Here’s a link to a Japan Times article about a new DVD for foreigners that helps them navigate the rental housing world of Japan. As the piece points out, the DVD is being distributed by the Japan Property Management Association, which means that they are more concerned with what happens after the contract is signed–getting along with neighbors, knowing the customs, etc. These are all important matters, but what’s significant about the release is its timing. With the rental housing market deep in the doldrums more and more realtors and landlords are biting the bullet and soliciting foreigners whom they avoided in the past. Building management companies understand this and are mainly doing this for their customers, not for tenants. As long as foreign tenants know their obligations, there will be less trouble for realtors and landlords. Will somebody in the industry ever produce a DVD for foreigners that informs them of their rights as tenants? That would seem to be against their interests, wouldn’t it?