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If you plan a vacation house in Nasu, beware of bad contractors and scams. Here are practical self-defense tips learned firsthand.

26. Scammers

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Sadly, there are dishonest operators in Nasu (more precisely: companies headquartered around Tokyo that have repeatedly done harmful things in Nasu for years). As the saying goes, “birds of a feather flock together”—they gather, become organization-like, and keep deceiving people one after another. What they have in common is simple: they act for money.

When they talk to you, they probe for ways to profit—“Is there anything here that can make me money?” If they find a weakness in the conversation, they relentlessly press it to benefit themselves. With people like that, be firm and clearly say, “No, I won’t get involved.” For some reason, Kaori’s instincts ring an alarm: “This person is suspicious.” And nearly every time she felt that way, the person turned out to be a scammer.

They make excuses and try to look bigger than they are. They’re drawn in by the smell of money that moves around a new vacation-house build. “Scammers” are connected only by money, so even if it looks like a coordinated group, each person is simply acting “for money.” The moment something becomes disadvantageous, they will betray even their own associates. Someone who was allied yesterday may calmly switch sides and say, “Actually, I was scammed too,” which only adds confusion.

In Nasu, scams by dishonest operators involve many kinds of people, all revolving around money: greedy small-wealth “landowners” who bury industrial waste on dirt-cheap land and resell it as if nothing is wrong; real-estate brokers who knowingly mediate such land at inflated prices; builders who cut corners; shady ad-agency-like businesses; contractors who insist they “only do land grading” but do sloppy civil work; and self-proclaimed “managers” who take on villa management and then run it as a rental for their own profit. If it can make money, they’ll choose any method and spare no effort. Every conversation is bargaining—they watch, waiting for an opening. Talking with them requires extreme caution, and it’s exhausting. That’s the reality of Nasu: such people are out there.

When Kaori built her vacation house in Nasu, many dishonest operators (scammers) appeared on the scene: she was shown land near disposal sites; land with swampy ground behind it and steep slopes; and she even received three construction estimates that were clearly outrageous for what they contained. There were many moments where she nearly got tricked—but each time, her inner alarm rang: “This person is suspicious.” After passing through those situations again and again, she ultimately met two truly excellent, trustworthy local professionals: Mr. Suzuki of Resort House and Mr. Tsuburaya, a first-class architect. And she can’t thank Mr. Nakamura of Pensione Sarai enough for bringing those connections.

▼ Common patterns (warning signs)

Because Kaori met many dishonest operators during the build, clear common traits emerged. Here they are as bullet points for reference.

  1. They talk big.
    Dishonest operators try to appear larger than life: “We’re about to expand our office,” “I manage dozens of workers,” “No one else can do this job,” and so on. Be cautious of people who constantly boast.
  2. They only talk about themselves.
    Watch out for people who keep talking about themselves without being asked. If you get pulled in, you may reveal extra information that they later exploit. If you must speak with them, avoid oversharing and deflect politely.
  3. They speak loudly.
    Perhaps to intimidate, many scammers speak in an overly loud voice. Be wary of people who approach with booming greetings right from the first word.
  4. They’re sloppy with money.
    Regardless of the amount, they are careless about payments and accounting. Even if you request an invoice, it may be delayed again and again. If you experience this even once, treat it as a serious red flag.
  5. They break the law without hesitation.
    Scammers believe “rules don’t apply to me.” They may run as an individual while falsely claiming to be a corporation (Ltd./Inc.). In Nasu, it’s not rare to discover someone isn’t a company at all despite claiming otherwise.
▼ Self-defense: check registration before dealing

How can you avoid becoming a victim of dishonest operators (scammers) in Nasu? The answer is simple: Before you start any deal, check the other party’s registration at the Legal Affairs Bureau. It’s said that by verifying (1) whether they are a legitimate company and (2) whether suspicious mortgages/liens are set, you can prevent 80% of scam damage. If they aren’t actually a company, that’s a deal-breaker (it’s a criminal act to misrepresent). Even if they are a company, check land/building records—if suspicious collateral is set, it’s safer not to proceed. For building a vacation house in Nasu, you can check at the “Utsunomiya District Legal Affairs Bureau, Kuroiso Branch” (Address: 8-50 Hashimoto-cho, Kuroiso City / TEL: 0287-62-0230). A registry certificate costs 1,000 yen per copy. You can also use the Touki Information System to obtain information online.

You might think, “Do I really need to go that far?” Unfortunately, in Nasu, you really do.

▼ Check the “purpose” section (suspicious examples)

One way to judge whether a company looks suspicious is to check the “Purpose” section in the registry. For questionable real-estate-related companies, it may look like this:

  1. Real estate transaction business
  2. Property management
  3. Construction work
  4. Export and sale of agricultural/forestry/livestock products, seafood, and processed/preserved foods
  5. Export and sale of automobiles, accessories, and auto parts
  6. All business incidental to the above

Purposes 1–3 look normal, but 4 and 5 are clearly odd (at least, they’re not typical for a real-estate firm). It can look like they’re preparing for a “hit-and-run” style fraud. It’s wiser not to get involved with such a company.

If your counterparty is an individual rather than a company, you should investigate the person. Using a private investigation agency, basic checks can be done for around 50,000 yen. Also confirm whether they previously worked at a construction-related company in Nasu that went bankrupt. If they did, research that company—and if it shows signs of repeated illegal behavior, it’s safer not to proceed.

A particularly malicious tactic that has increased recently is: they point out “defects” in a faulty house they sold you in the past, then push a renovation. That renovation is also shoddy, and years later you need repairs again—that’s the punchline. Once this happens, you end up on their “easy target customer list,” and in the worst case, the cycle can continue for your lifetime—for generations.

Many homeowners let their guard down because the dream of building a vacation house feels so close. That seems to be one reason dishonest operators have proliferated in Nasu. So let me say it plainly: “Don’t trust people too easily.” When you’re spending tens of millions of yen, you should be extremely cautious—especially when choosing a builder. If you fail at choosing the builder, no amount of caution afterward can fully fix it. Keep that in mind.


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This is the “Utsunomiya District Legal Affairs Bureau, Kuroiso Branch.” It’s next to the Kuroiso Local History Museum.
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Inside is bright, spacious, and welcoming. People from the construction industry were constantly coming in for registry procedures.
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This is the “Kuroiso Police Station.” If you’re harmed by fraud such as a defective house, going to the police may not help. They may listen casually, but police generally do not intervene in civil matters (outside criminal cases). First consult a lawyer and file a lawsuit in court. If total damages are 900,000 yen or less, you file in a summary court; if more than 900,000 yen, you file in a district court.
▼ Recommended related websites

1. Touki Information System
→ Register on this site and you’ll receive an ID and password by mail, allowing you to check registry information online. It’s paid, but very convenient—no need to travel to the Legal Affairs Bureau. Register and check the land and building registry at the address of the company you’re about to deal with. If suspicious liens or mortgages are set, it’s safer to stop the deal.

2. Tokyo Metropolitan Government (Official Site)
→ Here you may be able to check whether a construction-related company headquartered in Tokyo has received past penalties such as business suspension, by searching the company name. However, be careful: newly established companies (possibly rebranded to “reset” past penalties) may not appear in results.