Renovation in Japan covers a wider spectrum than most buyers and investors initially appreciate. It ranges from the careful restoration of a century-old timber kominka, every joint hand-cut, every tile reseated by someone who understands what they are working with, to the demolition of a failed hotel's upper floors and the architectural conversion of its retained concrete base into four Minpaku residences.

A client approached us with a straightforward renovation request: installing a large Western-style bathtub , a 66‑inch American tub , in the second‑floor bathroom of an existing house.

At Smith&Co, we regularly work with two leading Japanese warehouse manufacturers, Kakuichi and Inaba. Based on decades of real estate experience in Japan, we can confidently say that both manufacturers produce solid, long-lasting, and high-quality warehouse and garage structures.

Asbestos was once a cornerstone material in the Japanese construction industry. It was widely used from the 1950s to the early 1980s and estimated to have been used in 2.8 million private buildings. Its unique combination of heat resistance, durability, and affordability made it particularly popular in various applications. These included insulation, roofing, flooring, cement products, and fireproofing materials in both residential and commercial buildings. Asbestos was used extensively in public and private sector projects, from high-rise buildings to schools, hospitals, and homes. Given its extensive use, its presence in these structures has become a lingering concern as the serious health risks associated with asbestos exposure became more apparent.

Smith&Co was approached to handle a small scale Japanese demolition project. While the demolition itself was straightforward, multiple challenges had delayed the start of the project. The customer expressed concerns about neighborhood complaints, the potential loss of land, and a high estimate they had received prior to contacting Smith&Co.