Konnichiwa! Welcome to Japan
Japan lives with flowers of four seasons and appreciation of the flowers
coloring each season is indispensable to understanding Japan-chrysanthemum in
January, plum in February, cherry blossoms in April, hydrangea in June, etc.
Those flowers, for example, will become foods or decorate dishes, according to
the customs of the various regions. Also, the way of loving and enjoying flower
blossoms are variant and have melted into every day life. So, Japanese people
come to feel the new season by flowers.
Real Estate in Japan
Thanks to unprecedentedly low interest rates in the past few years, the real
estate market in Japan is moving upward, especially the market of new, lower
priced condominium units aimed at first time home buyers. However, the move up
market remains slow, as many owners carry a mortgage that is larger than the
current value of their house. So, complete recovery of the resale market will
take more time. Due to over-supply in the residential rental property market,
the vacancy rate is still climbing, ranging between 5-13%, creating harsh
competition among brokers. Because of the accelerated expansion of Information
Technology, great changes to the industry are foreseen in 2001.
About ERA in Japan
The year 2001 is the 20th anniversary of ERA Japan, which currently has 570
franchised offices. New business concepts recently introduced will spur the
growth of ERA Japan to 1,000 offices by 2005. Newly established alliances with
moving companies, computer companies, insurance companies, etc. will provide a
greater benefit to consumers, along with the rapid introduction of Information
Technology within the ERA organization. |
