Glossary
Japanese Property Listing Terms Explained: LDK, Tsubo, Owner-Change and More
What 2LDK means, tsubo and square metres, wall-centre vs internal area, owner-change units, "cannot be rebuilt", and gross vs net yield, explained for international buyers.
Japanese property listings use many abbreviations and technical terms. This glossary covers the words you will see on our listing pages, with what each one means and what to check.
Key takeaways
- 2LDK means two rooms plus a combined living, dining and kitchen area
- One tsubo is about 3.31 m²; condo areas differ between wall-centre and internal measurements
- An owner-change property is sold with a tenant in place
- Gross yield is before costs; net yield is after them
Layout and size
Layouts are written as a number of rooms plus letters.
- R (one-room): the kitchen and the room are one space
- K, DK, LDK: kitchen, dining-kitchen, living-dining-kitchen. The number counts the other rooms (2LDK = two rooms + LDK)
- S (service room): a room that cannot legally be called a living room, often because of small windows; also called a storage room
- Tsubo: about 3.31 m². Land prices are often quoted per tsubo
- Wall-centre vs internal area: measured to the middle of the walls or to their inside. The registered area is internal and smaller
Money terms
- Brokerage fee: paid to the agent; the maximum is price × 3% + ¥60,000 + consumption tax
- Management fee and repair reserve: monthly condo fees for running costs and future major repairs
- Deposit (tetsukekin): part of the price paid at the contract, often 5–10%
- Fixed asset and city planning tax: charged yearly to the owner on 1 January and split pro rata in a sale
- Price per m²: price divided by area, useful for comparing properties
Building terms
- New vs old earthquake standard: buildings permitted from June 1981 follow the new standard
- RC, SRC, S, wooden: reinforced concrete, steel-reinforced concrete, steel frame, timber
- Built year (chiku): the year of completion; "chiku 30" means 30 years old
- Condominium unit (kubun): owning one unit in a building; a whole building is sold as an apartment or commercial building
- Major repairs: exterior, roof and pipe works done together every 10–15 years or so
Rights and legal terms
- Freehold vs leasehold: owning the land or leasing it
- Zoning: the district rules on what can be built and how tall, such as Category I Exclusively Low-rise Residential or Commercial
- Cannot be rebuilt (saikenchiku fuka): land where a new building is not allowed if the current one is demolished, usually because of road access
- Important matters explanation: the formal disclosure by a licensed agent before the contract
- Registration: recording the owner at the Legal Affairs Bureau, handled by a judicial scrivener
Rental and investment terms
- Current status: vacant, owner-occupied or let
- Owner-change: sold with a tenant in place; the buyer takes over the lease
- Sublease (master lease): a company rents the unit and sublets it
- Gross yield: annual rent ÷ price, before costs
- Net yield: annual rent minus building fees and other costs, ÷ price
FAQ
How is "10 minutes' walk" measured?
By rule, every 80 m of road counts as one minute. Traffic lights and hills are ignored, so it can take a little longer.
Why does the area differ from the registered area?
Listings often use the wall-centre area and the register uses the internal area. We state which one a listing uses.
What if I see a term I do not know?
Ask the property facts assistant on the listing page, or message us by WhatsApp or email.
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