The questions:Has anyone tried to obtain a personal residence loan As a former living in Japan?

Mass housing shortages, booms in price inclines, this sounds like the story my Grandfather told me of when he got back to the US from Japan with a fist full of war bonds in his hands, and bought his house for what at the time was an insane all time high price of $8,700.00.

As a Canadian living in Japan, I've been fortunate to be able to access Japanese real estate while living here.

Are there any good resources that I can use to start getting my real estate license while in Japan?

@Ryan Cox - when you say "domestic do you mean US institutions that will lend on Japanese properties or Japanese institutions lending on properties in Japan?

If you were presenting to a potential investor in Japan would you not learn the correct form for social and business interaction for that culture?

I work closely with the military by teaching the little ones on a Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan.

I have been looking but ...and I should've probably mentioned it in my post...I am actually living in Japan at the moment and while I would love to go to the REIA meetings and such, I can't. :(  I usually come home to the states once a year but that wont be until around Christmas time. 

Wasn't so worthless to me the other week in Japan :) (=120 yen!)

Is it just me or does anyone else think it is strange, that not one person has mentioned a contractor to get estimated cost/sq.ft.I have heard Architect, RE Broker several times (which makes me physically ill), mortgage broker, RS Means, A guy from Hawaii (which compares to japan, or Germany, or .....you pick something outrageous).