Managing Member / Licensed Real Estate Transaction Specialist (Takken-shi)
Takahiro Katoh加藤隆寛
Licensed real estate transaction specialist (takken-shi). Born in Yokohama and raised between Yokohama and Kawasaki, where the family on the mother’s side is from, and still living in Kawasaki. Together with parents who have run a real estate business in Yokohama and Kawasaki for over 40 years, handles rentals, purchases and sales across Tokyo and Kanagawa, in English or Japanese. Also runs the travel YouTube channel "Katoh Travel" (350,000 subscribers).
Where I grew up
I was born in Yokohama and grew up between Yokohama and Kawasaki, where my mother’s family is from. I still live in Kawasaki.
I know the Tokyu Toyoko Line neighborhoods such as Musashikosugi, Motosumiyoshi and Shin-Maruko, and the tower condos of Kawasaki and Yokohama, as someone who has lived here.
A family business
My parents have run a real estate company in Yokohama and Kawasaki for over 40 years. Our company is run by my parents, my wife and me.
The representative on our brokerage license is my mother (Managing Member Yoshie Katoh). I handle most of the communication with clients, in English or Japanese.
License
- Licensed Real Estate Transaction Specialist (Takken-shi)
Takken-shi is Japan’s national license for real estate transactions. Under the Real Estate Brokerage Act, the explanation of important matters before a contract, and signing that explanation document and the contract document, must be done by a licensed transaction specialist.
Education
- The City College of New York (CUNY), attended before returning to Japan to study at Waseda University
- Waseda University, BA, School of Culture, Media and Society (Contemporary Literature and Criticism)
- Hitotsubashi University, MBA, Graduate School of Business Administration
YouTube: Katoh Travel
I run the travel YouTube channel "Katoh Travel" (350,000 subscribers). I show my face there, and I do the same in real estate: when a lot of money is at stake, you should be able to see who you are dealing with.
Aikido and Karate
I practice aikido and karate, and run an aikido dojo, Aikido Katoh Dojo, in Kawasaki.
Service area
I help with rentals (as the tenant’s agent), home purchases and home sales, mainly in Tokyo and Kanagawa. No office visit needed: consultations and contract paperwork are handled via form, LINE and online meetings, and viewings take place on site.
Articles by this author
- How much have condo, house and land prices risen since before the 2008 financial crisis? (Tokyo, Yokohama, Kawasaki)
- Did resale condo prices fall in Tokyo's 23 wards? A comparison with Yokohama and Kawasaki (Reading the September 2026 data)
- Can you pay a real estate agent's fee in Japan with stablecoins (USDC, JPYC)? Conversion to yen and what to watch for
- Which ward of Kawasaki has the most tower condominiums? Not Nakahara (Musashikosugi), but Saiwai, west of Kawasaki Station (2026 list by ward)
- How do you rent or buy in Japan without visiting an agency office? Plus when our brokerage fee is half price