u/upachimneydown

Sure, I have a US account which provides basis and gains--according to US rules, which also allow sales based on FIFO, LIFO, specific lots, etc.

For Japan, you need to use average cost basis--averaging all shares that you hold, whether you bought them six months ago, 16 years ago, and any quarterly dividend reinvesting that happened along the way (=purchase of shares). And all of those instances need to be calculated in yen, at the f/x rate on the specific dates that those separate purchases happened. A Fidelity or Vanguard statement, if they provide average basis, will only give that in dollars, and any dollar figure will not properly reflect varying exchange rates.

Eg, let's say I bought one share of something five years ago for $100, and it has been a dud. So I sell it now for $100. According to US rules, no gain. But five years ago the yen was about ¥105 to the dollar, so that share cost $100 x ¥105 = ¥10,500 in yen terms. If I sold that share yesterday for $100, the yen is now ¥157, so $100 x ¥157 = ¥15700. The gain in yen terms is then ¥15700 - ¥10500, or ¥5200. If that $100 share paid quarterly dividends that were reinvested, each time that happens (at varying exchange rates) the average cost basis will be recalculated.

For some JapanFinance posters, that kind of spreadsheet work is easy/obvious. But for me, while I can certainly grasp the principle, my excel chops aren't up to it. For that reason, from long ago, I never reinvest dividends, and I try to keep my purchases as simple as possible (very round numbers of shares, and sometimes even buying a different but similar ETF so as to keep the basis calculation easy).

"I would for sure go to tax office.

You have time till April to figure it out, its not that hard."

First it's not April, it's March 15th.

OP should go now/asap. Once tax season starts they are swamped, and will not have the time to adequately do this (apparent) level of beginner hand-holding.

OP should also thoroughly review several resources listed here at JapanFinance: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanFinance/comments/1xbj0le/weekly_offtopic_thread_21_october_2026/

(1) Look at the wiki. (2) Thoroughly review at least last year's questions thread, and probable the others listed there under the heading "Recurring Threads". (3) Cash dividends are pretty easy, but OP sold some ETFs, and may have a complicated average cost basis history (eg, if OP has been reinvesting dividends over the years, you couldn't pay me enough to start figuring that out).

EDIT: (4) For the ETFs that OP sold, they will have to show average cost basis, and to do that will have to review and record all purchases and dividend reinvestments for as far back as those go. OP will have to have all past purchase and reinvestment records for those shares, showing the dates for each purchase/reinvestment. Then with all that, they can begin to calculate the cost basis (in yen on the date it happened) for every purchase and reinvestment. Once that's done, then blend all that together to see what the yen per share average cost basis might be--and that will be the basis used when calculating any profit/gain for the ETF sales since August. Hopefully, OP never had dividend reinvesting turned on, and if not, this process of calculating average cost basis will be easier.

**

Or, if OP doesn't want to take on the task of self-education and assume some responsibility, then just pay the ¥24万.

Back in the 90s we got two huge bookbags ordered via scholastic books (US). Probably 20kg each, if not more. They came in free, but we had to give the heavy-duty canvas bags back to the post office.

That looks fantastic, but isn't that rigatoni?

As a decades ago VFR tower controller in the army (vietnam era, but I was in korea), I missed one chance at it since some guys went to iran for the money/jobs there (mid 70s). Then later, just as I was finishing grad school, reagan fired the controllers--I decided I wasn't going to cross picket lines, and besides, a racquetball buddy who was flying for TWA at the time said that only assholes were left.

The conditions now seem dangerous--too many hours on duty (day, week, whatever level) and understaffed, too.

And We're All Bozos on this Bus...

John Mayall, The Turning Point--"California"

Yeah, a numbers game: The population of Tokyo is approximately 14.27 million in the city proper/prefecture and between 33.4 million and 37 million in the broader metropolitan area. [1, 2, 3]-wikipedia.

Asian cities structured one way, US cities and their surrounding suburbs, and so on.

Edited to add: Since using actual city limits doesn't give a straightforward picture, it then becomes how you slice and dice things--and I'm sure the efforts/assessments of 'metro areas' are good, but then there will be a variety of outliers. Many cities in the US are twin cities, or three, or quad cities due to rivers, or the bay area, north and south of Seattle, or even border areas between Mexico and the US, and there are places like Basel, where several countries come together.

I got stuck on Rishiri years ago--took the ferry (w/car) over, then the wind picked up and the return was cancelled for a couple days longer than I'd planned on staying.

Pork ribs? I do those for 22-23min in the pressure cooker**, then bake for 30min having covered them in the bbq sauce I'd been cooking. Care to pass on your crock pot technique/recipe?

**leaves good stock for soup later

Name that tune...?

The common phenomenon you're talking about is called 'phantom gains'.

No, you cannot avoid them, and yes, you're on the hook for taxes on those gains.

Also, there's nothing "fictive" about it--those are real gains that can be taxed.

Do you trust an AI agent? If so, why are you asking here--to get some reddit bot/AI replies? (furthering the loop of AI slop)

If you don't trust an AI agent, wtf are you even talking about it here?

The only AI I use is when I google something and at the top of the results there's some AI-generated 'summaries'. But on the other hand, don't let AI into your accounts (scary): https://www.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/1xee1hw/major_banks_find_rogue_ai_agents_inside_customer/

correct.

Job fair in tokyo, december: https://careerforum.net/en/

With a slide, you also always mute the string behind it.

A different effect than a fingertip, but you can also sound harmonics with a slide.

Not sure those are the proper numbers there, but that's an excellent point--OP is actually looking at that supposed 40% by leveraging someone else's money.

But also not clear in the "up 40%" statement, is whether the cost (from which +40% is determined) includes all purchase/realtor fees, fees for the loan and interest paid, taxes, and so on--or not. Also costs with property sale. Eg, not sure how reliable it is, but I've read in the past that to buy and then sell a property, it has to have appreciated ~10% just to break even and be worth the trouble.

40% is good, but note that the stock market has also appreciated that much over the same period, so being in real estate is not particularly remarkable.

To me, besides its value as a place to live, owning a piece of property is comparable to owning a single stock (risky). I'd much rather own an index fund/the entire market than picking one name. If it's returns you value, I'd sell the illiquid asset now (good time to sell), and but into an all-country or world fund.

That sounds positive and like they've allowed you some wiggle room. Best case might be that they allow this to continue for a while longer, worst might be some new loan officer that decides to be stricter (however that might play out).

Good luck sorting out taxes on the rental income and other tax/insurance issues.

Run this by r/JapanFinance --there will be comments/ideas there.

Sounds like r/JapanFinance content. From my POV, you should've notified your bank and changed the home loan to an investment loan, and been filing taxes properly. (Investment loan rates would have been better two years ago, too.)

Very Shakespeare-ian.

Help someone who is not a statistician--not sure where to say it starts, but the bottom row is especially unique in the cleaner/clearer way the results line up.

I come from a time when a fair proportion of records (vinyl) were still mono.