April 18-19
Pullman Tokyo
Tokyo
Two days of insight on buying, owning and investing in Japan
What to expect
Expert talks and panel discussions from top voices in Japanese real estate
Want to attend?
Speakers
Speakers
Event Schedule
10.00-10.30
Registration & Kick-off
10.30-10.45
Agenda Review & Orientation
10.45-11.30
Main Room - Emil Gorgees
Buy Smart: The Fundamentals of Choosing the Right Home in Tokyo
Before you sign a contract, understand what really matters. This session covers budgeting, location strategy, property type decisions, and long term planning so you can choose a home in Tokyo with clarity and confidence.
11.30-12.15
Main Room - Brett Lee & Shu Matsuo Post
Everyone loves free stuff... and cats. A breakdown of buyer focused resources and data insights for 2026 from the AkiyaHub team, and a case study on what 'free' really means in Japanese real estate.
11.30-12.15
Breakout Room - Private Consultations
12.15-13.15
Lunch & free time
13.15-14.00
Main Room - Alicia Qin Wang
2026 Update - Non-Residents Can Now Finance Condo Units
Alicia will share new non-resident loan options, now available not only for entire buildings, but for condominium apartments too.
13.15-14.00
Breakout Room - Emil Gorgees
Borrow Smart: Home Loan Strategy for Foreign Residents in Japan
Designed for foreign residents living and working in Japan, this session explains how home loans work, who qualifies, how much you can borrow, and what to expect from pre approval through settlement. Clear, practical guidance using real examples.
14.00-14.45
Main Room - Blanka Kobayashi
How to Plan Ahead for a Successful Renovation Project
The dos and don'ts of renovations in Japan. Blanka shares the 2026 Japanese playbook to help you ensure your projects are done on time and budget.
14.00-14.45
Breakout Room - Alicia Qin Wang
Investment Loans Case Studies
14.45-15.15
Free time
15.15-16.00
Main Room - Chai Kanda
Beyond Short Term Stays: Scaling into 10–20 Room Boutique Hotels
As the STR market matures, the next frontier is the 10–20 room boutique hotel—blending guesthouse intimacy with professional hotel features. This session provides a "boots on the ground" guide to navigating this transition, drawing on active knockdown-rebuild and remodeling projects in Kyoto.
15.15-16.00
Breakout Room - Private Consultations
16.00-16.45
Main Room - Brittany Arthur
The Use Case for AI in Real Estate Businesses
16.00-16.45
Private room - Ben Howard & Yi Zhang (Shiki Properties)
Ski Investments Case Studies + Navigating Kyoto Regulations & Compliance
18.00-20.00
Gala Dinner (separate tickets required)
KASA fine dining at Pullman - Full course and free flow drinks
10.00-10.15
Registration & orientation
10.15-11.00
Main Room - Mark Drabkin
Beyond Investment & Incorporation – the Yen Loans Offer
Mark will break down “Yen Loans” financing product for non-resident buyers – finance your holiday home, AirBnb property, or leverage your existing portfolio for any project, real-estate related or otherwise.
10.15-11.00
Breakout Room - Private Consultations
11.00-11.45
Main Room - Matt Ketchum
Creating Value
How to make something out of (close to) nothing, with strategic property acquisition & management, and away from familiar, routine distribution models.
11.00-11.45
Breakout Room - Mark Drabkin
11.45-12.30
Main Room - Tracey Northcott
Due Diligence or Disaster
What Every Minpaku Investor Must Understand Before Buying in Japan
11.45-12.30
Breakout Room - Ziv Nakajima-Magen
12.30-13.30
Lunch & free time
13.30-14.15
Main Room - Ben Tanaka
Avoid Tax Unknown Unknowns in Japan
There are a number of tax quirks in Japan that are different from how things work in other countries. This talk will give you a quick overview, and help you avoid unpleasant surprises.
13.30-15.00
Breakout Room - Tracey Northcott
The Minpaku Risk Lab™ - A Hands-On Due Diligence Workshop Minpaku rewards structure — and punishes assumption.
Through real-world case studies of licensing failures, regulatory crackdowns, and avoidable investor mistakes, this session exposes how quickly a deal can unravel — and the due diligence discipline required to prevent disaster.
15.00-15.30
Free time
15.30-16.15
Main Room - Ziv Nakajima-Magen
Deal Dynamics
Cultural expectations and operational realities shape cross-border property transactions in Japan. Through real-world scenarios — including documentation, payment logistics, and investment timelines — this session reveals where friction occurs and how aligning expectations helps deals close smoothly.
Breakout Room - Private Consultations
16.15-17.00
Experts Q&A Panel
17.00-17.45
Tearful goodbyes & photo-ops
18.00-20.00
The afterparty!!!
Venue TBD on the day - some local Izakaya most likely
Early Bird
JRES is guaranteed to sell out. Get your tickets and benefit from early bird pricing.
