FMI’s fourth property project located right by Tsutenkaku has officially made its debut! Before we knew it, we have entered Osaka’s popular landmark area for the fourth time. Our first three projects received fantastic word-of-mouth and achieved stellar sales results. Coming in as the grand finale, this new project is unbeatable in terms of location because the entire building sits right at the foot of Tsutenkaku. The moment you step out of the building and look up, Tsutenkaku towers right before your eyes.

At the end of August, FMI accomplished a groundbreaking milestone by participating in major travel expos in both Taiwan and Singapore on the very same day. Our main focus was promoting OKINI, allowing more people to discover our meticulously crafted Japan minpaku (vacation rental) booking platform. To prepare for these two major expos, the Hong Kong OKINI home team and our Chief of HOMES colleagues in Osaka headed to Taiwan and Singapore simultaneously. With the support of our local branch teams, everyone worked together to successfully exceed our goals. The team felt a tremendous amount of pressure preparing for these two exhibitions, as we were essentially newcomers to travel expos, making manpower and experience significant challenges.

Recently, I returned to Singapore—my "home away from home"—to host a real estate seminar at Knight Frank Singapore, the company where I worked for ten years. On the day of the event, longtime seniors and comrades came out in full force to support me, including legendary figures in the industry. Seeing masters from various backgrounds gather to listen to my talk was both an honor and a source of immense pressure, as I was speaking in front of heavyweights and had to be extra careful not to make any mistakes. Most thrillingly, many of these seniors decided to invest in FMI properties after the seminar, becoming my clients and offering high praise for our work. Their tangible support was both an encouragement and a profound honor.

This year has been one of full-speed advancement for OKINI Home. In just over half a year, we have participated in major travel exhibitions in Hong Kong, Seoul, Taiwan, and Singapore. Our goal is simple: to introduce OKINI and the comprehensive management services of Chief of Homes (COH) to a wider audience of travelers.

With Japan recently passing the "Vice-Capital" related legislation, multiple local governments have thrown their hats into the ring to vie for the crown of the country's second capital. From my perspective, this race for the vice-capital is a heavily lopsided contest. If you were to ask your friends which Japanese city has the highest chance of becoming Japan's second capital, nine times out of ten, the answer would be Osaka.

Earlier, FMI Japan held its very first corporate training session in Osaka. We brought together all our subsidiary companies—including FMI, COH (Chief of Homes), and PIKA PIKA—totaling over 40 employees. From our vacation rental management executives down to our receptionists, not a single person was left out. Why did we organize this training? Back in June, while on our Eastern European incentive trip with over a dozen executives from Osaka, Singapore, and Hong Kong, I noticed that our COH colleagues worked with immense dedication and responsibility, yet lacked a bit of experience. That sparked a sudden idea: why not host a company-wide event in Osaka? First, to let our COH colleagues know just how vital they are to the company; second, to boost team belonging; and third, to help colleagues identify their strengths and weaknesses so they can maximize their value at work, creating a win-win for both the company and the individual.