Originally Posted by
armagebedar
How many tourists (i.e. short-term visitors) are going to be legally buying a car or house?
House - Quite a few. Car - I don't know. I'm not even sure you can buy a car if you don't have some form of longer term visa.
I think it's not out of the question for wealthy Taiwanese, Chinese etc. to want to buy a second home in Japan - whether by the sea, or near a ski resort, or onsen ... or, indeed, in Tokyo.
It's getting to be more and more common. If it were easier for a non-resident to borrow money, the demand would be huge.