Niki Hidenori, who runs a property firm focused on jiko bukken in Kobe, says more tenants are "weighing the price and taking a pragmatic approach". In March average studio rents in central Tokyo rose by 13% year on year, a record high for the 22nd consecutive month. A recent survey suggests a majority of Japanese would consider living in a jiko bukken. Investors are drawn too; legally, a death need not be disclosed after three years have elapsed, so a property bought at a discount can later be sold at full price.