FCC club lunch with Christopher DILLON

Speaker: Christopher DILLON
Writer / Entrepreneur
Topic: Japanese Real Estate: bargain or black hole?

Japanese property prices have plummeted since the late 1980s, when the land under the Imperial Palace in Tokyo was reportedly worth more than California. You can now buy a house on an acre of land for as little as US$30,000, and ski chalets in Hokkaido are cheaper – and closer – than those in Whistler or Vail. But is it the right time to buy? Christopher DILLON examines the demographic trends shaping Japan’s real estate market and explains where to find financing, what not to buy and how to avoid risks that are unique to Japan.

Christopher DILLON is a Hong Kong-based author and entrepreneur who lived in Tokyo from 1989 to 1992 and still visits Japan regularly on business. Since 2002, his several property purchases and renovations have included transforming a derelict steam laundry into a multimedia studio. His experiences inspired his first book, “Landed: The expatriate’s guide to buying and renovating property in Hong Kong”. His new book is “Landed: The guide to buying property in Japan”.