When Nicolas and his family purchased a holiday home in Nara city, they came to us with a very clear brief: they needed more than just their post redirected and their bills paid on time.
At Nippon Bridge, we operate as a hands-on, concierge-style property management service. And to be perfectly honest — there are more affordable options out there for the purely administrative side of things. (If mail forwarding and utility management is all you need, we highly recommend MailMate — they’ll give you solid peace of mind at a very reasonable price.)
What Nicolas and his family wanted — as do all of our clients — was attentive, nuanced management. Not just the practical side of owning a second home in Japan (periodically airing a property in a country this humid is essential; so is keeping the yard clear of weeds, overgrowth, and vermin). But also the less tangible, more human side of things: becoming part of a local community.
That includes, especially at the beginning, dealing with the neighbors — at least until clients have had the chance to build their own relationships through repeated visits and genuine human contact.
Why Community Relations Matter More Than You Think
This is something we know well — and we do it proactively, even when clients don’t specifically ask for it. Community relationships are essential in traditional, rural, or suburban Japan. The social fabric here is dense, and how a new homeowner is received by their neighbors can shape the entire ownership experience for years to come.
The Japanese — particularly the older generations, of which there are many given Japan’s rapidly ageing population — can be deeply wary of foreigners moving into established residential neighborhoods. This is a complex reality, shaped by cultural insularity, media framing, and, at times, deliberately stoked by political actors.
When a foreign homeowner moves next door, these anxieties can escalate quickly. We’ve seen it. We prepare for it. And still — we were caught off guard by Sawada san.
Enter: Sawada San
The moment Sawada san — Nicolas’s next-door neighbor — learned about his new neighbors (we’d initiated contact over an air-conditioning unit that required exterior collaboration), a barrage of messages began. Over several weeks.
💬 “Are they going to be renting the property out for short-term visitors???”
No — that was never their intention. They know Japan well, love this region, and want to visit as often as possible with their family and friends.
💬 “Will they follow local municipality regulations regarding noise, yard maintenance, rubbish disposal and communal areas???”
Yes — we’ve explained all of those in full, with attached translations and color-coded photos. Also: they’re Swiss.
💬 “But will they REALLY not rent it out??? Will they provide a written commitment to that effect???”
…and on it went.
I’ll be honest — the ongoing messages irked me. In my mind, I’d already labeled Sawada san a racist bigot, braced for a long, difficult relationship lasting as long as Nicolas owned the property.
I was wrong. Blissfully, shamefully, and extremely happily wrong.
What Changed Everything
I should have had more faith. Faith in my partner, Kiyoka Naruke san, who handled every message from Sawada san with endless patience and precision. Faith in Nicolas and his family, who approached everything with the cultural awareness and warmth we’d hoped for. And faith in Japan — and in Sawada san himself.
“Because once his fears were laid to rest — Sawada san became more than appeased. He became a zealous, converted gaijin lover.”
He opened his home to his new neighbors. He found points of common ground. He made sure his family and community did the same — with genuine enthusiasm.
The photos Sawada san sent us — with the same frequency and enthusiasm he’d previously used to send concerned messages — tell the rest of this story far better than I can. He even wrote a column for the local newspaper. We’ve translated it below.
💡 NTI Insight
Neighbor relations are one of the most underestimated factors in second-home ownership in Japan. It’s not just about being polite — it’s about understanding the social contract of a neighborhood that may have been unchanged for decades. We factor community integration into every management plan we create for overseas buyers. It’s not an add-on. It’s a core part of how a property thrives here long-term.
Sawada San’s Newspaper Column — Translated
📰 “Local Voice” Column — Nara Prefecture · Katsunori Sawada, 56
“When Foreigners Live Next Door, (Empathy, Accommodation & Mutual) Consideration Is Important”
A Swiss family of four has begun living in the house next to ours, in an otherwise ordinary residential neighborhood.
They came to Japan for work, and after spending long-term periods in places such as Nara and Kyoto, they purchased the property as a detached home.
Recently, we often see news reports about troubles involving private lodging accommodations (minpaku), and because of that, when I learned that foreigners would be living next door, I felt considerable anxiety. I worried about whether, during times when they were away, they might rent the house out to other people, whether they would properly follow the rules for taking out garbage, and whether they would greet us as neighbors.
However, although uneasiness would surface from time to time, they carefully came to ask me about matters such as garbage separation methods, and they had no plans to lend the house to others. They also made an effort to proactively fit into the local community by making a point of greeting neighbors.
The number of foreigners visiting Japan is increasing, and there may also be more cases like mine. If both sides can stay considerate of one another and live while supporting each other, I believe good neighborly relationships can be built. I look forward to seeing what kind of relationship with our neighbors will develop from here on.
A Note on Faith
Will Sawada san now view every foreigner he meets as an unmet friend rather than a potential threat? Will he vote differently in the next election? Maybe. Maybe not.
I’d like to think he’d at least pause. Think twice. Know, from lived experience, what those headlines often miss.
And I’d like to think that I, too, will remember this — in spite of my instincts sometimes screaming otherwise — the next time I’m tempted to write someone off before the story is finished.
So here’s to humanity. Here’s to Japan. Here’s to anyone willing to look past the headlines and meet the people around them face to face.
Here’s to Sawada-san.
