more than I would like to see increased numbers of cynical brethren joining me on the island. Once this is achieved, I can tell you Japan will be a MUCH more desirable place to live and work then it is now.

What does this mean for real estate owner’s and buyers?

Moving forward through 2016, we expect this to be a make or break year for Japan. Many of the backbone policies of Abenomics’ third arrow must have some concrete steps of action implemented by the end of the year if the grand experiment has a hope of becoming a success. How you feel about about these topics should guide you to the right decision for your portfolio.

If you feel that Abenomics is the reason Japan’s economy will sink into the Pacific, then buying now isn’t for you.

There are still uncertainties that need to be hammered out to clearly predict the nation’s future. Similar to buyers, if you feel that Abenomics is going to ruin the country, then you are best to sell in 2016 as you will most likely be able to leave the market higher then when you bought. On the other hand, if you believe that the social cohesion found only in Japan is strong enough to overcome the challenges ahead, then you shouldn’t wait much longer to purchase in Tokyo or pricing will soon leave the realm of being a lucrative investment to being merely a good one.

Depending on your beliefs and personal circumstances, owners might do best to hold for a couple years to see how the above societal debates and arguments play out in creating sustainable, economic growth in Japan.

One thing is for certain however; 2016 will be one of those rare years where the market will be beneficial to both buyers and sellers alike.

For more information on the Tokyo property market, and to discuss purchasing a home or investment property in the city, contact the Housing Japan sales team.

Email. sales@housingjapan.com Tel. 03-3588-8861

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Gravitas Akasaka, located in Minato Ward, recently became the most expensive residential transaction in Tokyo for over 10 years.

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CAPTURING GRAVITAS TEXT ROBIN SAKAI. PHOTOS ALFIE GOODRICH. PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT DEREK MAKISHIMA. MODELS IRINA, GREGORY & CHARLIE. HAIR & MAKEUP MEGUMI ISONO. GENERAL ASSISTANT HIROMI KUMAI.

When it came to capturing the most expensive property in Tokyo, choosing the right photographer, the right interior decoration and the right models was all of crucial importance to creating the right atmosphere.

Every year a wave of new residential buildings spring up in Tokyo, but most of these are large multi-unit condominiums or elaborate apartment complexes its rare to see large, private estates set down for the first time in the centre of the city. Last year Gravitas Akasaka changed that and in so doing became the most expensive residential property to be created here in over a decade. Consisting of two adjacent residences, they changed hands for 690 million yen ($5.8 million) and 680 million yen respectively.

From almost any angle, Gravitas is a property that makes an impact. Its location, in the Akasaka neighbourhood and within walking distance of Aoyama, Nogizaka and Roppongi, placed it at the nexus of Tokyo`s culture, politics and business. It`s size; both houses were over 380 square meters each. And its design, western inspired but sensitive to the Tokyo environment.

The feature list was impressive too, with huge rooftop gardens that offered views of Tokyo Tower, heated flooring, a central air-conditioning system, open plan living / dining areas, high-grade kitchen fixtures and basement theatre rooms that in one case, featured a descending car parking platform. Clearly these were

no ordinary properties and when it came to showcasing them on the market, it required something just as special.

For that, Housing Japan turned to noted Tokyo photographer Alfie Goodrich. A Hasselblad Ambassador for Japan, Alfie has shot for AMG Mercedes, Lexus, and the Wall Street Journal, amongst others. He has brought the best out of everything from star cars, such as Porsche and Ferrari, to the stars themselves, including HRH the Duke of Cambridge on the occasion of his state visit to Japan. When it came to developing an approach to shooting star properties, he and the Housing Japan marketing team created a completley new way to showcase property in Tokyo.

“You are always looking to tell a story when you take a photo, and a house is like a box full of stories. You think about all the different things that can happen, all the dreams that get realised in a house, and all of a sudden you imagine conversations over coffee in the kitchen, soaking in views of Tokyo as the sun goes down, or entertaining friends and family on the rooftop. In shooting Gravitas Akasaka, we had to put some of that down. The magic though is in hinting at what is possible, giving an impression. You do not want

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1. Model Irina emerges from one of the upper floors and approaches the entrance to one of the Gravitas residences. 2. The entrance itself, revealing the traditional motifs that sit alongside an epic space. 3. Outside in the evening model Irina awaits her date. 4. Inside the dining room with sunlit central Tokyo viewable from the vast living room windows. 5.

Downstairs in the basement and the BMW i8 sits in one of the automated carparking bays while Greg and Charlie sit down in the theatre room. 6.

Greg and Charlie again playing, this time in a corner of a Gravitas Bedroom, the windows capturing lots of natural light and an alcove provides a fun place to sit and tease. 7. In the living room, a vast open space creates a luxurious lifestyle for enjoying with the family or entertaining guests when they come to stay. 8. The kitchen accomodates high-end appliances such as Fridge-freezer, dishwasger, and oven ranges by the leading brands in their fields.

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to take away all of the magic and oversell your story as in the end, what happens in a home is down to the personality of the person that moves in.”

Alfie began by dressing the properties. “These homes represent the best of Tokyo, but they also sit in an international part of town and there is still a distinctly global approach to their design.”

To help with that, Alfie contacted Living Motif, a leading furniture brand that has been working with high-end homes for both Japanese and foreign clientele in Tokyo for a number of years. “We chose items that highlighted the fact that in living here, you were blending cultures. For example, the entranceway to the homes consists of a large wooden hallway, framed by a view of the flower garden through an elongated window frame. The effect of this is to make one feel that they are coming into a traditional Japanese Ryokan, or hot spring hotel.

“We accentuated that by adding a wooden oar, at the opposite end of the hallway and some more modern lighting along side it. This was at home within the

descending car garage. This would allow the storage of a car below ground level, behind a double-glazed glass wall in the theatre room of one of the units. For the shoot here, a car was needed that reflected the same values of Gravitas - something that looked to the future, revelled in innovation but had a respect for tradition. The car chosen was the BMW i8, on loan from BMW Japan for the day. The car also featured in an external shot of the property where a beautiful girl awaits to be taken for a night out on the town. Its a shot which captures several things in one go explains Alfie.

“In this shot you see not only the powerful architecture, gently backlit in a warm glow from the interior lighting, but also again that living in such a place represents life in Tokyo. That sense that you are about to go out with a beautiful woman into a night of possibilities. Be it a party, a show or a lovely dinner at one of the city`s incredible restaurants.”

Gravitas Akasaka was conceived and developed by Housing Japan. From the beginning, it was created to bring world-class luxury to the streets of Tokyo and

The Gravitas brand will soon be adorning a new property, in the heart of one of Tokyo`s exclusive residential districts.... traditional feel, but it also accentuated the sense of travel, as that oar was itself taken and smoothed own from an international sailing yacht - and comes with a few stories of its own.”

Another area Alfie and the Housing Japan team sought to playfully tell a story is in one of the bedrooms, where they introduced a young child model, his toys and an older parent looking on. Each unit at Gravitas Akasaka came in either a 4 or 5 bedroom layout (each with its own on suite facilities), and in one such, Alfie dressed a scene of a child playing with his parents.

“So many of our early memories are tied to the homes where we grow up and this was a series of shots which had a chance to say something about growing up in international Tokyo,” said Alfie.

“The toys are foreign, the same that you may of had in your own home, such as Lego™, model cars and one or two beautifully illustrated story-books, but outside the window is Tokyo, bright and exciting.”

One of the standout features of Gravitas Akasaka is the

to address the lack of ultra high-end property in the city. Tokyo is one of the most refined and cultured cities in the world with a population sensitive to style, sophistication and aesthetic beauty, but its home building has been domestically focused for such a long time that standards have diverged from those around the world. Gravitas sought to address that, while still remaining true to the spirit of the local culture in inhabited. It was a unique approach and one that saw huge interest from both people within Japan and without. From people looking for something special within Tokyo and those looking to make a home in the city without giving up the standards they had experienced elsewhere.

This is a reflection of the values that Housing Japan holds dear. That is, to bring the best ideas from around the world and infusing them with the brightest things happening inside Tokyo.

The Gravitas brand will soon be adorning a new property, in the heart of one of Tokyo`s exclusive residential districts, where these same principles will once again be applied.

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FOR SALE A designer home in every sense of the term, the Himonya 4-chome House melds practical, spacious living with cutting edge modernity.

Lovingly designed by an international architectural couple, this is a home created with the intention to have something that delivered both the fee of a studio art gallery and a comfortable Tokyo lifetyle.

Built into the walls are series of glass blocks that encapsulate the first and second floors. These allow for an enormous amount of dramatic, natural light to bathe the interior while still providing complete privacy. It`s a unique touch also makes the building stand out in the local neighbourhood.

High-grade fittings are established throughout the kitchen, shower and bathroom; while all of the electrical outlets are discreetly hidden beneath the flooring, a touch that is common in offices but not so much in residential properties here.

Other nice touches include a island kitchen that boasts imported appliances, a home media projection system and, perhaps most dramatically, a wide open rooftop balcony.

Together they make for an incredible living and entertainment space.

Himonya and the Toritsu Daigaku areas are outside of the centre of the city but remain very accessible, with the comfortable Toyoko Line getting you to Ebisu or Shibuya in just 10 minutes.

Contact Housing Japan for more details.

Contact Tel: 03-3588-8861 Email: sales@housingjapan.com www.housingjapan.com Please note the property is subject to availability. It is listed on the market at the time of print.

Property Portrait

HIMONYA HOUSE Writer

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KAGURAZAKA AWA-ODORI Dancers at the annual street festival prepare for their parade

Photography

FRAMING TOKYO

How local photographer, Alfie Goodrich looks at Tokyo and its people.

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FRAMING TOKYO TEXT / ROBIN SAKAI. PHOTOS / ALFIE GOODRICH

PHOTO OF ALFIE BY ED FECAMP.

Tokyo is a city of diversity, a thousand villages strung together into a bustling metropolis. It's a beautiful and fascinating backdrop for photography, as Alfie explains.....

Before making Tokyo his full-time home, in 2007, Alfie Goodrich had visited maybe six or seven times. Prior to moving here, he'd had a variety of careers: soldier, chef, music promoter, record company manager, small business owner, website designer. Moving to Tokyo gave him the chance to pursue photography full-time.

Since settling in Tokyo, his client roster has grown both in size and diversity and now encompasses industry leaders in a variety of fields: automotive, travel, food, fashion and manufacturing.

Alfie comments: "Typically there is no typical week or typical customer.

I’m a generalist, shooting a wide variety of work from cars to fashion, food to travel… and most points in between. I like it that way. One common thread is Tokyo. I shoot outside of the city too but the majority of my work is done in Tokyo.

"Anyone who lives here knows that Tokyo has the feel of a large village. More accurately, perhaps, it’s like a thousand small villages strung together. Walk 100metres from a busy main road and you’ll be in a quiet street that feels a million miles from the bustle of the world’s biggest metropolis. There might not be as many green spaces as other major cities around the world. But, surprisingly, there is peace and quiet and there is space to be found here.'

photography - the city becomes the perfect outdoor studio with wonderful light and an abundance of disparate moods and atmospheres in all of its different neighbourhoods."

For his candid and travel photography, Alfie regards Tokyo as close to a photographer’s paradise as one can get; "Strangers don’t ever tend to get upset if you take their photo, which is very different to many other places in the world in which I’ve worked. People often wonder, when I pause to shoot what they think is something very 'normal', what interests me about their neighbourhood.'

"This often leads me into some wonderful conversations and I get the chance, sometimes, to help the locals see something new in surroundings that have become so familiar for them that they've switched off from seeing lots of what is under their noses."

There are a million stories happening all around us, all the time. The images on the following pages are just a few isolated moments from what has and continues to be Alfie's 'Tokyo Story'. http://alfie.photography

"Here in Tokyo, for the photography that takes more construction - such as fashion, portrait or automotive

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2 1. Portrait for dancer & performer, Ayako Izumi.

2. Fashion shoot with Shiho Mikuni, Yurakucho.

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3 3. Two friends playing with bubbles, Yoyogi.

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7 4. Ballet dancer Mone Ohashi, Yoyogi Stadium.

5. Hanami in Suijin Park, Omori.

6. The summer kimno festival, Ginza.

7. Fashion shoot in Shiodome, with Aki.

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Property Portrait

AZABU GARDENS

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With its promise of resort-style living in central Tokyo, Azabu Gardens offers rental homes for Tokyo expats and their families.

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A TOKYO RESORT Writer Aiko Wadley Created by international developer Pembroke, Azabu Gardens is a new destination for luxury rental condominiums in Tokyo.

Located in the Azabu district of Minato Ward, it sits in the perfect place for a modern expat. Easy access to business districts, major retail outlets and large public parks puts the best of modern Tokyo within easy reach.

Also close, some of Tokyo`s most well-known international supermarkets and schools, clubs, societies and event spaces. When taken together with the numerous boutiques and fine-eateries, this is an area of Tokyo that attracts those who appreciate convenient access to the finer things.

Inside Azabu Gardens is where it gets really remarkable however. The natural limestone exterior promises a tasteful and naturally warm living environment and that is exactly what you get. The design rifs off Mediterranean villas while the architecture ensures that all appartment units are only very discreetly connected to each other. Each one of the apartments is built to a western size and scale, offering spacious but private bedrooms, comfortable, well-appointed living rooms, large kitchens, open-plan hallways and multiple bathrooms. Each unit faces south with full height windows to maximize daylight while wooden flooring and fixtures, hand-made, ensure that the warmth is carried throughout. Furniture and appliances have been cleverly integrated into the kitchen units and include high-quality appliances from Viking, Miele, and Grobe. Furthermore, the units contain plenty of storage space with walk-in closets, deep cupboards and room plans that take into account the need to keep things packed away.

Taste is in the details, and Azabu Gardens excels here to. Air-conditioning is centrally controlled to get away with the messy air-con units that plague so many Japanese homes while heated kitchen and bathroom floors, temperature controlled bath / showers and washlet toilets help make the small things in life that much more comfortable. Greeting residents at the entrance is a 365-day, bilingual concierge that offers a full range of services, including language assistance with daily necessities such as arranging taxi pickups. Residents also have access to a large selection of on-site facilities, including two 24-hour gyms, a modern club lounge that can be booked for events and a theatre room that comfortably sits 20 people. As the also name suggests, the garden areas are huge, open but private. One offers a kids playground full of climbing frames and obstacles to play in, the second provides a relaxing space for a BBQ or to enoy a wine in of an evening. Even the hallway spaces have been seen to, with art displays by both creators from both Japan and abroad.

Safety is also given great attention to detail - multi-functional security systems that handle a range of incidents from fire to earthquakes are in place. In addition, access to apartments is through elevators that are only shared between 2 to 4 units - meaning that the number of people using them is kept to a minimum. 58 private garden-style apartments are available for rent in 3,4, or 5 bedroom units starting from ¥1.4 million per month. Availability depends on vacancies. Inquire with Housing Japan for more details.

Contact Tel: 03-3588-8862 Email: rent@housingjapan.com www.housingjapan.com Light & airy All the rooms live up to the 'garden' image, offering great views of outside.

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1. & 2.Living Rooms back out into either garden or city views.

3. Public spaces can be booked for parties or guests.

4. Kitchens are well appointed with space and use only the best finishings.

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5 5. Kids play area, surrounded by plants and flower. In all, 80 different varieties are utilized througout Azabu Gardens.

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STORY BY ADAM GERMAN.

TOKYO TOURISM

Tourism & What it Means for Tokyo Residential Property Inbound Tourism to Japan is up, and in a big way.

Mr. Abe’s government has woken up to the amazing appeal that their country has and is pulling a no holds barred approach to promoting the country to travellers and holidaymakers across the world. A lower yen only helps to further that by making the country an even more attractive destination.

For the capital, Tokyo’s hotel industry has never done better....

PHOTO ALFIE GOODRICH

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PHOTO / Alfie Goodrich

Five star hotels all the way down to weekly apartments are full for months out and with more and more tourists flowing in, this is a situation that doesn't look to be changing any me soon. That creates the perfect situation for one well-known internationally player to flourish. That player, is AirBnB. Traditionally this has been a taboo topic to discuss because, due to historic hotel laws, it has been illegal to operate a short-term accommodation business without strict licensing.

Despite that, Tokyo has become AirBnB`s biggest growing market and has at the time of print over 20,000 listings, from both foreign and Japanese operators, with more and more waking up to the opportunity each month. Taking the plunge into becoming a hotelier utilising AirBnB’s services has some in’s and out’s and prior to diving in headfirst, there are some things you should know.

Why is AirBnB Illegal in Japan?

Up until very recently, the letter of the law stated that any lease that was 30 days or less required the building being letted to have a hotel license. This means that the health department must come by and see criteria like how far beds are from the emergency exits, whether there is a front concierge available to greet guests and whether the building has food service on site or not. There are more regulations to be met but the vast majority of residential buildings in Tokyo do not adhere to these codes, thus only allowing 30 day plus leases when letting out units.

This was left mainly to the various local governments at the city level and only lately have they begun relaxing these rules to accommodate the growing interest in AirBnB. While they have been relaxing the rules, it doesn’t mean they are getting easier.

For example, in Tokyo’s Ota Ward, in order to legally operate an AirBnB unit, one must first: • • • • • •

Get permission from the Home Owner’s Association Get a certificate of compliance from the local Fire Department The property must be of a certain size Must lease the property for at least 6 nights Issue notice to neighbours Be in areas certain zoned for hotel / ryokan

So while the government is relaxing restrictions on AirBnB use, there are still hurdles to overcome. In fact, in this author`s personal opinion, the new regulations are quite frankly most likely going to be ignored, as they have been now.

Why Tourists Matter to Tokyo Real Estate?

The economic benefits of tourists are well known.

Tourists usually pay higher prices then locals for accommodation and food, souvenirs as well as

shopping for items not available back home. The increase in consumption translates into higher earnings for domestic businesses which theoretically leads to higher wages for workers which in turn leads to higher taxes flowing into government coffers. This leads to a general overall healthier economy which leads to a growing property market.

Despite the brand power that Japan has, tourism never really played a large part in the economy. For example in 1964, the year of the last Tokyo Olympics, tourism was only roughly about 250,000 people per year. Only in 2013 did the annual tourist number breach the 10 million mark. Specifically since Mr. Abe’s election in December of 2012, the number of tourists coming to Japan have increased dramatically. A large number of these tourists are coming in on large shopping sprees from China. There even a word created in the Japanese language to describe this phenomenon, “Bakugai,” which translated means “Explosive Shopping”.

As explained above, there are a lot of dominos that need to fall prior to tourists having an effect on a real estate market. However AirBnB is the mechanism that can skip all those dominos and jump right from increased tourism to higher rental yields. Indeed, AirBnB has indicated that 2016 is the year in which Japan sees the largest expansion of listings, beating anywhere else in the world.

While AirBnB in almost every market has regulatory issues in some way, shape or form, the company has taken their Public Relations Division a huge step further in Japan by mandating this department as being engaged with the market directly here.

Apart from simply advocating however, AirBnB, inspired by hosts who wished to give back to communities in times of need, even offers to allow hosts to use the AirBnB platform to offer their places for free in times of disaster. In a country like Japan where earthquakes are common and large ones are expected, there is no doubt that the Japanese government will be warm to ideas outside the possibility of providing tax revenue to the municipalities where AirBnB hosts operates.

Friction with such a drastically new service is to be expected, however AirBnB is very used to it, especially when considering even their home market of San Francisco has been hostile.

As these winds of change come slowly to the land of the rising sun, it is important for investors to remember that what they buy now might not be the best thing to purchase in order to take advantage of the tourism boom that will continue for at least another decade before the hotel industry can catch up.

As always, it’s always best to fully think about the exit when standing at the entrance.

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Modern girl, traditional setting: Norie outside of Tokyo’s Zojoji Temple, close to her home in Minato-ku.

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Life in front of the lens in the world`s biggest metropolis

MODEL TOKYO

PHOTOS / Alfie Goodrich

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5 1. Travelling on the Tokyo Metro.

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2. Fashion shoot by the Olympic stadium, Yoyogi,

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3. & 4. On assignment for this feature, Roppongi.

6 5. Shooting by Yoyogi's old Olympic stadium.

6. Promotional shoot for lighting company, Enevu.

MODEL TOKYO LIFE IN THE LENS PHOTOS / ALFIE GOODRICH TEXT / ROBIN SAKAI SPECIAL THANKS / AKIE KOJIMA

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mages of Tokyo have a striking effect all around the world, at once noticeable for their strong aesthetics, distinct culture and stylish subjects. If it isn`t the city`s architecture that hits home then its striking scenes of impeccably dressed people walking down sleek streets. Whatever their style, Tokyoites are seemingly never looking anything less than their best and its this dedication to appearances that gives images of Tokyo their magic.

Norie is a Tokyo-based model whose own distinct look has graced magazine covers, fashion shoots and recently, a special promotion for the Great Wall of China Marathon. Hailing from Chiba, the coastal prefecture directly connected to Tokyo, she has been based in the capital for 4 years now and since moving here, has noticed an increase in the international nature of the jobs she is working on.

commute I am free to concentrate on my work - I do not have to worry about rushing to get the last train home at night. But, more importantly, I`m a tall girl and where I come from in Chiba that can stick out. Tokyo though attracts people from all over Japan and across the world, the community here is much more varied and its a much easier environment to move in.

What motivated you to become a model?

Here, she weighs in on her personal history, her motivation for becoming a model and what the life is like in Tokyo.

All through high-school I was anxious about myself, how I looked and how I fitted in. I think one thing that effected me was reading an article written by another model, Erika Mori, in which she writes about people who doubt themselves.

This had a big impact on me as until then I really did just have the standard image of a model being someone who dressed up and looked pretty in front of the camera. What Mori-san taught me was that for a model to truly succeed, you need to be strong on the inside as well.

Where do you hang out in Tokyo?

How were you discovered?

My favourite place in Tokyo is Meiji-Jingu. Its home to the most important shrine in Tokyo, a beautiful park and has numerous quiet streets to walk down. Its not only a good place to unwind, but its a spiritual place which encourages you to re-examine where you are and what you are doing in life. Tokyo is constantly bustling, so its good to step out of that on occasion. At other times though I like to be out in Odaiba, looking back across Tokyo bay and the city`s epic skyline. The views there are epic and for me, its a place that can re-affirm your desire to succeed in this city.

I quit high-school as soon as I could and entered a professional modelling school. Here i learnt the basics of what is required to work on major shoots in Tokyo and that lead to me getting my first jobs at events - one of my first being for Porsche.

What`s your home like in Chiba?

Of course I still go back from time-to-time, but both for my work and my own lifestyle its much better to be in Tokyo. For one thing, without the

And whats next?

I've recently moved to a new agency and I am branching out into shooting with more photographers from overseas. Its interesting to notice the different things that foreign and Japanese photographers look for during a shoot.

I continue to study English and believe this will lead to more international roles.

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THIS PAGE Chef Heinzmann in one of the prvate dining rooms adjacent to the New York Grill.

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THE FOREIGN INGREDIENT INTERVIEW & PHOTOS / ALFIE GOODRICH

Federico Heinzmann - chef at the New York Grill in The Park Hyatt Hotel, Shinjuku - knows a thing or two about beef. He should, he’s from Argentina. We ask him about his approach to working with Japan’s finest cuts and visit the heart of Kobe beef country to see how the meat is raised.

You come from Argentina, a country of meat eating but typically where the meat is lean. This makes it very different from wagyu and kobe beef. You have an international palette to serve at this restaurant instead of just being abele to cater to local taste. Since you’ve been here for several years now, how do you approach your job preparing wagyu beef?

It is important to note that the Japanese have a really special culture regarding beef. The Japanese like beef and offer many different kinds of the meat, which means you can find even super light wagyu beef that has no fat at all, right up to more simple meats of A5 or A4 grading. The process of breeding is similar to that of foie gras. They stop moving the cow in the last three moths and only change the diet. If that isn’t done, then the meat does develop the fat. The fat doesn’t come with the genetics; hence the process is what makes Japanese beef different.

If you think about it, the Japanese eat only 5kg of meat per year compared to 55kg in Argentina. This explains why there is such a focus on quality and perfection.

The regular Japanese diet does not include beef as it was only officially established in 1970, when the genetic modifications to the black cows was completed.

Thus, it is from the 70s that it entered local cuisine here. The Japanese also care a great deal about the visual component of their meat. A lot of popular rankings have shown that for people here, it is the visual element that is the most important factor, after taste.

So you can see, that for the Japanese, achieving high quality in all aspects is important. There is no better embidoment of this than Kobe beef, which over the years has developed an almost mystical aspect.

As someone who also prepares and cooks Kobe beef, what is your view regarding to the hype of it?

It’s definitely unique. You either like it or you hate it, but there’s no denying that it’s one of a kind, especially when it comes to the handling of the product.

Infact,there are only 3,000 cows a year and only 350 of them are exported - we buy all of that 10%.

Producing Kobe beef relies heavily on how the cow is grown and the decisions the farmers make, which makes it a man-oriented product. It’s like foie gras and caviar – it’s another level. The price indicates this too because it is a high level product that is not sold at a market price but priced through auctioning.

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Speaking of types of meat, I’ve seen that there are ten or twelve different kinds of steak on your grill. If you were given the choice of cooking any kind of steak, do you have any preferences?

[Laughs] It really depends on the moment. Personally, if I want to make a super high-end dinner, I will use Kobe beef. If I wanted to make a regular lunch or dinner, maybe I will use Sendai beef instead or some wagyu from Hokkaido. The point is that there are so many different types of beef and you can go in many different directions with that. If you wanted to have Shabushabu, you would go with less fatty meat as opposed to if you wanted Teppanyaki. The key lies in constantly adjusting to what you want to use and how you want to use it. The interesting thing to remember is if you had the two of the same cow born in the same place, but living in different parts of Japan, the meat can end up being very different. It takes quite an amount of time to understand the concept that the beef changes depending on how the farmers control it.

How long did it take you to adjust to that?

Well, coming from Argentina, I have grown up in a culture where I come into frequent contact with cows.

For me, you see steak and you know instantly what

ingredients and the choice depends on the chef’s skill.

Today, kaiseki is at the foundation of every traditional Japanese food.

You go to a restaurant in Japan and you have one type of food as opposed to having a selection over many different varieties of dishes. This is exactly why there are 475,000 eateries in Tokyo alone compared to 13,000 in New York or 14,000 in Paris; everyone specializes in one type of dish and that’s it.

Kaiseki wouldn’t work in anywhere else in the world because people don’t trust the chefs in the same way Japanese do – in Japan, people rely on the chef to choose what is in season and how it should be cooked.

One of my first observations when I started living here is that you live and you eat within the seasonal confines.

That doesn’t happen everywhere. Is being able to work with the seasonal nature of food one of the reasons you like working in Japan?

Yes, that is definitely a large part of it. It’s not just the season either- it’s the Japanese season. Coming here, there is a huge amount of items that you have no idea where they come rom. The challenge then lies in fully understanding how everything works, and when you

...if you had the two of the same cow born in the same place, but living in different parts of Japan, the meat can end up being very different. happened there; you see the quality is golden and you see a potential market. Keeping that in mind, it took me about seven or eight months to do proper research, which involves trying different parts of the cow from all different places. The research is expensive and as a foreigner there is also the issue of communication [with the farmers]. There are rules regarding to how you buy the cow, such as only being to purchase half a cow.

This leads to problems of what to put on the menu depending on the amount and quality available. Theres the need to change the menu all the time. This ties back to a Japanese tradition that is unique to its own, in which people trust the chef and the chef changes the dishes. You never demand from the chef, he will give the best cut and do it in the best way. This is why this kind of operation [the way you purchase the cow] is really successful here, and it wouldn’t work anywhere else.

I think there are many things in this country that operate that way – where trust is placed in the person in a position and his/her opinion is valued highly. How do you see it?

The reason behind this trust in the chef comes from the fact the base of the Japanese diet came from kaiseki. Kaiseki involves choosing the best for many

learn this technique it can be applied elsewhere, too.

In Argentina, I find seasonal items required and that is part of the way of thinking there. The way of thinking and where things come from are constantly changing.

For example, when people came from Italy to Argentina they brought tomatoes with them.

On the other hand, the Japanese have always lived here, never left this island, and they don’t need anything else. Perhaps it is the influence of Shintoism or maybe even the education here in Japan that has been the same for the last 2,000 years which shapes the way of thinking here. So for us, you get driven crazy at first when you arrive here because even though I can get my hands on anything I need from around the world, I found it didn’t make sense.

It doesn’t make sense to bring rice from Italy since the quality of rice is very high in Japan, yet I cannot make a risotto with Japanese rice. Hence, you really need to take into consideration all of that and it is really a learning process for a chef to understand you have everything you need near you.

Eventually, you realize you can have anything you want but you don’t want to anymore.

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1. A typical Kobe beef steak at the New York Grill, Park Hyatt, Tokyo.

2. Locally produced beef in a farm shop in Toyooka.

3. Ohta-san's farm in Hyogo Prefecture.

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5 4. Kobe beef in the Ueda Farm Shop in Toyooka.

5. Katsunori Ohta at his farm in Hyogo. He and his brother Tetsuya won the Kobe Beef Association’s Distinction Award in 2011 and 2012.

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UNIQUELY JAPAN TEXT / ROBIN SAKAI. PHOTOS / ALFIE GOODRICH , ROBIN SAKAI & NISEKO

Tokyo continues to have the biggest pull when it comes to foreigners making a home in Japan, but there are certain resort destinations around the country that are becoming established as international lifestyle centres in their own right.

Of course a number of the Japan`s resorts are already familiar to local home buyers, as destinations located around the Izu peninsular or up in Boso, Chiba Prefecture, have long since pulled in a local elite. The appeal, in town`s such as Atami, Yokosuka or MinamiHara is obvious; close to Tokyo, they offer a completely different lifestyle amongst beautiful beaches, lush country side and pleasant climates. Houses are larger, more luxurious and provide plenty of privacy, while the environment ensures backdrops of dramatic beauty.

With long history, they offer plenty to experience in terms of culture, cuisine and art. The town of Kamakura, as just one example, is a former capital of Japan, and is generously populated with large estates, traditional architecture, temples and craft houses as well as a long beachfront popular with watersport enthusiasts.

Elsewhere, there are a number of locations to which the appeal is much more international. Take for example the winter resorts of Hakuba or Niseko.

The former, host of the 1998 Winter Olympics, has been transformed into a world-class ski resort that combines one of the best ski environments outside of Europe, with the highest standards of accommodation and its all connected to a historic community that is highly regarded for its local dining and a tradition of hospitality. With more than 10m of pure powder snow every year, several ski courses to choose from as well as a variety of local amenities including spas, finedining and retail, the village has strong appeal. What has makes the real difference here however has been the large international community that has invested and built up the quality of homes and accommodation,

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bringing with it world-class service that makes visiting from overseas a truly unique experience in Japan.

Niseko, further north on the island of Hokkaido mirrors this success, and both destinations are now establishing their brand as all-year resorts.

They are helped in this thanks to an aspect of Japan of which many are proud. The four seasons, and the transformation that the enironment goes through as each season passes. As many Japanese are honoured to point out, it is something special to their country.

Each change brings with it a dramatic metamorphosis, as epic snow makes way for lush green forests, flowing rivers and flowering wildlife. Then as autumn comes, the environment again changes, with beautiful hues of red and yellow sweeping across lush, unihabited valleys. Its this scenery, which when combined with a variety of outdoor activities and local culture, attracts a discerning home buyer.

This richness of life in Japan can only really be appreciated when you compare all this to the islands of Okinawa, in the far south of the country. Here, the environment is tropical, offering sun-kissed beaches and coral seas with a diverse, artistic, mixture of cultures that combine influence from across Asia.

The islands here have long-been the centre of trade winds and amongst traditional villagescapes, unique festivals and relaxed living there is a life that easily compares to other well known international destinations such as Hawaii or the Mediterranean.

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1. Atami is a traditional spa town with a pleasent climate just 45mins from central Tokyo.

2. Niseko is one of two world-beating winter resorts in Japan.

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3. Colourful traditoonal house in Okinawa highlights the artistic nature of local life.

4. Izu's coastline is jawdropping and offers a secluded lifestyle with a stunning backdrop.

5. The Hayama Peninsula, not far from Kamakura.

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A Japan Resort Experience

HAKUBA HIGH TEXT / JOHN AMARI & CUSTOM MEDIA. PHOTO / ROBIN SAKAI

Despite challenges, Hakuba has natural strengths that continue to draw people — it`s immense mountains and incredible powder.

Hakuba valley is here to stay. That is the collective opinion of hoteliers, restaurateurs, and lifestyle enthusiasts.

The numbers back them up—Hakuba boasts 5 gondolas, 10 ski resorts, 108 lifts, 144 courses, 130 kilometers in trails, and a ski area of 898 hectares. In addition, in-bound tourism to the area in Nagano Prefecture, often referred to as the Northern Japan Alps, continues to increase year-on-year. That has the local business community excited. But Hakuba’s apparent rebirth is not without concern. For years before its recent revival, visitor numbers were in decline. And the current turn in fortune begs a number of questions. Can the close-knit but small community cope with a constant increase in visitors? Can the developing infrastructure continue to be comfortable? Hakuba may be back, but is it ready for the global community?

ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT Dave Enright thinks it is. An outdoor sports enthusiast from Canada, Enright has lived in the mountain village since 1994. In 2000, he established Evergreen Outdoor Center, a guiding and instruction school for outdoor activities.

“When I first came up with the idea of opening my business there were a lot of pats on the back and responses like, ‘Well, that’s a quaint

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idea. But now, they’re talking about Hakuba being an outdoor mecca of Asia—or the Zermatt or Whistler of Asia. This little town is being compared to a lot of famous ski resorts.”

Evergreen is doing well. With 12 full-time employees, the company sees its staff level swell to around 150 during the peak winter season.

And, apart from two winter seasons when the company endured “slim pickings,” overall the business has ended each year in the black.

Evergreen is well placed to enjoy the best that Hakuba has to offer.

As explained by the company’s General Manager and Lead Guide James Robb, there are a number of activities to be enjoyed in the area besides snowboarding and skiing, such as snowmobile tours, cross-country or Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and snow-tubing (being pulled by a snowmobile while on an inflated inner tube).

Evergreen’s clientele is almost entirely nonJapanese during the winter season, Enright added, but that flips around in the summer, when about 85 percent of its customers are Japanese.

Enright and Robb are not the only outdoors entrepreneurs with a foothold in Hakuba.

Matthew Hampton, who hails from the Snowy Mountains region of Australia, is the owner of Rhythm Snowsports, a supplier of high-end retail

and rental winter sports equipment.

“There is a lot to do in Hakuba,” said Hampton, whose shop set up in the valley three years ago.

“But, of course, in winter the main thing to do is skiing, onsen [hot springs], and enjoying the food.”

“There are some great restaurants here, and when you are not on the mountains, Hakuba has a lot to offer, such as the Snow Monkey tours [to Jigokudani Yaen-koen].”

A keen skier and snowboarder, Hampton says business has been brisk from both the foreign and domestic community, with an increase in customers each year.

Ned Buckley, director of Boots Solutions, a partner of Rhythm that expanded from Niseko to Hakuba at the same time, offers a personalized boot-sizing service. The company also provides medical care for foot and ankle conditions, a service rarely found on most ski mountains.

“We can modify a boot if a client has foot or ankle problems,” Buckley explained, “to make it very

welcome outsiders. Outdoor activities in Hakuba are a relatively new thing, however. Skiing in the region began about 100 years ago, while hiking predates it by 50 years. It took motorized transport and modern ideas of outdoor sports— the first ski resort in the area opened in 1929, three years after the railway arrived—before the area really took off as a prime ski destination.

The first modern gondola in Hakuba was built in 1958.

The introduction of ski lifts in the valley, moreover, led to a boom in snow- and mountainbased leisure activity, as well as a rise in tourism, with the number of annual visitors having grown from 336,000 in 1960 to 1.6 million in 1967. That rise continued into the 1970s, reaching a peak in the late ’80s, with Hakuba registering 2.5 million ski days in the ’89–’90 season.

But it was during the 1998 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Nagano Prefecture that Hakuba shot to international fame. The resort was the site of a number of Olympic competitions, such as ski jumping and alpine (downhill) skiing. Despite gatecrashing the

There are some great restaurants here, and when you are not on the mountains, Hakuba has a lot to offer. comfortable. This allows customers to ski much better; it makes skiing effortless.”

Dividing his time between Japan and Australia, his country of origin, Buckley was first drawn to Hakuba because of its “amazing big mountains and powder skiing.”

WINTER WONDERLAND In winter, cold winds blow in from Siberia.

Bringing temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius or less as they blow across the warm waters of the Sea of Japan, the winds suck moisture from the ocean that forms into clouds. Moving in a southerly direction, the clouds sweep across the Northern Japan Alps, rise, and then cool, releasing snow on the mountains around Hakuba.

For generations, people have been drawn to the valley and its snowcapped peaks, which include Mt. Goryu (2,814 meters), Mt. Karamatsu (2,696 meters), and Mt. Shirouma (2,932 meters).

Attracted by fertile lands and awe-inspiring vistas, communities of farmers, herders, religionists, and travelers have long found a living, or a waypoint, in the area. It is a tradition in the valley to

international consciousness via the 1998 Olympics, inbound international visitors to Hakuba after the Games struggled to reach the previous peak numbers. And the rise of the Internet at that time added little value to the area, as online information about the valley was mainly in Japanese.

Today, Hakuba has a population of some 9,000, including a growing number of foreigners; many of them find their niche in the outdoor adventure sports industry. Others have earned their keep in the food and beverage or entertainment sectors, or in real estate management.

Manager of Hakuba Grand Apartments David Rowe is an example. “I’ve been in Nagano since 1994, and first visited Hakuba in the early ’90s.

[The valley] is a great place, with big mountains, good snow, and beautiful scenery. And it’s not too big.”

Resorts in Hakuba currently comprise Jiigatake, Kashimayari, Yanaba, Hakuba Sanosaka, Hakuba Goryu, Hakuba 47, Hakuba Happo-One, Hakuba Iwatake, Tsugaike Kogen, Hakuba Norikura, and Hakuba Cortina. The rings of the 1998 Olympics can still be seen sprinkled around the valley,

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including at Happo-One, which hosted alpine skiing, super giant slalom, and combined slalom events at those Games.

THE GLOBAL MAP In the wake of its Olympic legacy, a new generation of local entrepreneurs—with the support of foreign partners—is reaching out to new markets. At the same time, the locals are trying to maintain the valley’s identity.

Hakuba native Yojiro Fukushima is one of them.

A Japanese belonging to Generation X (born between the early 1960s and early 1980s), he is now international sales and product executive chief at Hakuba Tokyu Hotel.

“In the winter season, 70 percent of our guests are from abroad, mainly from Australia, Finland, and Singapore.” And we are promoting [our hotel’s offerings] in Canada’s eastern region now.”

A local like Fukushima, and of the same generation, Toshiro Maruyama is the general manager of the Shirouma-so ryokan, a familyowned traditional Japanese inn with strong modern sensibilities.

“In 2014, 75 percent of our winter season customers were foreigners,” Maruyama said, “and the rest were repeat Japanese customers.

Nowadays, more and more foreigners are also repeat customers.”

Maruyama’s family has run the award-winning inn for generations, and, even today, his mother is its main chef—the inn is known for its washoku (traditional Japanese cuisine) offerings. But with that great tradition, Maruyama acknowledged, come the challenges of living in a competitive and global economy.

“We are very simple. Originally, we were just mountain people. If a customer got lost in the mountains, we would find them and bring them back. That mindset has not changed. But we need to get better at promoting the valley, becoming competitive, and gaining a global vision.”

Many in the valley share Maruyama’s international outlook. It is little wonder, therefore, that a number of outward-looking organizations have sprung up.

All of them have a goal of uniting the ambitions and aims of the community. Maruyama himself is the director of Happo-One Tourism Association, a community-run entity. One of its main achievements has been to help increase the number of foreigner-friendly service offerings in the valley.

Hakuba Tourism. Created in 2005 by providers in the Wado area of the valley, the organization has courted in-bound tourists from Australia, Europe, North America, and Southeast Asia.

Hotel de La Neige Higashikan is also a member. In a recent interview, Sales and Marketing Manager So Yamaguchi said, “I hope we will have more foreign guests than we did last year, and that they can enjoy a lot of powder, communication with locals, and the food culture.”

Hakuba Valley, furthermore, is an organization that represents three resort towns in the area: Omachi City, Hakuba Village, and Otari Village.

In an effort to internationalize, the organization joined The Mountain Collective, a crosspromotional partnership involving independent ski resorts across North and South America, Australia, and Asia.

BEYOND COMFORT ZONES Communities in the Hakuba region are pulling out all the stops to make their offerings more foreigner-friendly and modern. In addition to shuttles to and from ski resorts and hotels, there are free local buses, roaming taxis, and rental car services.

Moreover, many hotels, restaurants, and resorts in the valley offer a range of dining options as well as services such as free Wi-Fi. Internet and telephony connectivity, however, can be slow or patchy. Operators such as Evergreen, moreover, even offer daycare service for infants. Further, the local tourism office and community organizations have comprehensive guidebooks in English, many of which can be found online.

In a bid to recapture some of its past glory, the greatest challenge to Hakuba’s revival may be the traditional attitudes of the local people themselves. In a fast-changing world, the pace of change in the valley—which some of the interviewees acknowledged can be slow—may be its Achilles’ heel. Despite the challenges, and the great effort that many in the small mountain community are making to bring about a revival, somethings that will not change any time soon and will continue to draw people to Hakuba: the immense mountains and great powder.

As Enright said, “It’s that wind against your face; the snow flying up in your face; the sense of control, no control; that sense of flying; that familiar adrenaline rush that you always want to go back to; that comfort zone with the edge you seek—that’s the great thing about skiing in Hakuba.”

Fukushima’s Hakuba Tokyu Hotel, moreover, is one of 14 hotels in the area that comprise

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HOW TO BUY A HOME IN TOKYO. Housing Japan works with you throughout your Tokyo home search, providing their extensive experience of the Tokyo property market to help you find the perfect place.

CONSULTING & FINANCIAL PLANNING - Whether you are buying a home, luxury residence or making an investment, Housing Japan will pare you with an expert agent who can help you get the most out a deal. We begin with consulting with you about what you needs, desires and intentions are, and move on to recommending a range of property within your budget and criteria.

You will need to have a property in mind in order to discuss financing with a local bank, as they do not provide even a cursory approval for a mortgage before knowing what type of property you intend to purchase.

In addition to this, you may wish to gain knowledge on wider tax issues.

SEARCH - Your agent will search for a list of property and once you have been presented with these options, they will then take you through the viewings, explaining anything you need to know about the property and its local area.

You will need an experienced agent who has access to the best, and most up-to-date listed property in Tokyo as not apartments or real estate is listed openly in the market – much is listed privately or off-market.

FINANCING - Housing Japan agents are in many cases able to advise in financing and tax issues due to our experience and in house expertise, but in cases where more specialised knowledge is required, we are also able to put you in touch with the appropriate experts.

Specifically in terms of financing, we work closely with one of the mega-banks in Japan, as well as several smaller banking corporations and a number of international financiers who approve loans both from within Japan and in select locations overseas.

APPLICATION - When you find the right property, submit an “application to purchase”. This is a non-binding written expression of your interest to purchase the property at certain price. An application shows the seller you are serious and will start the negotiation process.

EXPLANATION OF IMPORTANT MATTERS - Once the price is agreed your agent will start the contract process. The agent is required to investigate the details of the property and provide you with an “Explanation of Important Matters”. This document defines all the important terms of the contract.

EXECUTING THE CONTRACT - The contract execution usually takes place at the agents offices and takes about 2 hours to complete. It is typical to pay the owner a deposit of 10% or JPY 10 million at the time of the contract.

LOAN APPLICATION - Although you will probably have pre-approval from a lender, once the contract is complete you can make the formal loan application. It usually takes a month to six weeks for final approval after which the final closing date can be set. If you using finance, the contract will have a clause saying that you are applying for a mortgage from a particular bank with a proposed approval date.

FINAL SETTLEMENT - The final settlement usually takes place at the buyer’s bank and is handled by a judicial scrivener. The buyer will transfer the remaining balance to the sellers account and the title of the property will be transferred to the buyer. On completion the seller delivers all the keys to the property and the transfer of ownership is complete.

SUMMARY OF COSTS - When purchasing a property in Japan, normally the taxes and fees will come to about 5 to 6% of the price of the property.

CONTACT - Housing Japan agents are fully bilingual, we offer a world-class service combined with deep knowledge of the Tokyo property market. Contact them to start your search for a home in Tokyo you will love.

Email. sales@housingjapan.com Call. 03-3588-8861

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LIVING MOTIF A space for authenticity and a time for encountering the real thing. For more than thirty years, LIVING MOTIF has been working to nurture a discerning eye for authentic design and to introduce select items....

Based at the Tokyo Tower end of Roppongi, Living Motif is undoubtedly Tokyo's premiere emporium of fine and diverse interior-design and home products.

Set over three floors, the Roppongi store - part of Axis Inc., stocks everything from garden funiture to fine-art books and prides itself on quality and diversity.

TEXT & PHOTOS / ALFIE GOODRICH

Photographer Alfie Goodrich explains how Living Motif was the best choice for helping him style the shots of Gravitas Akasaka [pp.14-21]:

ABOVE. Mari Akino, head product buyer for Living Motif in Tokyo.

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Working for over thirty years, the company has built up a solid reputation as a discerning purveyor of a wide range of well-known and more obscure interior brands.

"Shooting Gravitas Akasaka represented an immense

TOP LEFT The Axis Building is home to Living Motif.

LOWER LEFT Glassware and a range of interior accessories.

challenge: capturing the wonder and style of a unique, architect-designed home [the most expensive propety in Tokyo] and to create, with the models and the choice of furniture and accessories, a sense of the owners having 'just moved in', 'Too many items and we faced ruining the feeling of space that one got in the property. Not only that but each item had to feel like it would be at home in a home that cost millions of dollars; bought by people with exquisite taste and a global sense of style.

'Akino-san and Living Motif's head of PR, Kotake-san, I had met the previous year whilst shooting a feature for a German interior-design catalogue. The commission to shoot Gravitas came at very short notice and Living Motif were immensely helpful at working with such a short deadline.

'I like to think I have pretty good taste but I'd never dressed a multi-millionn dollar property before. Kotakesan spent several hours helpign me pick what she and I felt would be items that would seem at home.

TOP RIGHT Room layouts in LOWER RIGHT Everything for the front of Living Motif store. the home & kitchen.

Each and every one of the staff at Living Motif have a superb knowledge of the products they sell. They also have immense patience.

'All through the process of selecting items for Gravitas, I gained the impression [and saw from watching them deal with real customers] that nothing is too much trouble when it comes to helping you choose the best thing for your home.

'In a world where very few retail experiences feel unhurried and 100% personal to the individual, Living Motif really are a breed apart."

LIVING MOTIF 5-17-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel. +81 3 3587-2784 www.livingmotif.com

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"Tokyo is a photographer's paradise, but if you want to get that angle no one else has gotten before, nothing beats hanging out of a helicopter over the city."

PHOTO / BEN TORODE

FAVORITE

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FAVORITE

PLACES

"I like the peace, the quiet and the light" Model Mari Hirao talking about Yoyogi Park.

"I like this tree.... and climbing it" Charlie Goodrich in the same tree as Mari, above.

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FAVORITE PHOTO /??

PLACES

"I've finally come back to the hometown of my heart" Reverie Elodie Verosi, Italian editor of i.d. Magazine and owner of ArtMoodOn.com on a recent shoot in Tokyo.

PHOTOS ALFIE GOODRICH housing japan

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FOR SALE Ninety minutes south of Tokyo by car, the Yokosuka villa encompasses a 2-Bedroom luxury villa, vast gardens and a separate 2-bed guest house - in total an estate that is over 6779m² in size. The gardens themselves open up onto a beach that is essentially private, while views of Sagami Bay can be taken in from across the property. The main residential villa has a reinforced concrete basement that can be used for storage or the keeping of small boats, with a ramp that helpfully leads down to the beach. Inside the stylish interior spaces one can find two bedrooms and bathrooms, the interior bath with an additional jacuzzi tub and adjacent facilities while a further jacuzzi is accessed from the outside.

Up onto the top floor and the living dining room area offers not only panoramic views but plenty of well-lit space to enjoy relaxation or entertainment, with windows on three sides. Furnished and with a fully-equipped kitchen, it opens out onto a balcony and bbq spot. The separate guesthouse is across the gardens and also comes with a two bedroom layout and an expansive living-dining area. Directly abutting the ocean, it has uninterrupted ocean views and an interior design inspired by minimalist tastes from Scandinavia, from which to enjoy them. Its reinforced concrete foundations also ensure sturdiness in the face of the elements while floors are constructed of black slate imported from Miyagi Prefecture and the walls have a handmade, wooden finish. This a property offers up a number possibilities, be it to live there in the space and style it offers today or to renovate it into something else, and create your own perfect residence. The car park, which is accessed via a winding country path can be used to park up to eight cars but it could also be renovated and a third building developed.

Contact Housing Japan for more details.

Contact Tel: 03-3588-8861 Email: sales@housingjapan.com

Property Portrait

YOKOSUKA VILLA

Writer Robin Sakai

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HOW TO BE BETTER WITH PEOPLE TEXT / DR. GREG STORY

President of Dale Carnegie Training, Japan, Dr. Greg Story, talks about training ourselves to see things from varying viewpoints.

No matter what we do in life, we invariably find most of our problems arise through our interactions with others.

Be they family, friends, colleagues or clients, the ability to get on with others makes the difference between success and failure, stress and calm. Sometimes the problems are a function of seeing issues from totally different viewpoints. The source of these varying perspectives on what should happen next is related to our personality style. We might be a big picture person dealing with a highly detailed counterparty. Common sense is not common!

The detailed person seems bogged down in the details and the big picture person seems up in the clouds, detached from reality. Some people are very focused, bottom line, time is money types who are constantly pushing hard. They struggle with more slow paced people who prefer to get to know someone, before they do any business with them. The person more focused on relationships struggles with what they perceive as pushy individualistic behavior.

The secret to success is not to judge people who are different to us. There is no right way here, just different preferences about how we interact. So if we find ourselves dealing with a detail oriented person, we will need to go into more detail than we would normally.

We will need to marshal data, facts, expert opinions, statistics etc., to bolster our opinion. If we are dealing with a big picture person, there is little point in burdening them with the micro detail. They resist it and prefer to brainstorm possibilities, to think about future strategies and we should join them in doing this. If they are time is money types, then don’t waste their time with small talk. We need to get right down to business and to give

them alternatives from which to make a choice. That is their strong point – they are quick decision makers.

We will need to lift our tempo when we are with them to match their high energy output. If they are people oriented types, then we should be calm, reduce our energy a bit and focus our discussion more on how this decision will affect the people involved. They will want to have a cup of tea together to discuss things and we should do that. Does this mean we have to be split personalities? No, but, it does mean being flexible, being able to switch our communication style to suit.

If you are thinking, they should be doing the switching to suit me, let me know how that has been working out for you so far! We will have a much less stressful life if we find ways to meld with others, to get on their same wave length and to move forward smoothly in harmony.

Does this mean we can’t disagree with others?

Of course we will have different views, expectations, needs and requirements. It is more how we react to these differences, that determines our success in building relationships with all different types of people. When we hear something we don’t like, the quick draw instant response is a bad idea. The distance between our ear and our mouth is too close, so often the first thing that pops into our head, pops out of our mouth. Invariably, this is not our best considered response.

We should hold off responding too quickly and compose ourselves, reaching for our second or third possible response, before we articulate what we are thinking. If we accept that people are different, we are not perfect and that our first response may not be the wisest, we will do a lot better with people.

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PERSONALIZED BEAUTY SERVICES

BY INTERNATIONALLY TRAINED THERAPISTS. Elana Jade offers waxing, massages, facials and more using safe-for-your-skin organic products. Superbly located in Azabu-Juban, Elana Jade is your oasis in the heart of Tokyo.

elanajade.com Open 7 days a week Tel: 03 6438 9895

Email: salon@elanajade.com

Just a 2-minute walk from Azabu-Juban Station

st alban's nursery Learning. Love. Laughter.

Small and intimate, St Alban’s Nursery is one of the longest established international kindergartens in Tokyo. Our aim is to nurture the unique individual in each child, by offering a choice of purposeful, fun-filled opportunities for learning and self-discovery in a safe, confidence-building environment, based on the Montessori method. Started by the women of St Alban’s Anglican-Episcopal Church in 1972, our program is now independent, but still enjoys the quiet, leafy surrounds of the church, with a large outdoor playground and offstreet parking and pick-up area, just five minutes from Tokyo American Club. ‘Learning, love, laughter’ … is how one mother described her child’s experience with us. Parents are welcome at all times.

Please contact Director Gilma Yamamoto-Copeland for further details.

090-6480-4542 gilma.yam@gol.com

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www.stalbans.jp

DIANA&DAN Tokyo & London in perfect harmony INTERVIEW / ALFIE GOODRICH. PHOTOS / ALFIE GOODRICH, DIANA YUKAWA

Alfie Goodrich talks to Anglo-Japanese violinist and composer, Diana Yukawa, and her husband, businessman Dan Chuter.

Diana, your latest album ‘Spaces Between Shadows’ is out

now, on both CD and digital release. Given the importance of streamed and downloadable media, how does the release of physical product fit into the overall plan for a new album nowadays? - For me the physical product is still very important as I believe that there are many people that still like to have something to hold and to look at. When I was younger and bought albums, it was a process of buying it from the shop, taking it home and listening to the whole thing whilst looking at the booklet, reading the notes, the pictures – the whole story of the album.

Of course the demand has changed as the industry and technology have evolved and we must adapt to such things – but there’s nothing like the charm of a CD, just like with vinyl or books. The fact that everything is readily available at your fingertips as amazing, but sometimes you appreciate something more if you’ve made that extra bit of effort to acquire something.

Do you have a favourite tune from ‘Spaces Between Shadows’ and why? - Such a hard question! However, I do think I have a soft spot for In My Hand. It’s hard to explain why, but I like the gentleness and simplicity of it. For me it just feels good to listen to (though I rarely listen to my own music!) and to perform it.

Do the titles for each track or the album come easily to

you, or is choosing the names a challenging part of the process? - It’s challenging when the inspiration doesn’t come, so you have to wait for it to come to you. When Dan keeps asking me if I have the title of the EP yet, I just keep saying not yet, not yet! Give me time! But then the inspiration hits at random moments and it’s like, ah yes, that’s the one! I think I decided on Spaces Between Shadows when in bed one evening and made a note of it so I didn’t forget… It’s amazing what comes to you in the middle of the night, like a title or a melody – I think of course I’ll remember that when I wake up, but of course when you do, it’s completely gone!

The list of people you’ve worked with over the years is as eclectic as it is distinguished. But as someone who literally wore-out his vinyl and cassette copies of ‘Metamatic’, I’m especially keen to hear about what drew you and John Foxx together….. and if that first solo album of his is in your collection. - I think the reason why John and I worked together was ultimately because we were both coming from opposite ends of the spectrum, searching for a path to lead towards the middle. I’m a huge admirer of John and his music and I was very excited at the idea of creating a new musical entity with him and Benge. I love what we’ve created as Ghost Harmonic and working with both of them was a real pleasure. And yes, it certainly is in my collection.

ABOVE Diana Yukawa in the VIP room of the new Benson & Clegg store in Roppongi, Tokyo.

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Can you tell us a little about some of the projects you are working on at the moment? - I’m currently working on a very exciting project for the Dubai Autism Center. I can’t say too much about the details, but I believe it hasn’t been done before, or at least not in this way. It’s been wonderful for me to work on something where I am the messenger for other people. I’m not creating something for myself as when I write my own music, I’m writing on behalf of other people.

It’s a very rich and rewarding project and I’m very excited to see how it progresses. Aside from that, I’m always writing new material and now working towards my next album. I have a new studio we’ve built in the garden of our new cottage in the Cotswolds and it’s the perfect, peaceful creative haven. I’m bursting with ideas so I’m having to work hard at focusing on one thing at a time!

What’s your favourite show on British TV at the moment and why? I enjoyed watching War and Peace which finished not too long ago because I love a bit of drama, romance, cinematic beauty and good old period fashion.

I also recently watched The Office, more than a decade later, oh well!

also manage the licence’s and rights for the designer Elizabeth Emanuel as well as the Queens glove maker, Cornelia James.

What would you say are the three hardest things and three most satisfying things about doing business in Japan? - Three hard things… hmmm; perhaps the hardest is trying to predict the territory’s reaction to a new brand, product, or service, but that’s also what makes it fun – there is no fixed formula. The need to constantly rebuild and stay on top of your contacts within each company is also quite labour intensive. It may take you and your contact more than a year to get a new product into their store and then not long after that, they move to another department in the organisation. The new contact may come in with a different vision which can often go either way. And finally, the long drawn out process, going over detail after detail, meeting and meeting can get a little tedious; that said, it’s this attention to detail that makes working in Japan so satisfying. Everything is done with 100% gusto and dedication.

Perhaps the single most satisfying thing for me about doing business in Japan is that of the readiness from businesses and corporations to discuss new ideas and

Perhaps the single most satisfying thing for me about doing business in Japan is that of the readiness from businesses and corporations to discuss new ideas and products.

Dan, where and when did you and Diana meet and had you been to Japan before that? - We first met at the Bentley showroom in Berkeley Square Mayfair, London. My company were sponsoring the event and Diana was our special guest performer. That was more than 10 years ago now… I chose the same place to propose also. And, no I hadn’t been here before. Diana opened my eyes to the wonder that is Japan and now I am addicted. I love this place.

products. Sure, you might never get a clear answer (which I have learnt is clarity in itself) but the doors are always open. Once you put the time in building and maintaining your connections, you are never that far removed from who you need to get to. A lot of the big corporations are working across a range or sectors and given the regular movement of the staff, you can be sure to know someone who can at least introduce you to the person you need.

Benson and Clegg is not your first business venture in Japan: what came before? - My first business dealings in Japan was in managing Diana. Working with Diana in the Japanese music industry was a great introduction into the territory for me and my network soon grew.

After many trips to Japan I realised that there was a something missing in Japan – an authentic, British style Fish and Chip shop.

What do you think drives the Japanese obsession with all things British? - Predominately, I believe it’s our heritage and legacy that make up the British DNA – it seems to be intriguing and plentiful to the Japanese. There is no doubt that the UK certainly was a world leader in many areas or manufacturing and engineering, and we continue to be a nation of innovators. Also, our very visible and publically active Royal Family play an incredible part in what make the British appealing to Japanese.

So, together with a couple of partners we opened Malins, Japan’s first Fish and Chip shop. We have two locations at the moment, Roppongi and Hatagaya (and just opened one in Paris) with more being planned for 2016. In addition to Benson and Clegg, Argon Enterprise

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Could you ever see yourself and Diana living in Japan on a more full-time basis? - Yes, certainly. Although Diana and I have just purchased a dreamy house in the Cotswolds so whilst I don’t believe we would live here

indefinitely, I certainly feel that longer and more regular trips are on the horizon.

Do you have a favourite thing to cook for Diana and why?

Perhaps a little off-piste here but a nice breakfast: Eggs Norwegian seems to go down well. Starting the day well is important for us both and this usually hits the spot.

I certainly love to cook, as does Diana, but I perhaps over complicate some of the recipes and sometimes end up with something not all that satisfying – there’s a lot to be said for keeping it simple, perhaps in more ways than just cooking!

Listen to Diana’s latest album, Spaces Between Shadows, at her website: www.dianayukawa.com Visit Malins Japan online: www.malins.jp Benson & Clegg: www.bensonandclegg.com

1

4

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3 1. Diana Yukawa in performance.

[Photo: Yukawa]

2. Diana during her recent Tokyo visit.

3. Diana and Dan at the Benson & Clegg shop in Roppongi.

5 4. Hand-painted coins

by Benson & Clegg.

5. Hand-made ties by Benson & Clegg.

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HOW TO RENT A HOME IN TOKYO

Housing Japan`s rental team has access to the best homes in the city and externsive experience at helping clients close a contract and move in quickly, cost-effectively and with minimal stress.

F

inding that perfect place in a city as expansive as Tokyo can seem overwhelming, so be prepared to spend some time house rest assured, however, that whether you are coming to Tokyo on an expat package with a housing budget or are paying out of pocket, there is bound to be an apartment well suited to you.

it is advisable to familiarize yourself with some of the rental regulations and customs in Japan.

Understanding some of the differences that exist between your home country and planning ahead will help to prevent any problems that may arise in the future regarding your new home.

EXPAT APARTMENTS

Landlords will often request two to four months’ rent in advance as a security deposit. When a tenant moves out or the lease expires, the cost of cleaning and any necessary repairs will be deducted from this security deposit.

Properties that cater speci cally to expats are generally priced over 350,000 yen per month and include major appliances such as a washer, dryer, dishwasher, phone and phone line and refrigerator.

They require four to six months’ rent as a security deposit, but no key money.

TYPICAL JAPANESE APARTMENTS

Apartments designed with Japanese renters in mind often cost under 350,000 yen per month in rent and do not come with any appliances or furnishings. They require between one and four another one to two months’ rent for key money.

Most apartments in Japan are leased on twoyear contracts, and a contract renewal fee of one month’s rent is charged for each additional two years a tenant wishes to stay. Once you have found a suitable apartment or house, you will need to make the necessary contractual arrangements before moving in. Before signing any contracts,

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SECURITY DEPOSIT (SHIKIKIN)

MONTHLY MAINTENANCE FEE (KANRIHI)

In some Japanese apartments, a monthly building maintenance fee will be added to the rent. In the case of expat apartments, maintenance fees are almost always included in the monthly rent.

RENEWAL FEE (KOSHINRYO)

In the case of typical Japanese apartments, a non-refundable renewal fee is often charged each time the two-year lease is renewed. This fee is typically equal to one month’s rent and is paid to the landlord.

APPLICATION & CONTRACT SIGNING

Once you have found a property that is right for

you, your real estate agent will send an application on your behalf to the owner. The application, signed by the human resources department of your company in the case of a company contract, will include a bid for the rent, desired move-in date and any other requests you may have. There is a possibility that an application will be rejected by the landlord, in which case you’ll have to continue your search for another suitable apartment. After both parties have agreed on the rent and terms, the owner will send a draft of the contract to your real estate agent or company. Contracts are almost always in Japanese, so it is important to review them carefully with a Japanese person before signing.

real estate agent, and sometimes the tenant. The inspection is necessary to determine whether or not any damage has occurred. If there is damage, the cost of repairs will be invoiced to the tenant or his company and deducted from the original security deposit.

CANCELLATION FEES

1. Is there cable TV and internet access in the building?

2. Is there satellite TV in the building? If not, check to see if the owner will either install a satellite dish for you, or allow you to install your own satellite dish.

3. Are the TV and phone jacks located in places where you would want to use a TV or phone?

4. Is there ample closet space for your belongings?

5. What is the condition of the paint, carpet and wallpaper?

6. Does the apartment have central air conditioning or separate wall units in the bedroom and living room?

7. Are the appliances provided in good working condition?

8. Have your real estate agent check to see if there are any construction sites nearby. There is a lot of construction in Tokyo with new buildings going up in every area, and this may be noisy or change the conditions around your building by blocking views.

9. Car owners should ensure their cars fit in the parking space provided, as some parking garages are very small, have a low ceiling or are the elevator type. Be especially careful if you plan to buy a large car or SUV. 10. Is there any bicycle parking?

If a tenant cancels the lease after signing but before moving in, there will be a one-month penalty charged. In the case of cancellation of the contract after moving in but before the two-year lease has expired, tenants must give between one and two months’ advance notice, depending on the terms of the contract. If tenants move out suddenly and are not able to stay the one or two months required, the remaining rent for that period will still be charged.

UTILITIES

Generally speaking, the total cost of water, gas and electricity bills in Japan is said to be about seven to 10 percent of the monthly rent. Utilities have a basic monthly starting fee and even in months when they are not used there will still be a small charge.

HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING

For most tenants in Japan, the most expensive utility bill will be electricity, depending on how often the air conditioning and heating is used.

Tokyo summers are very hot and humid, and the winters are dry and cold. In many apartments there are individual heating and cooling units in each room, allowing for much better localized climate control, which is likely to be more economical than central air-conditioning. Some larger family apartments and houses will have two electricity bills, one that is only for air conditioning and the other for all other electricity used that month.

SECURITY DEPOSIT DEDUCTIONS

When tenants vacate a property in Japan, they almost always have to pay a cleaning fee even if they have cleaned the apartment or house themselves before leaving. This fee is normally about 1,000 yen to 1,500 yen per square meter, so the bill for a 100m2 apartment would be between 100,000 yen and 150,000 yen.

INSPECTION CHECKLIST

Before signing a lease for an apartment or house, it is a good idea to do a thorough inspection of the property to ensure there are no surprises after moving in.

Be sure to check the following:

CONTACT

Housing Japan agents are fully bilingual, we offer a world-class service combined with deep knowledge of the Tokyo property market. Contact them to start your search for a home in Tokyo you will love.

Email. rent@housingjapan.com Call. 03-3588-8862

DAMAGE

Each time a tenant moves out of a house or apartment, a damage inspection will be conducted. This is done with the owner and/or his representative, the

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SCHOOLS & EDUCATION IN TOKYO

AZABU INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 15 months to 5 years City Azabu Room 302 3-10-12 Azabu-Juban, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3451-8477 info@azabuis.com www.azabuis.com Admissions: Keith Jacobsen AYLA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 6 years 102 Shirokanedai Heights 5-13-28 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku,Tokyo. Tel: 03-3448-2585 aylaistokyo@yahoo.com http://aylais.com/ Admissions: Puteri Zailan THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN Early Learning Center. Nursery to Kindergarten 6-16-5 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5771-4344 jbeneventi@asij.ac.jp http://community.asij.ac.jp Admissions: Judy Beneventi CHATEAU DES BAMBINI MONTESSORI SCHOOL Ages: 1 to 6 years 2F, 2-8-18 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6400-3328 eriko@montessori-cbms.com www.montessori-cbms.com/en/ INTERNATIONAL SECONDARY SCHOOL Ages: 6 to 13 years 4-17-26 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5730-1331 iss@isstokyo.com www.isstokyo.com Admissions: Shawn Hutchinson Annual Schedule: August to June

Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel/Fax: 03-3451-5520 admissions@nishimachi.ac.jp www.nishimachi.ac.jp Accreditations: WASC (Western Association of Schools Committee), CIS (Council of International Schools), recognized by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government OHANA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 5 years R-mind Motoazabu, 3-12-36 Motoazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3408-8888 Ohana.International.Sch@gmail.com www.schoolintokyo.com Admissions: Maryna Artyushenko PAL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 6 months to 6 years 3-8-18 Nishi-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-5770-8166 info@pal-school.com www.pal-school.com Admissions: Ayako Kim RLC PLAYGROUP / PRESCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 4.5 years Roppongi Lutheran Church 3F 6-16- 44 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 080-2393-7788 info@rlcpreschool.com www.rlcpreschool.com Admissions: Aliy Lickfold

CHIYODA-KU

AU PAYS DES SAKURAS Ages: 2 to 6 years Koyo Biru 2F, 1-6-3 Iidabashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 090-8344-0270 www.aupaysdessakuras.com Admissions: Celine Guillery Accreditations: French kindergarten

EDOGAWA-KU

GLOBAL INDIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL JAPAN Kindergarten to grade 10 8-3-13 Nishikasai, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5696-7141. Fax: 03-5696-6050 admissions.tokyo@globalindianschool.org www.globalindianschool.org Annual Schedule: April to March

ITABASHI-KU

J’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 1.5 to 6 years 2-12-14 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3452-2078 www.js-international-school.com Admissions: Mrs. Yang

NEW HOPE INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 3 to 5 years 5-1-2 Narimasu, Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5383-0421 www.newhopeclc.jp Admissions: Jeremy Seminoff

K SPACE Ages: 16 months to 5 years 5-13-39 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-5421-4186 enquiries@kspacetokyo.org www.kspace.tokyo.jp Admissions: Juliet Rogove

LYCEE FRANCO-JAPONAIS (FUJIMI) Kindergarten to grade 5 5-57-37 Takinogawa, Kita-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6823-6580 lycee@lfjt.or.jp www.lfjtokyo.org Accreditations: French curriculum

MITSUI GARDENS INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 5 years 2-1-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3224-6796 ewapreschooldirector@gmail.com www.mitsuigardenspreschool.com Admissions: Pam Wasilewski THE MONTESSORI SCHOOL OF TOKYO Ages: 2 to 12 years 3-5-13 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5449-7067 admit@montessorijapan.com www.montessorijapan.com Admissions: Pete Juds NISHIMACHI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Kindergarten to grade 9 2-14-7 Moto-Azabu,

KITA-KU

KOTO-KU

K. INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL TOKYO Pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 1-5-15 Shirakawa, Koto-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3642-9993 info@kist.ed.jp & www.kist.ed.jp Admissions: Craig Larsen Annual Schedule: August/September to June.

Accreditations: IB World School International Baccalaureate (PYP, MYP, DP) TOKYO YMCA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Kindergarten to grade 6 GYMBOREE PLAY & MUSIC JAPAN Ages: 0 to 5 Moto-Azabu (Hiroo) Centre TEL: 03-5449-2311 Jiyugaoka Centre TEL: 03-3723-0651 Lalaport Yokohama Centre TEL: 045-414-2719

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SCHOOLS & EDUCATION IN TOKYO

MEGURO-KU

ABC INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (HIROO CAMPUS) Ages: 15 months to 5 years Katsu Court #101 2-7-25 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo SUMMERHILL INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 15 months to 5.5 years 2-13-8 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3453-0811 info@summerhill.jp www.summerhill.jp Admissions: Monique Keller

AOBA-JAPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (MEGURO CAMPUS) Pre-kindergarten: Ages: 2 to 6 years. Kindergarten - K1-K4 2-11-5 Aobadai, Meguro-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5428-4488 www.aobajapan.jp admissions@aobajapan.jp

STAR KIDS INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Mom & baby up to 7-12 years old.

2F Kogai Bldg. 2-8-2 Shibakoen, Minato Ward, Tokyo Tel: 03-6452-9470 Contact for free trial: info@starkids-japan.com

GREGG INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 11 years 1-14-6 Jiyugaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3725-8000 balloon@gis-j.com www.gis-j.com Admissions: Reiko Matsuzawa Annual Schedule: August to June

ST. ALBAN’S NURSERY Ages: 3 to 5 years 3-6-25 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3431-8534 stalbans@stalbans.jp www.saintalbans.jp Admissions: Gilma Yamamoto

MONTESSORI FRIENDS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 6 years 3-8-8 Midorigaoka, Meguro-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3726-9386 info@montessorifriends.com www.montessorifriends.com Admissions: Jeanne Shimazaki

TOKYO INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (TIS) Pre-kindergarten to grade 8 2-13-6 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-5484-1160 admissions@tokyois.com www.tokyois.com Admissions: Aya Suzuki Annual Schedule: Late August to mid June (summer school until beginning of July). Accreditations: CIS, NEASC Authorization: IB (PYP, MYP)

MINATO-KU

AI INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 6 years 3F, 5-4-1 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3769-3372 info@aiinternationalschool.com www.aiinternationalschool.com Admissions: Eri Ohashi

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WILLOWBROOK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 15 months to 5 years 2-14-28, Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3449-9030

wistokyo@gol.com www.willowbrookschool.com Admissions: Hiromi Ishikawa

SETAGAYA-KU

AMERICAN WORLD INTERNATIONAL Ages: 2.5 to 6 years 4-30-5, Kaminoge, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 408-656-7959 admin@americanworld.jp www.americanworld.jp Admissions: Bobbie Buntin THE BRITISH SCHOOL IN TOKYO (SHOWA CAMPUS) Ages: 8 to 18 years 1-7-57 Taishido, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3411-4211 admissions@bst.ac.jp www.bst.ac.jp Admissions: Shoko Unabara GRACE INTERNATIONAL LEARNING CENTER Ages: 18 months to 6 years 2-13-11 Seta, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-5716-3100 admin@GILC@gmail.com www.grace-learning.com Admissions: Cheryl Ann Cabusora KOMAZAWA PARK INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 6 years 2-12-16 Fukazawa, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5707-0979 contact@kpischool.com http://kpischool.com Admissions: Itsuko Takeuchi KEIKI INTERCULTURAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 3 to 6 years 4-5-8 Nakamachi, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo . Tel: 03-3703-8778 admin@keikipreschool.com www.keikipreschool.com Admissions: Jeong La Dumas

PTC PACIFIC INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 2.5 to 6 years 5-11-5 Shimouma, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-5481-9425 ptc-school@ptc-school.net www.ptc-school.net/ Admissions: Yoko Takatsuka SETA INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 6 years 2-19-21 Seta, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-5717-6769 sip@seta-inter.com www.seta-inter.com Admissions: Masako Misumi Accreditations: Well-balanced curriculum with Montessori and manipulatives ST. MARY’S INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Kindergarten to grade 12 1-6-19 Seta, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3709-3411 Admissions@smis.ac.jp www.smis.ac.jp Admissions: Bedos T. Santos Annual Schedule: August to June Boys/Girls: Boys Accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), Council of International Schools (CIS) SEISEN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Pre-school to kindergarten (co-ed) Grade 1 to grade 12 (all-girls) 1-12-15 Yoga, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3704-2661 www.seisen.com Admissions: Ninnette Trout / admissions@seisen.com Annual Schedule: August to June Accreditation: New England Association of Schools and Colleges, Council of International Schools

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The Montessori School of Tokyo enrolls 160 students aged two to fifteen from over 30 countries around the world. The only internationally accredited Montessori school in Japan, it is located in the midst of Tokyo’s international community. Our approach assumes that children are born intelligent, curious and creative and are ripe to develop a sense of wonder and imagination.

We encourage students to think deeply, to think for themselves and to think about others.

Our core values of Confidence, Respect and Compassion represent the characteristics we strive to instill and uphold in our administration, faculty and student body.

The Montessori School of Tokyo (MST) 3-5-13 Minami Azabu Minatoku, Tokyo 106-0047 Tel: 03 5449 7067 Fax: 03 5449 0087 info@montessorijapan.com www.montessorijapan.com

Nishimachi International School is a private, nonsectarian, coeducational K–9 day school founded in 1949 to educate students from around the world and Japan. Nishimachi’s educational philosophy is rooted in a spirit of internationalism and humanism that allows children to learn in a supportive, stimulating, and caring environment. The tradition has been to provide children with an education in English and one period of daily Japanese that seeks to develop international perspective and understanding. The school’s mission is to educate students to be communicators, thinkers, and motivated lifelong learners who thoughtfully contribute to a diverse and changing world.

Nishimachi International School 2-14-7 Moto-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo 106-0046 Tel: 03-3451-5520 Admissions: Kiki Jiang-Yamaguchi admissions@nishimachi.ac.jp www.nishimachi.ac.jp

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Yoyogi International School offers a unique, integrated curriculum combining Standards from the UK National Curriculum, US Common Core State Standards and incorporating the philosophy of the International Baccalaureate; designed for international learners from around the world. Our safe and nurturing environment allows children to be courageous in their learning and develop reliance. We teach children to be Curious, Confident and Compassionate and strive to help them become independent, motivated learners with respect for one another. Japanese language and culture feature highly in the curriculum. We offer a full elementary program, through which our inquiry based approach is designed to nurture each child and enable them to apply their knowledge and skills to become global citizens of the 21st century.

Yoyogi International School, 1-15-12 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5478-6714 / Fax: 03-5478-6713 info@yoyogiinternationalschool.com www.yoyogiinternationalschool.com

The British School in Tokyo (BST) provides quality education in central Tokyo to over 900 international pupils. BST is unique in Japan as it follows the English national curriculum, preparing pupils for entry to universities worldwide. An independent inspection confirmed BST as "excellent" -the highest mark possible.

Described as a dynamic, creative environment, the inspectors highlighted that the BST staff show true commitment to the welfare, health and safety of pupils.

With a full range of extracurricular activities and an outstanding sports program, our pupils are well­rounded individuals, fully equipped for the challenges of the future.

The British School in Tokyo [BST] 1-21-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002 Tel; 03-6418-5351 Admissions: Shoko Unabara admissions@bst.ac.jp www.bst.ac.jp

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SCHOOLS & EDUCATION IN TOKYO

TAMAGAWA INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 1.5 to 5 years 1-17-5 Tsurumaki, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3439-8685 info@tips-japan.com www.tips-japan.com

SHIBUYA-KU

AOBA-JAPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (SHOTO CAMPUS) Pre-kinder & kindergarten 2-2-1 Shoto, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-5738-6556 shoto@aobajapan.jp www.aobajapan.jp Admissions: shoto.admissions@aobajapan.jp THE BRITISH SCHOOL IN TOKYO (SHIBUYA CAMPUS) Ages: Nursery to 7 years 1-21-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5467-4321 www.bst.ac.jp Admissions: Shoko Unabara admissions@bst.ac.jp INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE SACRED HEART (ISSH) Pre-kindergarten to grade 12 4-3-1 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3400-3951 admissions@issh.ac.jp www.issh.ac.jp Admissions: Hideko Hisamune Annual Schedule: Late August to early June Boys/Girls Accreditations: US Western Association of Schools and Colleges, European Council of International Schools

INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE SACRED HEART (KINDERGARTEN) Ages: 3 to 5 years 4-3-1 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3400-3951 admissions@issh.ac.jp www.issh.ac.jp Admissions: Ms. Kawaguchi Annual Schedule: August to June JINGUMAE INTERNATIONAL EXCHANGE SCHOOL Ages: 3 years to grade 6 4-20-12 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5413-6090 shibuya@jies.jp www.jies.jp Admissions: Keiko Mikawa Annual Schedule: September to June MARIA’S BABIES’ SOCIETY Ages: 18 months to 6 years Tomy’s House #101 3-36-20 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku,Tokyo Tel: 03-3404-3468 contact@mariasbabies.co.jp www.mariasbabies.co.jp Admissions: Maria Matsuoka POPPINS INTERNATIONAL PRE-SCHOOL (PIPS) Ages: 1 to 3 years Yebisu Garden Terrace Nibankan 4-20-2 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5791-2105 pips@poppins.co.jp www.poppins.co.jp/english SAINT ANNIE’S INTERNATIONAL KINDERGARTEN Ages: 1 to 5 years 1-5-3 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6407-9221

Kindergarteners are eager to explore, investigate and discover the world around them and a Saint Anne education can make a difference in how much they learn and grow. Our programme introduces your child to a formal education while embracing the idea that every child is smart in his or her own way. We strive to create a small, safe and secure environment that will provide your child with a real sense of belonging. Our curriculum is aligned with the U.S. Department of Education's Common Core Standards, and exceeds the guideines set forth by the National Teaching Associations for the Educationof Young Children (NAEYC). Our teaching method, the 8-Smart System, is based on the extensive research and theories of child development expert Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of Education at Harvard University. Free daily extended childcare to 6pm is available!

Saint Annie's International School, 1-5-3 Tomigaya, Shibuyaku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-6407-9221 kids@saintannie.net www.saintannie.net housing japan

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kids@saintannie.net http://saintannie.net Annual Schedule: September to June ST. MARIAN NURSERY SCHOOL Ages: 45 days to 8 years 1-16-12 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3461-1050 www.st-marian.co.jp SESAME INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 18 months to 6 years 1-5-14 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5485-1197 sesame@jap.co.jp http://sesame.jap.co.jp Admissions: Ms. Sachiko Nagasawa YOYOGI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 16 months to grade 2 (current) grade 5 (from fall 2015) 1-15-12 Tomigaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5478-6714 Fax: 03-5478-6713 info@yoyogiinternationalschool.com www.yoyogiinternationalschool.com Admissions: Ran Washio

SHINAGAWA-KU

CANADIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Pre-kindergarten to grade 12 5-8-20 Kita-Shinagawa, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-5793-1392 Admissions: Noriko Akahane Annual schedule: September to June Accreditations: WASC and the Canadian province of PEI KAIS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Grade 6 to 12 2-7-16 Kami-Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5421-0127 contact@kaischool.com www.kaischool.com Admissions: Misako Horikawa.

Annual Schedule:September to June

SUGINAMI-KU

AOBA-JAPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (SUGINAMI CAMPUS) Kindergarten to grade 9 2-10-7 Miyamae, Suginami-ku, Tokyo .

Tel: 03-3335-6620 suginami@aobajapan.jp www.aobajapan.jp Admissions: suginami.admissions@aobajapan.jp Annual Schedule: September to June Accreditations: Complete English curriculum, integrated Japanese language program BUSY BEES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 3 to 6 years B1F, 1-19-14 Izumi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6413-1901 info@busybees-school.com www.busybees-school.com/en Admissions: Willie Hines

TOSHIMA-KU

NEW INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Preschool age 3 to grade 12 3-18-32 Minami-Ikebukuro, Toshima- ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3980-1057 contact@newis.ed.jp http://newis.ed.jp/ Admissions: Steven Parr Annual Schedule: August to mid June

OTHER WARDS

THE AMERICAN SCHOOL IN JAPAN Nursery to grade 12 1-1-1 Nomizu, Chofu, Tokyo Tel: 0422-34-5300

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enroll@asij.ac.jp http://community.asij.ac.jp Admissions: Mary Margaret Mallat Annual Schedule: August to June.

Accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges CHRISTIAN ACADEMY IN JAPAN Kindergarten to grade 12 1-2-14 Shinkawacho, Higashi- Kurume, Tokyo Tel: 0424-71-0022 infodesk@caj.or.jp http://caj.or.jp Admissions: Carolyn Edams Annual Schedule: September to June Accreditations: Western Association of Schools and Colleges, Christian school TOKYO INTERNATIONAL LEARNING COMMUNITY (TILC) For children with learning difficulties.

2-51-7 Tamacho, Fuchu, Tokyo Tel: 042-401-0585 Admissions: Dennis McKibben

YOKOHAMA

DEUTSCHE SCHULE TOKYO YOKOHAMA Ages: 3 years to grade 12 2-4-1 Chigasaki-Minami, Tsuzuki-ku, Yokohama Tel: 045-941-4841 dsty@dsty.ac.jp www.dsty.jp Admissions: Petra Wels Annual Schedule: September to June Accreditations: German curriculum, German Baccalaureate HORIZON JAPAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (YOKOHAMA) Ages: 3 years to grade 9 1-33-6 Higashi-Terao, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama Tel: 045-584-1948 hjis@horizon.ac.jp www.horizon.ac.jp Admissions: Yumiko Ozeki Annual Schedule: September to June SAINT MAUR INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 2.5 years to grade 12 83 Yamatecho, Naka-ku, Yokohama Tel: 045-641-5751 Admissions:@stmaur.ac.jp www.stmaur.ac.jp Annual Schedule: August to June TREE HOUSE MONTESSORI SCHOOL Ages: 1 to 6 years 16-5 Honmoku-Makado, Naka-ku, Yokohama Tel: 045-622-5804 jenny@tms-school.com www.tms-school.com Admissions: Jenny Vyvial Annual Schedule: September to June YOKOHAMA OVERSEAS CHINESE SCHOOL Pre-school to grade 12 142 Yamashitacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama .

Tel: 045-681-3608 yocs@yocs.jp www.yocs.jp YOKOHAMA YAMATE CHINESE SCHOOL Pre-school to grade 9 2-66 Yoshihamacho, Naka-ku, Yokohama . Tel: 045-641-0393 bosyu@yokohamayamate-chineseschool.ed.jp www.yokohamayamate- chineseschool.ed.jp

YOKOHAMA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Ages: 3 years to grade 12 258 Yamatecho, Naka-ku, Yokohama Tel: 045-622-0084 yis@yis.ac.jp www.yis.ac.jp Admissions: Susan Chen. Annual Schedule: August to June

YOKOHAMA UNION CHURCH INTERNATIONAL PRESCHOOL Ages: 2 to 4 years 66-2 Yamatecho, Naka-ku, Yokohama Tel: 045-651-5177 preschool@yokohamaunionchurch.org www.preschool. yokohamaunionchurch.org Admissions: Linda Schmidt

CHIBA

MAKUHARI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL Kindergarten to grade 6 3-2-9 Wakaba, Mihama-ku, Chiba Tel: 043-296-0277 info@mis.or.jp www.mis.ed.jp Admissions: Paul Rogers Annual Schedule: April to March

SAITAMA

COLUMBIA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL 1-5-3 MatsugoTokorozawa, Saitama Tel: 04-2946-1911 holland@columbia-ca.co.jp www.columbia-ca.co.jp Contact: Christopher Holland

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MBA PROGRAMS & BUSINESS SCHOOLS

HITOTSUBASHI UNIVERSITY Graduate School of International Corporate Strategy (ICS), National Center of Sciences, 2-1-2 Hitotsubashi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Fax: 03-4212-3006 ics-info@ics.hit-u.ac.jp www.ics.hit-u.ac.jp Programs: One-year full-time, two-year full time, dual degree Instruction in English RIKKYO UNIVERSITY Graduate School of Business 3-34-1 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3985-4288 Fax: 03-3985-4008 mib@rikkyo.ac.jp www.rikkyo.ac.jp/mib/ Programs: Two-year full-time, part-time MBA. Instruction in English, Japanese

Tel: 03-5326-3477 info@tokyo.uibs.asia www.tokyo.uibs.asia/ index.php Programs: Full-time, part-time MBA, dual degree, EMBA Instruction in English DALE CARNEGIE TRAINING Akasaka 2 Chome Annex 5F, #501, 2-19-8 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-4520-5470 info@dale-carnegie.co.jp www.japan.dalecarnegie.com Programs: Courses, short seminars, online Instruction in English, Japanese

MBA PROGRAMS

TOKYO ANAHEIM UNIVERSITY AKIO MORITA LEARNING CENTER Raykay Minami Aoyama Bldg.

5-4-29 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3498-1005 info@anaheim.edu www.anaheim.edu Programs: Online MBA Instruction in English GLOBIS Sumitomo Fudosan Kojimachi Bldg., 5-1 Nibancho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 0120-153-981 Fax: 03-5275-3787 mba-tokyo@globis.ac.jp www.globis.co.jp/en Programs: One-year full-time, part- time MBA Instruction in English, Japanese WASEDA BUSINESS SCHOOL (WBS) Bldg.11, 3F, 1-6-1 Nishi-Waseda, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-5286-8719 Fax: 03-5286-8720 wbs@list.waseda.jp http://wasedamba.jp Programs: Two-year full time, part- time, dual degree. Instruction in Japanese, English YOKOHAMA KEIO BUSINESS SCHOOL (KBS) 4-1-1 Hiyoshi, Kohoku-ku, Yokohama Tel: 04-5564-2441 gakukbs@info.keio.ac.jp www.kbs.keio.ac.jp/en/ Programs: Two-year full time Instruction in Japanese MCGILL MBA JAPAN Hilton Tokyo, Room 2001, 6-6-2 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3342-3430 Fax: 03-3342-3431 inquiry@mcgillmbajapan.com www.mcgillmbajapan.com Programs: Part-time MBA Instruction in English

TEMPLE UNIVERSITY EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM 4-1-27 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5441-9871 emba@tuj.temple.edu www.tuj.ac.jp/mba Programs: EMBA Instruction in English THE UNIVERSITY OF TSUKUBA Graduate School of Business Sciences, MBA Program in International Business 3-29-1 Otsuka, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3942-6918 Fax: 03-3942-6835 www.mbaib.gsbs.tsukuba.ac.jp Programs: MBA-IB Instruction in English TOKYO BUSINESS SCHOOL (UIBS) Regus Business Center, Shinjuku Park Tower, 3-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo

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CLINICS & HOSPITALS

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HOSPITALS

Tel: 03-3448-6111

CHIYODA-KU

INTERNATIONAL CATHOLIC HOSPITAL (SEIBO HOSPITAL) 2-5-1 Naka-Ochiai, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo. Tel: 03-3951-1111

INOUE EYE HOSPITAL 4-3 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyodaku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3295-0911 NIHON UNIVERSITY SURUGADAI HOSPITAL 1-8-13 Kanda-Surugadai, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3293-1711 TOKYO TEISHIN HOSPITAL 2-14-23 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5214-7111

CHUO-KU

ST LUKE’S INTERNATIONAL HOSPITAL 9-1 Akashicho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3541-5151

MINATO-KU

SHINJUKU-KU

KEIO UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL 35 Shinanomachi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3353-1211

SUGINAMI-KU

TOKYO ADVENTIST HOSPITAL 3-17-3 Amanuma, Suginami-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3392-6151

CLINICS CHIYODA-KU

HIBIYA CLINIC Toho Twin Tower B3F 1-5-2 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3582-2646

AIIKU HOSPITAL 5-6-8 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3473-8321

IMPERIAL CLINIC The Imperial Hotel 4F 1-1-1 Uchisaiwaicho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3503-8681

SAISEIKAI CENTRAL HOSPITAL 1-4-17 Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3451-8211

KAIJO CLINIC Tokyo Kaijo Building Shinkan 3F 1-2-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3212-7690

SANNO HOSPITAL 8-10-16 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3402-3151

SETAGAYA-KU

SHISEIKAI DAINI HOSPITAL 5-19-1 Kami-Soshigaya, Setagaya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3300-0366

SHIBUYA-KU

JAPAN RED CROSS MEDICAL CENTER 4-1-22 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3400-1311 TOKAI UNIVERSITY TOKYO HOSPITAL 1-2-5 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3370-2321 TOKYO METROPOLITAN HIROO HOSPITAL 2-34-10 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3444-1181 NTT KANTO TEISHIN HOSPITAL 5-9-22 Higashi-Gotanda, Shinagawa- ku, Tokyo

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KOTO-KU

HELIOS ACUPUNCTURE CLINIC Room 1003, Calm Nogizaka Bldg.

9-6-27 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3403-3272 INTERNATIONAL CLINIC 1-5-9 Azabudai, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3583-7831 KAMIYACHO CLINIC Tokyu Reit Toranomon Bldg. 1F 3-17-1 Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3433-0343 KANDA SECOND CLINIC Umeda Bldg. 2F 3-20-14 NishiAzabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3402-0654 NATIONAL MEDICAL CLINIC #202 5-16-11 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3473-2057 TOKYO MEDICAL & SURGICAL CLINIC 32 Shiba Koen Bldg., 2F 3-4-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3436-3028

SHIBUYA-KU

FERTILITY CLINIC TOKYO (ODAWARA WOMEN’S CLINIC) Frontier Ebisu Bldg. 1F 3-13-11 Higashi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3406-6868 THE KING CLINIC Iori Omotesando B1F 6-31-11 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3409-0764 NOZAKI EYE CLINIC Kasuya Bldg., 2-9 Sakuragaoka, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3461-1671

HIRANO KAMEIDO HIMAWARI CLINIC Z Bldg. 2F, 7-10-1 Kameido, Koto-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5609-1823

ODAWARA WOMEN’S CLINIC Frontier Ebisu Bldg. 1F 3-13-11 Shibuya-ku higashi, Tokyo Tel: 03-3406-6868

TOHO WOMEN’S CLINIC 5-3-10 Kiba, Koto-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3630-0303

TOKYO BRITISH CLINIC Daikanyama Y Bldg. 2F 2-13-7 Ebisu-Nishi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5458-6099

MINATO-KU

AKASAKA SEKIGUCHI CLINIC INTERNATIONAL OAGHaus (German Cultural Center) 406 7-5-56 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3584-1727 AZABU OTOLARYNGOLOGY CLINIC Azabu-Yano Bldg. 2F 4-13-5 Minami Azabu, Minatoku, Tokyo . Tel: 03-3448-0248

TOKYO MATERNITY CLINIC 1-20-8 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3403-1861

SHINJUKU-KU

MIZUMACHI CLINIC Odakyu Daiichi Seimei Bldg. 3F 2-7-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjukuku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3348-2181 SAKAKIBARA KINEN CLINIC Shinjuku NS Bldg. 4F, 2-4-1 Nishi- Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3344-4817

SHINJUKU MITSUI BLDG CLINIC 4 - 5F, 2-1-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3344-3311 TAKESHITA CLINIC 2-14-22 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3200-1281

SHINAGAWA-KU

ENDO CLINIC 305 Meguro Nishiguchi Mansion 2-24-13 Kamio-Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3492-6422 TOKYO WOMEN’S CLINIC Roppongi Denki Bldg. 2F 2-24-13 Kamio-Osaki, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3492-6422 KATO LADIES CLINIC West Gate Shinjuku Bldg. 7-20-3 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3366-3777 CHIROPRACTIC AKASAKA CHIROPRACTIC 3F 2-17-58 Akasaka, Minato-ku Tokyo Tel: 03-5561-0531 INTERNATIONAL PHARMACIES AMERICAN PHARMACY MARUNOUCHI Marunouchi Bldg. B1F 2-4-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-5220-7716 AMERICAN PHARMACY SHIBUYA Hikarie Building B1F 2-21-1 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-6434-1775 NATIONAL AZABU SUPERMARKET PHARMACY 4-5-2 Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3442-3181 THE MEDICAL DISPENSARY 32 Mori Bldg.

3-4-30 Shibakoen, Minato-ku, Tokyo.

Tel: 03-3434-5817