Guides you can listen to

Every guide has an audio version. Written for buyers approaching the Japanese market from outside it.

  • The Wall That Lets the Light ThroughAudio

    Architectural Styles · 9 min

    The Wall That Lets the Light Through

    A roll of shoji paper wide enough for two screens costs about ¥500 — and it still outperforms expectations in a house designed around it.

  • The Doors That Are Also the WallsAudio

    Architectural Styles · 9 min

    The Doors That Are Also the Walls

    Fusuma are the sliding panels that divide a Japanese house and hide its storage. Learn how to read their condition before you buy.

  • Anatomy of a Kyoto MachiyaAudio

    City Houses · 11 min

    Anatomy of a Kyoto Machiya

    Narrow front, deep plan, a courtyard in the middle. Why the townhouse plan works, and what it costs to bring one back.

  • How to Read a Japanese RoofAudio

    Inspection · 7 min

    How to Read a Japanese Roof

    Tile, metal, thatch under metal — the roof tells you most of what you need to know about a vacant house before you step inside.

  • Renovating a Kominka Without Losing ItAudio

    Renovation · 13 min

    Renovating a Kominka Without Losing It

    Insulation, foundations and earthquake bracing in a 90-year-old timber frame — where the money actually goes.