For most overseas buyers eyeing Tokyo real estate, the property isn’t the hard part. Finding a well-built unit in a good ward at a reasonable yield, with a weak yen working in your favor — that’s a search problem. The hard part has always been financing it without a Japanese visa, a local address, or years of residency to show a bank.
That’s the gap a new lender, Yen Loans, is built to close. It works because of how tightly it’s paired with on-the-ground execution through Axios Management. They’re the appointed property partner in that pairing, and the way the two fit together are vital to understand before you start looking at listings.
Eligibility currently extends to applicants from Australia, Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the EU, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, the US, and Vietnam, with India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea ready to follow.
What Yen Loans Underwrites Instead of Residency
Traditional Japanese banks lend against your ties to Japan. Do you have a visa, a local employer, or even a Japanese spouse? Yen Loans asks different questions. Can you demonstrate global income, liquid assets and net worth sufficient to service the debt? No Japanese visa, residency status or local bank account is required to apply.
That underwriting shift is what opens the door to buyers who’d otherwise be shut out by conventional lenders. They’re popular with investors looking for rental yield, and professionals abroad who want a Tokyo base for part of the year. Eligibility currently extends to applicants from Australia, Canada, mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, the EU, Singapore, Thailand, the UK, the US, and Vietnam, with India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and South Korea ready to follow.
Why a Property Manager Is Part of the Loan Requirement
However, Yen Loans doesn’t just underwrite the borrower. It requires the property itself to be under a pre-approved manager for the life of the loan, as a condition of asset preservation. That requirement makes Axios’s role integral to the your project.
Axios covers three stages of the transaction:
- Sourcing that filters for financeable stock. Yen Loans generally restricts eligible properties to the Tokyo 23 wards, built after 1990. Axios screens for this upfront, so buyers don’t fall in love with units that can’t actually be financed.
- Coordinating approval timing. Once a property is identified, conditional loan approval usually follows within about 10 business days.
- Ongoing management post-purchase. For rental investors, that means tenant placement and rent collection. For second-home buyers, it means the vacant-property upkeep, such as airing, cleaning and periodic inspection that satisfies the Yen Loans’ oversight requirement while the owner is abroad.
Loan Terms at a Glance
Term | Detail |
Loan-to-Value (LTV) | Up to 60% of appraised property value |
Interest rate | Floating, TIBOR + 3.50% (≈4.13% p.a. as of December 2025) |
Loan size | ¥10 million – ¥250 million |
Repayment term | Up to 35 years |
Refinancing an Existing Property
Owners who originally bought in cash also have options. Yen Loans also offer refinancing and equity-release options, letting existing owners take liquidity from a Tokyo asset and redeploy it. That could be into another property, another market, or wherever the capital can be used best.
Who This Financing Route Actually Suits
Two types of buyers can benefit the most from this arrangement:
- Yield-focused investors who want leverage without first establishing a Japanese corporate entity or banking relationship, and who are comfortable with Axios handling tenant placement and rent collection as part of the loan condition.
- Second-home buyers who want a Tokyo property they can leave vacant for stretches of the year, without the compliance headache of managing upkeep remotely. Yen Loans oversight requirement creates a management arrangement that owners would need in place for upkeep regardless.
It suits both groups because both of those vital elements: the financing and the management are packaged together, saving them time and hassle searching for.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need Japanese residency or a visa to qualify?
No. Underwriting is based on global income, liquid assets and net worth rather than visa or residency status.
Can I refinance a property I already own?
Yes. Refinancing and equity-release options are available to existing owners looking to unlock capital from a Tokyo asset.
How long does approval take?
Conditional approval takes about 10 business days once a suitable property is identified, with settlement generally targeted around one month from initial inquiry.
Can this be used for a second home rather than a rental investment?
Yes. The structure works for personal-use properties as well as investment units — Axios manages vacant properties differently from rented ones, but both satisfy the Yen Loans’ oversight requirement.
Does the whole process require traveling to Japan?
No. The entire process, from application through settlement, can be completed remotely.
Ready to check your eligibility? Contact Axios Management to identify a finance-ready property and start the Yen Loans eligibility process.
Tsuyoshi Hikichi
Managing Director of Axios Management and IREA, with over 22 years of experience advising international investors on acquiring, managing, and optimizing real estate assets in Japan.
