Weak Yen, High Prices at Home Lure Investors to Japan
Beijing and Tokyo may have territorial spats in the East China Sea, but economic ties are trumping politics. Chinese investors’ appetite for Japanese real estate is rising as the yen continues to sink.
So far this year, Chinese individuals and companies have bought almost $230 million in real estate, more than triple the amount from last year, according to data from Jones Lang LaSalle .
British luxury property developer Grosvenor Ltd., owned by the family trust of the Duke of Westminster, is betting the influx of rich Chinese investors will help boost demand for its refurbished apartments in Tokyo’s upscale Roppongi area. “One upside scenario for Japan is its relationship with China,” said Nicholas Loup, chief executive of Grosvenor Asia. “There are huge amounts of money flows between both countries. That’s currently below people’s radar screen.” The Japanese currency has fallen 25% against the yuan over the past five years, outstripping its 15% fall against the U.S. dollar in the same period.
Chinese tourist arrivals in Japan hit a record high this year, partly due to the weak yen, spurring investment in vacation homes. Japan has emerged as the most desired travel destination for Chinese this year, according to Travelzoo Asia Pacific. There’s also talk about making it easier for Chinese to apply for multiple-entry visas, which would further spur interest.
Rich Chinese are among the biggest foreign buyers in New York and Sydney. But other formerly popular investment destinations like Hong Kong and Singapore are becoming more costly due to taxes on nonresidents. In Hong Kong, Chinese buying is one reason real-estate prices have soared, causing social frictions with local residents.
Foreign buyers see value in Japan. On a square-foot basis, Tokyo property prices in U.S. dollar terms are about half of the levels of comparable areas in Hong Kong, and similar to prices in Beijing and Shanghai. Rental yield can be as high as 6%, compared with 3% in Hong Kong, and about 1% in Beijing. A pickup in Japan’s real-estate market as its economy recovers, added to building for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020, is adding to the attraction;
While much of China’s investment is in retail and industrial projects, there has also been strong demand for private apartments. Since 2011, Chinese investors have bought some $84 million worth of apartments in Japan, Jones Lang LaSalle says.
Other foreign investors are piling in. Total overseas investment in Japanese real estate was 79% higher in 2013 compared with the previous year, according to commercial real-estate firm CBRE.
Some big Chinese companies also are part of the increased buying. In May, conglomerate Fosun Groupacquired Japanese property firm Idera Capital Management as a vehicle for future property investments. Fosun in August acquired a 25-story office building in Tokyo that formerly was Citibank’s Japan headquarters and has further plans to develop real estate. That’s not to say political tensions aren’t there. In 2012, anti-Japanese protesters attacked Japanese businesses in China.
A declining yen is making Japanese property more appealing. Above, is Tokyo Tower . Some members of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government have called for legislation to monitor foreign purchases of lan in sensitivelocations more closely. That’s seen as anti-Chinese.In 2012, a Chinese consulate’s plan to buy land in port city Niigata for expansion was thwarted by local opposition. Alex Yeung —director of Century 21 Culture Center Property in Hong Kong, which helps Chinese buyers enter Japan—said local sellers sometimes turn down offers when they learn the buyer is Chinese.“Some owners, especially the older ones, don’t want to sell to the Chinese,” said Mr. YeungStill, real estate officials are hopeful. Japanese property brokerages are expanding in China to capture the rising interest.Tokyu Livable and Nomura Real Estate Urban Net are both opening offices in Hong Kong this month. Tokyu Livable, which already has offices in Shanghai and Taiwan, is hiring more Chinese speakers.Peter Peng, a Shanghai developer, is hoping to develop properties in Japan.“I like Tokyo because its people are polite and homes are well kept,“ he said. Mr. Peng, who owns homes in San Francisco and Hong Kong, said he recently bought a $1.4 million three-bedroom apartment in Tokyo for investment. An apartment in Tokyo is not just a trophy for rich Chinese. Those who are priced out of their home markets are looking at Tokyo for an opportunity to become a homeowner. Apartments in Tokyo’s suburbs start at $100,000, according to Mr. Yeung. Each month, Mr. Yeung says clients from Hong Kong and China buy dozens of Japanese apartments or retail properties in Tokyo.“One million Hong Kong dollars (US$129,000) can’t even buy you a parking lot in Hong Kong,” said Mr. Yeung. “But you can buy a 200-square-foot apartment in Tokyo and get HK$4,000 to HK$5,000 a month in rent.” --John D’Amico in Tokyo contributed to this article.
Peeping Tom consultant admits spying on more than 1,000 patients in hospital toilets using sophisticated system of hidden cameras
Dr Lam Hoe Yeoh secretly filmed hundreds of patients as they used hospital toilets between 2011 to April 15, 2014.
World-renowned hearing specialist Dr Lam Hoe Yeoh has today pleaded guilty at Croydon Crown Court to seven counts of voyeurism, six counts of making an indecent photograph of a child, and one of possessing extreme pornography involving animals.
Yeoh, 62, secretly filmed hundreds of patients as they used hospital toilets between January 1, 2011 to April 15, 2014.
The voyeurism charges relate to 30 identified victims and 1,084 unidentified victims, while the charge of making indecent images of children relates to six children.
The physician, who specialises in hearing and balance disorders, was arrested at the private St Anthony's Hospital in North Cheam after an investigation was launched by officers in April when one victim raised the alarm.
The consultant surgeon, from Barnstead, has been based at the NHS St Helier Hospital in Carshalton, Surrey, where he ran a regular clinic.
In addition to St Anthony's, he has worked at two other private hospitals, the Cromwell in Chelsea and the Portland in Central London.
'The charge against his wife is of a wholly different order. The prosecution will not proceed further with this case.'
Her barrister Julia Flannagan said: 'She leaves court without a stain on her character.'
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The voyeurism charges relate to 30 identified victims and 1,084 unidentified victims, while the charge of making indecent images of children relates to six children
Yeoh is a renowned expert in tinnitus, vertigo and dizziness, and has spent more than 20 years treating both children and adults.
Yeoh has been an outspoken critic of earphones and MP3 players, claiming they are damaging the hearing of an entire generation of young people.
He is an honorary senior lecturer at St George's medical school in Tooting, South London, has given expert evidence in cases at the High Court and is director of two companies.
Check your shampoo and conditioner. More than likely you will see some of the names listed below.If you are looking for a true organic shampoo and conditioner you won’t find any of these listed chemicals.Sodium Laurel Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate:These harsh detergents are used in shampoos for their cleansing and foam-building properties. Sodium Laurel Sulfate/Sodium Laureth Sulfate:These harsh detergents are used in shampoos for their cleansing and foam-building properties. Often derived from petroleum, these synthetic ingredients can cause eye irritation, scalp irritation, and tangled hair. SLS and SLES are used in car washes, as garage floor cleaners and as engine degreasers!Parabens (methyl, propyl, butyl, and ethyl):These preservatives are used as inhibitors of microbial growth and to extend the shelf life of products. These chemical preservatives have been identified as estrogenic and disruptive of normal hormone function. Estrogenic chemicals mimic the function of normally occurring hormone estrogen, and exposure to external estrogens has been shown to be linked to breast cancer.Synthetic Colors and Dyes:Used to make cosmetics “pretty”, synthetic colors and dyes are labeled as FD&C followed by color and a number. Example: FD&C Red No. 6 or D&C No. 6. Synthetic colors are made from coal, tar, and contain heavy metal salts that deposit toxins onto skin, causing irritation. Studies have shown almost all synthetic colors and dyes to be cancer causing!
Two dead in balcony horror at £7million Knightsbridge flat: Railings break as removal men try to move sofa into home of millionaire lawyer linked to royals and stars
Eight men fell from first floor in Cadogan Square, Knightsbridge at 10am
Workers were carrying a sofa when the balcony and railings collapsed
Removal team and the furniture fell around 30ft to the ground
Flat was being renovated ahead of owner Taher Helmy moving in
The international lawyer has mixed with the Royal family and celebrities
One person died on street and the other at St Mary's Hospital, Paddington
The six other workers were treated for minor injuries at the scene
One witness said at least one of the men was impaled on railings below
Cadogan Square is one of London's wealthiest streets with £25m homes
Two men were killed and six others were injured today when a first floor balcony collapsed outside a £7million apartment owned by a renowned international lawyer.
The pair suffered catastrophic injuries when a sofa fell from the balcony of a luxury flat that was under renovation in Cadogan Square in Knightsbridge - one of London's most exclusive streets.
The builders, understood to be Polish, were working for a British-based building and construction company that has been warned in recent years about safety standards, it was reported last night.
Property owner Taher Helmy, 64, who has mixed with the Royal family and Hollywood celebrities such as Ashton Kutcher, said that he was 'very sad' that the 'terrible accident' had happened.
Local MP Greg Hands said the combined weight of the workers and the furniture caused the balcony to collapse, sending workmen and the sofa tumbling around 30ft to the ground at 10am.
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Tragedy: This balcony collapsed on the exclusive Cadogan Square in Knightsbridge this morning - killing two people and injuring at least six (file picture)
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Incident: A police forensic tent covers one of the bodies at the scene this afternoon, where the men fell 30ft
Owner: International lawyer Taher Helmy, left, and his wife Cherine with Hollywood star Ashton Kutcher
Witnesses said at least one of the men was impaled on the iron railings below, which were photographed by a Scotland Yard forensics team today.
One of the workmen died in the street and another in a Paddington hospital, while their six colleagues were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
Cadogan Square is among London's most exclusive addresses with homes worth up to £25million, with former residents including Jose Mourinho, Sven-Goran Eriksson and Flavio Briatore.
Mr Helmy once a close ally of deposed Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, said he was ‘devastated’ by the tragedy. Source: the Mail
Singer Richard Marx lists historic Chicago waterfront for sale at record $18M as he finalizes divorce from wife of 25 years
Nine-bedroom mansion on Lake Michigan in Lake Bluff
Bought for $4.7 million in 1997
Marx and wife Cynthia Rhodes confirmed their divorce in April
House designed by famed architect David Adler in 1931
Has eight bathrooms, home theater, recording studio and 19 fireplaces
Pop-rocker Richard Marx has listed his Chicago mansion for sale at a record $18 million as he finalizes his divorce from wife of 25 years, Dirty Dancing actress Cynthia Rhodes.
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Split: Richard Marx and his actress wife Cynthia Rhodes (seen here in 1994) confirmed their divorce in April. They are now selling their marital home
The couple - who have three adult sons, Brandon, 23, Lucas, 21, and Jesse, 20 - announced their split in April, but have been separated since July last year.
Their marital home is a sprawling nine-bedroom estate on Lake Michigan in Lake Bluff that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places because of its design and history.
Marx and Rhodes purchased the three-story house for $4.7 million in 1997 when their children were young.
The 51-year-old singer, whose career has been built on love ballads like Right Here Now, said he has not spoken to anyone about what lead to the breakdown of his marriage - and intends to keep it that way.
'I wouldn't discuss that with even some of my close friends,' he told People.
'It's really nobody's business.
'What I will say is that I had the great fortune and blessing to not only be married to Cynthia for all those years, but to just share her company.
'There's not a finer human being.
'I'm very grateful that we were together, had three amazing sons and I can't say enough about what an amazing person she is and how lucky I was to share that time with her.'
Marx also denied that his new album, Beautiful Goodbye, was penned in the wake of the breakup.
'It has been a painful time,' he told the magazine.
'But I don't necessarily want to bury myself in songs about it, frankly, out of respect.
'I have nothing but love and respect for my ex-wife and I don't really want to delve into that in songwriting so much.
'Not to say that I never will, but I didn't feel like that's where I wanted to write from.
'I wanted to write from a more positive, inspired, hopeful place.'
With the price tag set at $18 million, Marx's waterfront abode comes in at number four for the most expensive properties ever listed in the Chicago area, according to The Chicago Tribune.
In addition to the nine bedrooms, there are eight bathrooms, a home theater, and a 8,000-square-foot recording studio attached to the house.
For an area notorious for its winters, there are also 19 fireplaces.
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Yours for $18 million: Richard Marx has listed his Georgian-style mansion in Lake Bluff for sale
Sprawling: The U-shaped estate (plus attached recording studio-left) measures at five acres and sits right on Lake Michigan
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Entry: The home was first built in 1931 and has grand finishings
Restored: Marx and his now-ex wife Cynthia Rhodes have somewhat modernized the home
Historic: The former couple paid $4.7 million for the home in 1997
Warm and cozy: The house has a total of 19 fireplaces
Family: Marx and his former wife raised their three sons in the home
Homely: Marx has owned the house for the last 17 years
Formal: A proper dining room sits right off the kitchen
Famous: Marx is known for his hits Right Here Waiting and Now and Forever
Decadent: The mansion is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
Grand: The master bathroom is particularly opulent
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The well-built home is equipped to withstand the areas harsh winters
The home was built in 1931 and was designed by architect David Adler, the force behind Massachusetts landmark Castle Hill.
It was originally part of a 73-acre estate.
However today it measures at five acres.
...................................................................................................................... Richard Marx new album may be titled Beautiful Goodbye, but he swears it's not about his breakup with longtime love, Dirty Dancing'sCynthyia Rhodes. "There were people who thought that, especially with the name of the album, that it was going to be a record about splitting up," Marx tells PEOPLE. "And it's not that at all. It's really a celebration of romance and seduction." The pop singer announced his divorce from his wife of 25 years in April, but the couple had been separated since last July. "It has been a painful time," he said. "But I don't necessarily want to bury myself in songs about it, frankly, out of respect. I have nothing but love and respect for my ex-wife and I don't really want to delve into that in songwriting so much. Not to say that I never will, but I didn't feel like that's where I wanted to write from. I wanted to write from a more positive, inspired, hopeful place."
Shine your saucepans with tomato ketchup! And other ingenious ways to clean your house with food
Latest internet craze is to do housework using food from your kitchen
Saves money, reduces waste and reduces chemicals in the home
But do they work?
Amanda Cable puts the edible cleaners to the test
Tired of throwing money at ketchup cleaning method expensive cleaning products and worried about the effects of chemicals on your family home? Well, the latest internet craze is to do housework using food from your kitchen.
Amanda Cable pulls on her Marigolds, opens her larder and tests just how dirt-busting the edible cleaners can be...
CLEAN RUSTY METAL WITH A POTATO
HOW DOES IT WORK? Cut a potato in half, dip the cut end into a flat dish of table salt and rub it all over the rusted areas of metal pans. If the potato becomes too soft, cut it again and apply more salt.
Old wives' tale works: Amanda found rubbing half a potato on her car did get rid of some rust
The oxalic acid in the potato helps to dissolve the rust by reacting with the iron in the metal to form ferric oxalate, which in turn dissolves in water (or, in this case, the creamy potato starch). The abrasive power of the salt helps remove the residue from the surface. Oxalic acid is found in many household cleaning products.
VERDICT: My grandmother always insisted that potatoes could clean her pots and pans but I thought it was an old wives' tale. I have rust at the bottom of my favourite milk pan, which I'd normally tackle with an eye-watering chemical spray. Can a simple potato cut through the rust better? Incredibly, yes.
The potato's creamy starch oozes out but the salt sticks to the rust. After five minutes of hard scrubbing, the worst has come away. I go outside and try the other half of the potato on my rusting 20-year-old Mercedes. The neighbours see me rubbing a potato on my car and decide I'm mad. But large chunks of orange rust come away, so who am I to care?
GOODBYE TO GREASE WITH A GRAPEFRUIT
HOW DOES IT WORK? Cut a grapefruit in half, dip the cut end into salt, and scrub the bottom of your greasy oven. You can also use it on dirt-encrusted oven trays — and the inside of your bath.
Grapefruits contain natural chemicals called furocoumarins, which attack bacteria and act as disinfectants. In fact, many commercial cleaning products contain grapefruit extract for its cleaning power and fresh smell.
VERDICT: I can't stand the bitter taste of grapefruit — but the smell of oven cleaner makes me feel just as sick. I buy a large grapefruit, dip it into salt and scrub the greasy inside of my cooker. Layers of thick, black grease are instantly lifted, and my oven grills go from black to shiny silver.
But the best thing is the smell. My stinking oven is like the inside of a Jo Malone shop. I'll never buy oven cleaner again!
WHITE BREAD TO DUST PAINTINGS
HOW DOES IT WORK? White bread is highly absorbent so attracts other matter such as dust and grime. But the yeast, flour and water inside the bread leaves no residue — so your beloved pictures are safe if you use a slice as a duster. Dab it over the surface to pick up the dirt.
VERDICT: I was once advised to use white bread to pick up shards of broken glass, and it worked brilliantly. But I'm dubious about wiping my favourite painting, which has pride of place in the living room, with a slice of white Hovis.
As I very gingerly move it over the painting, the white bread turns satisfyingly grey. It's so effective, I even use it to scoop up an old spiders' web.
Best thing since sliced bread: It works as a duster too
SPRUCE UP WINDOWS WITH ONIONS
HOW DOES IT WORK? Chop an onion into four and place the pieces in a bucket of warm water. Leave for at least half an hour, so the onion juices can infuse into the water, before removing the onion. The liquid will apparently make your windows sparkle without streaks.
When onions are chopped, the juices release organsulfur, a disinfectant cleaner that attacks microscopic biological germs. Organsulfur is often used industrially in solvent cleaners.
VERDICT: I can't go near an onion without crying, so when my husband arrives home to find me weeping by the window, he fears something terrible has happened.
Onions are great natural cleaners but they've never been widely used for cleaning because of the smell. Mine might have removed hidden germs but the glass is smeared and the stench is unbearable.
GET GLEAMING PANS WITH KETCHUP
HOW DOES IT WORK? Rub a thin layer of ketchup on the surface of dull or tarnished copper and stainless-steel pans. Leave for 30 minutes. The acetic acid (a weak organic chemical that gives condiments a bitter taste) in the vinegar in the ketchup will react with the tarnish and remove it.
Copper pans tarnish because the copper combines with oxygen in the air to form copper oxide, which is brown. The acetic acid attacks the copper oxide, dissolving the brown layer. This can then be wiped off with a soft cloth.
Stainless-steel pans often contain an inner core of copper sandwiched between the layers of steel on the bottom of the pan, to increase heat conductivity. This tarnishes in the same way as pure copper and can also be cleaned with ketchup.
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Result! Amanda was amazed at how well ketchup cleaned her dirty pans
VERDICT: When I wipe the ketchup off my copper saucepan, it looks shiny and new. The water stains and dark deposits on the bottom have gone. It's as if I've waved a magic wand. Amazing.
Polished: Vinegar worked a treat on the shower
VINEGAR SHINES YOUR SHOWER
HOW DOES IT WORK? Mix pure white vinegar with an equal amount of water and pour it in a spray bottle. Then spray on to the surface and wipe off.
The acetic acid inside vinegar has been used as an anti-bacterial agent since Egyptian times. When dissolved in water, it breaks down into hydrogen and acetate, both of which weaken stains.
However, you must only ever use white vinegar or distilled white vinegar because these contain just 5 per cent acetic acid, which won't damage your surfaces. Do not use on stone finishes (such as granite and marble), iron, stainless steel, bronze or copper, as the acid can damage them. And never mix the vinegar with bleach or alcohol, as it will become corrosive.
VERDICT: I spend a fortune on expensive glass-cleaning products, so I am really hoping this will work. I spray the vinegar mix on my glass shower screen, wipe with a soft cloth — and the glass is shiny and smear-free. But my bathroom smells like a fish and chip shop.
I find an online tip to peel an orange and soak the vinegar in a bottle with the peel for three days before use. This works - it smells of sweet oranges and does a great job on my tiles, too.
USE BANANA SKINS TO POLISH SHOES
HOW DOES IT WORK? If your leather shoes are looking scuffed and dull, rub them with the inside of a banana peel, as it contains atoms of nitrogen, sulphur and carboxylic acids, which act as natural cleaning agents.
Wipe away the remaining banana residue and buff with a soft cloth for a glossy sheen.
The potassium in bananas is a key ingredient used in commercial shoe polishes. It absorbs into leather and helps diminish scuff marks.
VERDICT: As I rub a banana skin over my husband's favourite brown leather shoes, I start to panic. The gunk is making them look utterly revolting! I grab a cloth and scrub away, and thank goodness the smeary banana residue disappears. It has cleaned the shoes but traditional polish does a far smarter job.
Later, my husband asks me why his shoes smell of banana. He is not impressed.
Sticky problem: The sugar attracts bacteria so it's not worth it to remove lime scale
COLA FOR THE LOO
HOW DOES IT WORK? Everyone's heard the myth about what happens to false teeth if you leave them overnight in a cup of cola. Well, it's the same principle if you use the fizzy drink on the limescale inside your toilet bowl. It's all thanks to the phosphoric acid in the cola and the carbonic acid in the carbon dioxide (which creates the bubbles).
Pour a one-litre bottle into the bowl and around the rim. Leave it for at least an hour or, better still, overnight. Most of the limescale and dirt should have been dissolved and will disappear when you flush — although you may need a brush to work on more stubborn stains.
VERDICT: My son Charlie comes home from school just in time to see me pour a bottle of Coke down the toilet. He's terribly upset to see me 'banning' fizzy drinks so dramatically - and only slightly mollified when I tell him I am trying an alternative to bleach.
The inside of the bowl turns a horrible dark brown. Three hours later, I flush, and the slightly tarnished limescale marks on the inside bowl have gone.
It seems the perfect solution until the whole family complain they are 'sticking' to the toilet seat. Yes, cola is sticky - and the sugar residue also attracts bacteria. I think I'll stick to bleach.
Every class is composed of individuals who are different from each other in terms of maturity, motivations, abilities, learning styles, aspirations, interests, aptitudes and socio-economic backgrounds. Catering for learner diversity is a significant and challenging consideration in determining learning and teaching objectives, contents, levels and methods.; Schools and teachers should be aware of the characteristics of the SS curriculum and assessment framework and make full use of them to address student needs. In general, learner diversity can be catered for at the curriculum planning level, classroom learning and teaching level and student support level. These are to be facilitated by supporting conditions at the systemic level (e.g. funding flexibilities) and school organisation level (e.g. human resources deployment, communication with parents). Figure 7.1 illustrates the interrelationship at different levels.
Curriculum planning level
Student support level
The level of support provided may be adjusted to cater for students of different abilities. For example, enrichment/ remedial classes, pull-out programmes/ activities and peer groupings might be employed. Educational software packages may also be used to provide different levels of challenge to students. Schools may consider extending school hours to provide other extension or enrichment programmes.
Building positive school ethos in order to value diversity and individual differences as well
as uniformity
Devising a whole-school policy to recognise all-round achievement of students and indicating
that every student can achieve
Widening subject choices (including ApL courses)
Sharing effective pedagogy and assessment strategies
Formulating a flexible time-table
Strengthening communication with parents (e.g. discussing student progress)
Fostering community partnerships to motivate student to participate in a wide range of l
earning activities.
Reflective Question
What measures have been adopted in your school to cater for learner diversity at student,
class/ group and curriculum levels?
