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Cleverly Home, which operates a nationwide housing franchise under the Shinshowa Group , will begin using its custom-built model homes as short-term rental accommodations from January 2026. With advance reservations for model-home tours now the norm, the company says it has become easier to manage scheduling between daytime viewings and overnight stays. Hero image provided by Cleverly Home model house short-term rental stay information page, found here in Japanese only . The

On December 2nd, the Nikkei Shimbun reported that Shinano Railway, based in Ueda, Nagano Prefecture, announced it will operate special rapid trains on the Kita-Shinano Line (Nagano–Myoko Kogen) during the upcoming ski season. The line normally runs 17 trains per day in each direction, including local services and fee-based rapid trains. From January 1 to February 28, 2026, three additional rapid trains will be added daily in both directions. 　 Mount Myoko from the north-east,

Daiwa House Industry has opened the model room for Premist Tower Funabashi, a major condominium project in Funabashi, Chiba Prefecture, developed with Tokyo Tatemono and Keisei Electric Railway. Exterior arial CG rendering graphic courtesy of the Premist Tower Funabashi developer website . The high-rise will connect directly to Funabashi Station via a pedestrian deck and sit amid a cluster of retail facilities, making it one of the rare new-build condominiums so close to the

On November 26th, the Nikkei Shimbun reported on proposed changes to how Japan values real estate for inheritance-tax purposes would shift assessments away from traditional indicators such as the National Tax Agency’s annually published rosenka (roadside land prices) and instead base valuations on the property’s original purchase price. Photo by Scott Graham  on Unsplash .   The national government aims to close perceived loopholes that allow heirs to sharply discount propert

On November 27 th , the Nikkei Shimbun reported the results on a performance survey of companies in Niigata and Nagano for fiscal 2024 (April 2024 to March 2025), compiled by Teikoku Databank’s regional offices. The results showed that just under 30% of firms in both prefectures posted increases in both revenue and profit. Nagano City skyline courtesy of Photo by Aoi  on Unsplash. In Niigata, 29.4% of companies reported higher revenue and profit, surpassing the share of firms