Living in Kyoto as a foreigner.

Kyoto rewards people who stay: the temples and rivers you first came to see become your daily backdrop. It is a student and academic city as much as a tourist one, so there is real housing for real life here. Aura Homes finds you a foreigner-friendly home and takes care of the Japanese paperwork, from our Osaka base a short train ride away.

Renting in Kyoto has its own rhythm — much of the appeal is in older machiya townhouses and low-rise apartments rather than glassy towers, and demand from students keeps the smaller units moving fast. We match you with landlords who are comfortable renting to international residents, handle the guarantor and screening, and translate the contract so nothing about a traditional property surprises you later. Buying in Kyoto is a particular case: strict cityscape and height rules shape what is available and what you can change, and machiya restoration is a real commitment. We are honest about all of that, connect you with lenders open to foreign buyers, and walk you through each purchase step in your language so you know exactly what you are taking on.