Rate structure, property rules, insurance, fees, and flexibility compared.
Choose Flat 35 for full-term certainty and an eligible property; choose a bank mortgage for a lower initial cost and richer insurance if you are a strong applicant.
Flat 35 offers full-term fixed certainty with published debt-service ratios and property standards, and it does not always require permanent residence — a real advantage for non-PR buyers and anyone who values a predictable payment. A bank mortgage can offer a lower initial variable or fixed-period rate and richer group-credit-life-insurance riders, but it prices and underwrites at the lender’s discretion and shifts rate risk to you if you choose variable.
Choose Flat 35 when you want certainty, your property meets the technical standards, or you lack PR and need a rules-based route. Choose a bank mortgage when you are a strong applicant who can absorb rate risk, want the lowest initial cost, or need specific insurance riders. Either way, compare the parts that actually differ — the origination-fee model, guarantee and appraisal costs, insurance additions, and discount durations — because Flat 35 base rates cluster across providers while their fees do not.
Key points to carry away: Flat 35: fully fixed, published debt-ratio and property standards, does not always require PR; Bank mortgage: potentially lower variable/fixed-period rate and richer insurance options; Flat 35 needs the property to meet technical standards; a bank loan may be more flexible; Compare provider fees even when Flat 35 base rates match. Use the linked guides and calculators for the full decision, and confirm anything material with the lender, a licensed broker, a judicial scrivener, or a tax accountant before you act.
Fixed-rate mortgage · Japan Housing Finance Agency
A long-term fixed-rate mortgage program backed by the Japan Housing Finance Agency, offered via partner lenders and often accessible without permanent residency.
Fees: Rate and fees vary by lender and loan-to-value — verify current terms.
A JHF-partnered, fully fixed-rate mortgage for eligible borrowers and homes, provided through participating financial institutions.
It is provided through participating financial institutions under JHF purchase or guarantee structures — not a direct government loan.
Compare the all-in cost — execution rate, fees, insurance, and early-repayment costs — over your holding period, not the headline rate.