The Bento Box Issue 29

Hello everyone! I hope you’re having a great week! We have some exciting updates on our side, as some of our clients’ properties are now officially going live on booking platforms! It’s really exciting to see these projects reach this stage after all the work that goes into getting a property ready. If you have a property in Japan and are looking for help managing your short-term rental, you can always contact us and we’d be happy to talk about how we can help!

I also had the chance to visit several of our clients’ recently renovated houses, and they are looking AMAZING! It’s honestly one of my favorite parts of this job because I get to see these houses before the renovations start and then come back once everything is almost finished. The difference can be incredible.

What I especially love is that our team isn’t simply making everything look new and modern. They’re also keeping some of the original details and character that make these Japanese houses special, while changing the areas that really need an update. Sometimes even relatively small changes to the flooring, walls, lighting, or furniture can completely transform how a house feels.

I’m really excited to keep seeing these projects come together!

Ingredient #1

• 📍 Location: 5 Tomioka Sanjo, Teine-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
• 💰 Price: ¥9,800,000 (~$62,096 USD)
• 🏠 Type: Detached House
• 🛏 Layout: 6LDK
• 📐 Building Size: 150.95 m² (1,625 sq ft)
• 🌿 Land Size: 231.07 m² (2,487 sq ft)
• 🚍 Access: 13-minute walk to Inazumi-Kōen Station on the JR Hakodate Main Line

Learn more here: Live Listing!

I actually went to this area recently, and I think Teine is a really interesting place to own a house because you get a nice balance between access to central Sapporo and being closer to the mountains. For anyone who enjoys skiing, Sapporo Teine ski resort is nearby, and you can also drive toward other ski areas around Sapporo and Otaru.

The house itself is a spacious 6LDK with six bedrooms, a large living area, and parking for up to two cars. It is also only around a 13-minute walk from Inazumi-Koen Station, which I think is a big advantage if you don’t want to depend completely on a car. Another thing I like is that the listing mentions mountain views and describes the neighborhood as a quiet residential area, so you still get that more peaceful feeling while being within Sapporo.

Of course, I would definitely put some money aside for renovations. The house was built in 1979, and you can see its age in areas like the kitchen, tatami rooms, wallpaper, flooring, and some of the water areas. However, I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing at this price. The house already gives you a lot of space to work with, and I think updating the kitchen, changing some of the flooring and wallpaper, modernizing the lighting, and keeping maybe one of the nicer Japanese-style rooms could completely change the atmosphere.

Overall, I think ¥9.8 million is an interesting price for a six-bedroom house within Sapporo, especially with two parking spaces, a station within walking distance, and access to the mountains. It’s definitely a renovation project, but that’s also where I think the potential is. With the right changes, this could become a really cozy family home, vacation property, or simply a much more modern house without having to start with a high purchase price.

Ingredient #2

• 📍 Location: Otaru, Hokkaido
• 💰 Price: ¥10,800,000 (~$68,432 USD)
• 🏠 Type: Detached House
• 🛏 Layout: 4LDK+S
• 📐 Building Size: 172.21 m² (1,854 sq ft)
• 🌿 Land Size: 169.35 m² (1,823 sq ft)
• 🚍 Access: 15-minute walk to Otaru Station on the JR Hakodate Main Line

Learn more here: Live Listing!

What caught my attention about this house is how central it is while still giving you the space and privacy of a proper detached home. Otaru Station is only around a 15-minute walk away, and you also have Minami-Otaru Station in the other direction, so I think the location is really convenient if you want to enjoy Otaru without having to rely on a car every time you go somewhere which is always a nice to have.

The house was built in 1982, but it still appears to be in pretty good condition for its age. I also really like the exterior and the overall shape of the house. Inside, you have four bedrooms, a living room, an additional room that could be used for storage, an office, or whatever fits your needs, plus your own garage. One detail I especially like is the entrance with its high ceiling, which makes the house feel much more open as soon as you walk in.

The interior is definitely a little dated, so there are some areas I would modernize, particularly the kitchen and water areas. However, I wouldn’t consider this a house that needs to be completely renovated from zero. Updating the wallpaper and flooring, adding more modern lighting, and making a few changes to the kitchen and interior design could already make a huge difference while keeping some of the original character.

For me, the biggest advantage here is really the combination of space and location. You get a large detached house and your own garage while still being able to walk into central Otaru. I think this could be a really nice option for someone who wants to spend more time in Otaru throughout the year rather than only using their property occasionally as a vacation home.

Ingredient #3

• 📍 Location: Joetsu City, Niigata Prefecture
• 💰 Price: ¥5,800,000 (~$36,751 USD)
• 🏠 Type: Detached House
• 🛏 Layout: 8DK
• 📐 Building Size: 202.66 m² (2,181 sq ft)
• 🌿 Land Size: 638.32 m² (6,872 sq ft)
• 🚍 Access: only by car

Learn more here: Live Listing!

This is such an impressive traditional Japanese-style house, and honestly, I don’t think I feature properties this big very often! There is so much space both inside and outside, with eight bedrooms, a living area, a huge garden, plenty of parking, and additional storage space. The listing doesn’t make it completely clear how many bathrooms or toilets there are, so that is something I would definitely confirm, especially for a house of this size.

The house was built in 1976, but from the photos, it looks surprisingly well maintained. Even the tatami rooms appear to be in really nice condition, and I love that the house still has so many traditional Japanese details. At the same time, there are signs that some areas may have been updated over the years. Several rooms have air conditioning, and the bathroom looks considerably more modern than the original parts of the house, so I wouldn’t be surprised if some renovations have already been done.

The amount of space is probably what excites me the most about this property. You have a large garden, parking, storage, and eight rooms to work with, so there are SO many possibilities depending on what you want to create. You could keep it as a large traditional vacation home or, subject to the necessary permissions, explore something more ambitious using all that space.

It is a little farther from the main Myoko area than some of the properties I normally share, but you’re still within driving distance of the ski areas, so I think the location remains really interesting for someone looking for a mountain property. You also get more space for your money by looking slightly outside the most popular ski areas.

As always, let me know in the comments which house was your favorite or which area you would like me to search next. See you next week!

If your ready to buy a house: Book a call here.

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This content is for informational and educational purposes only and reflects my personal opinions and experience. I am not a licensed financial advisor, tax advisor, or attorney. Readers should conduct their own due diligence and consult qualified professionals before making any investment decisions.