RetireJapan

First off, congratulations for being able to qualify for such a large loan. That is not an easy thing to do and you and your wife must be really dedicated to your careers. Kudos. 

 I don’t know your ages, how secure your jobs are, if you have life insurance now, or if either of you have any serious...

Adding REITS to your portfolio is an excellent decision as it will add a layer of diversification and potentially could help you generate excess returns for your portfolio as well. 
The former Chief Investment Officer of the Yale endowment, David Swensen, used REITs to complement his portfolio, whic...

Let me give this a try. 

I obviously don't know your age, nationality, tax status, income, current retirement savings, or the location of the land. 

 However, what I do know is that as a real estate investor, raw land is considered the most speculative type of real estate investing. Let me share a...

Your realtor in Hiroshima is likely giving you correct information about most mansions not wanting to allow big dogs. I had a 100 lb Rhodesian Ridgeback that I brought from the US to Tokyo and it was never easy finding an apartment. I can't speak for Hiroshima, but in Tokyo I don't think I've met an...