Just as the yen's eye-popping plunge against the dollar grabs the world's financial market spotlight, investors will get a closer look on Thursday into the underlying state of the Japanese economy. Revised second quarter GDP data, and trade and current account figures for July, will give an insight into the yen's economic fundamentals, and offer clues to whether the level and pace of the currency's depreciation are justified.

Owning property in Japan comes with a set of responsibilities that you must adhere to. Here’s a comprehensive guide to help you navigate the necessary steps and ensure you’re fully prepared.

While Japanese tenants, from a landlord perspective, are normally extremely docile and headache free, and while tenancies are generally long and stable as a rule - there is one issue that, while not unique only to Japan, is more common here due to the country's status as the world's fastest ageing society - as landlords in Japan, our tenants are often elderly - which means that the likelihood of them becoming severely ill or passing away during their tenancy is higher than in most other countries.

With Tokyo & Osaka approaching their pre-1990's property bubble peak, and yields in other investment hot-spots such as Fukuoka, Kyoto and Nagoya also gaining in price and becoming more compressed, opportunity-seeking investors are on the lookout for smaller cities that may still provide higher, yet stable and reliable rental returns. However, in a country as insular as Japan, where cities other than those already frequented by international visitors remain veiled in language and cultural isolation, the quest for attractive investment destinations can be difficult.