ROI: 890萬→1,200萬

Shakujii-Koen 1R: two first-timers pooled in, rode out the COVID border closure — in at ¥8.9M, out at ¥12M

Two young Hong Kongers · first joint purchase

01The Challenge

Two young men buying in Japan for the first time wanted to pool in on a limited budget, worried about picking wrong, unfamiliar with the Japanese process, and reluctant to take on a mortgage. Soon after buying, COVID hit in 2020 and Japan closed its borders — tourists and overseas students vanished overnight, many foreign owners panicked, and the market slumped. The two novices wavered, unsure whether to hold or cut losses.

02The Solution

In 2020 Estate Prime secured them a low-entry 1R just 2 minutes from Shakujii-Koen Station, bought for ¥8.9M — right beside Shakujii Park with its large ecological pond, cherry blossoms and autumn leaves in season, comfortable to live in and with relatively stable rental demand. After purchase they spent about ¥700k on renovation: new flooring, redone bathroom, replaced plumbing — refreshing the old mansion. During the border-closure slump we assessed that owner-occupier-led, locally-tenanted properties like this were little affected by tourism, and advised the clients not to panic-sell but to hold, collect rent and wait for recovery. Interestingly, at closing we discovered the seller was also a Hong Konger — a parent who had bought it (around ¥6.9M) for a daughter studying in Japan, then sold it on (¥8.9M) to our two clients after she graduated.

03Photos & Tour

Shakujii-Koen 1R: two first-timers pooled in, rode out the COVID border closure — in at ¥8.9M, out at ¥12M 實景 1

Shakujii-Koen 1R: two first-timers pooled in, rode out the COVID border closure — in at ¥8.9M, out at ¥12M 實景 2

Shakujii-Koen 1R: two first-timers pooled in, rode out the COVID border closure — in at ¥8.9M, out at ¥12M 實景 3

Shakujii-Koen 1R: two first-timers pooled in, rode out the COVID border closure — in at ¥8.9M, out at ¥12M 實景 4

Shakujii-Koen 1R: two first-timers pooled in, rode out the COVID border closure — in at ¥8.9M, out at ¥12M 實景 5

Before vs After

Flooring

Before

After

Bathroom

Before

After

The Outcome

"Holding proved right: after the trough, Japan reopened its borders in late 2022, visitors and students returned, and the market clearly warmed. In 2023, on Estate Prime's advice, they sold into the recovery for ¥12M. Against a total cost of about ¥9.6M (incl. ~¥700k renovation), they sidestepped the panic-selling trap of the closure period and completed a full cycle at a high — "low-barrier entry → renovate and add value → ride out the downturn → exit at the right time" — and the two first-time investors built real confidence in Japanese property. (An individual past case; past performance is not indicative of future results.)"

Target return achieved

ROI 890萬→1,200萬

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