Is Shikoku Japan's Most Underrated Place to Live? A Local Take | Ep. 143

This week we welcome Narumi, our newest team member and consultant, for her first appearance on the show. Narumi is Swiss Japanese, grew up in the German-speaking part of Switzerland, and moved to Tokyo two years ago to reconnect with her Japanese heritage and chase what she calls her big city girl dream. She walks us through her path from language school in Kobe to a role at the Swiss Embassy in Japan to a cross border M&A company, and shares what she has learned helping clients navigate buying property in Japan.Key TakeawaysNarumi grew up speaking German, English, and French, and started learning Japanese from scratch when she moved to Kobe for language schoolFull immersion, working at a Japanese company where no one spoke English, made the biggest difference in her fluencyJapan's vacant home crisis has a lesser known parallel: small business owners without successors, sometimes giving away entire companies for freeShikoku (Takamatsu, Kochi, Tokushima) came up as an underrated region worth a look, though it is harder to reach and better suited to buyers with some Japan experience alreadyJapanese bureaucracy can be a serious hurdle for foreign residents, including family register requirements that require support from relatives back in JapanYounger generations in both Switzerland and Japan increasingly doubt they will ever be able to afford a home, which is part of why more people are exploring options like AkiyaIn This EpisodeNarumi's background, her apprenticeship in Switzerland, and her decision to move to JapanHer JLPT journey, including a near miss on the N2 exam and her upcoming retakeWorking at the Swiss Embassy and later in cross border M&A, sourcing succession deals between Japanese business owners and international investorsThe connection between Japan's declining population, its vacant home problem, and its business succession problemFrequently asked questions from consultation clients, including "where should I buy" and "are these prices actually real"A candid conversation about phone anxiety in a second language and tricks for getting simpler Japanese from customer serviceRecommendations for underrated regions, ferry routes, and Narumi's own dream home picks (Kamakura and Takamatsu)Resources MentionedBuying a House in Japan's property listing site (linked in show notes)Book a consultation with the team, including NarumiFollow along on Instagram and TikTok for property tips and renovation updatesCall to ActionIf this episode helped you or made you smile, leave us a five star rating. It takes five seconds and helps other listeners find the show. Got a question or a topic you want covered?