Heritage Homes Japan

About us

Heritage Homes Japan is a Kyoto-based real estate, renovation, and property-management company describing itself as a small team of dedicated professionals passionate about restoring Japan's architectural heritage. The company specialises in the eco-conscious renovation of traditional Kyoto properties — machiya (historic wooden townhouses) and kominka (traditional farmhouses) — helping both Japanese and international buyers purchase and then sustainably restore these older, often structurally sound but energy-inefficient homes rather than seeing them demolished.

Heritage Homes Japan's renovation approach is explicitly framed around sustainability: improving poorly insulated wooden structures with materials such as cellulose, wool, or recycled denim; installing double-glazed, FSC-certified wood-framed windows to cut heat loss while preserving traditional aesthetics; integrating discreetly mounted solar panels and solar water heaters that don't disrupt a property's historic roofline; adding rainwater harvesting and low-flow fixtures for water conservation; and using natural, non-toxic materials — earthen wall plasters, bamboo flooring, reclaimed wood, and VOC-free paints — to protect indoor air quality. On kominka specifically, the company advocates preserving thatched roofing (a natural insulator), earthen walls, and traditional stone foundations using original construction techniques rather than replacing them with modern substitutes.

Beyond renovation, Heritage Homes Japan offers Kominka relocation services (physically moving and reconstructing a traditional farmhouse to a new site), rental and property management for renovated properties, and buyer's-agent services for foreign purchasers navigating the Japanese real estate market. The company holds a Kyoto real estate license (No. 14622), a Kyoto construction license (7般, No. 44976), an Architect Design Office registration (No. 07B 03805), and a Construction Management Association of Japan registration (CM065). Heritage Homes Japan is based at 887-30 Bakuro-cho, Kamigyo-ku, Kyoto 602-8362, Japan, and can be reached at +81 07 5203 7262 or info@heritagehomesjapan.com.