What was his investment logic and considerations when he spent 17 billion JPY to purchase the AKIBA Cultures ZONE building in Akihabara?

Okay, let's talk about B.N.F. (Takashi Ojikawa), Japan's 'stock god,' buying a building.

A guy who's constantly glued to his computer screen, buying and selling stocks, suddenly drops ¥17 billion (roughly ¥1 billion RMB) to buy an entire building. At first glance, it really feels like a dramatic departure. But if you understand his MO, you'll realize it's actually an extension of his investment logic; it's completely consistent with his stock trading approach.

Let's break down his considerations from a few angles – essentially, what his mental calculations were:

1. Trading "Unstable Fast Money" for "Stable Slow Money"

Who is he? A day trader, someone who plays the short game. One day he might make ¥100 million, the next he could lose tens of millions. Though his skills are legendary, the mental strain is huge, and the returns are extremely volatile—like riding a rollercoaster.
Why buy a building? To become a landlord. The building is filled with shops leased to stores selling anime, figurines, idol merchandise, you name it. As long as these shops operate, a steady stream of stable monthly rent flows into his account.
Simply put: It's like beating a video game and having more gold coins than you can spend. You wouldn't bet all those coins on the next big gamble, right? You'd take a big chunk and invest in something that generates stable resources. This building is his "super money-making machine" and "safe haven" for his massive assets, converting high-risk stock market profits into low-risk, stable cash flow.

2. Sharp Value Assessment: This Isn't Just Any Building

B.N.F.'s eye for location is as keen as his eye for stocks. He didn't buy a luxury building in Ginza or an office tower in Marunouchi. He picked Akihabara.

Akihabara's Uniqueness: Akihabara isn't just any commercial district; it’s the "Mecca" for otaku worldwide. Foot traffic here enjoys powerful "devotion-level loyalty." Whether the economy is good or bad, people might buy fewer handbags, but "dedication" needs its dues. This moat built by subculture is far more robust than that of a normal shopping street.
The Building's Niche: AKIBA Cultures ZONE itself is a core landmark of Akihabara culture. Its tenants—from figurines and models to idol merchandise—offer very "high-concentration" goods, precisely targeting the core consumer base.
Simply put: He didn't just buy steel and concrete; he bought a key node in "Akihabara culture." As long as this subculture thrives, the building's value remains solid. It's like buying stocks: he doesn't chase hot tech stocks; he buys the seemingly unremarkable company with proprietary, irreplaceable tech.

3. The "Stock God's" Core Logic: Everything Can Be Quantified

B.N.F. is someone who deeply trusts data and logic. Buying a building definitely wasn't based on a gut feeling like, "I think Akihabara looks promising." His calculations likely involved:

Yield (Investment Return): "This building costs ¥17 billion. What’s its annual gross rental income? After deducting management fees, taxes, etc., what’s the net profit? What’s the annual return after dividing that net profit by my investment of ¥17 billion?"
Benchmarking: "How does this yield compare to putting money in the bank, buying Japanese government bonds, or investing in other real estate?

Reportedly, the stated yield on the building when he bought it was around 4%-5%. In Japan's low-interest-rate environment at the time, this represented a solid, stable, and secure return. He viewed this building as a "mega, ultra-stable, value stock" with no delisting risk.

4. Asset Allocation & Risk Diversification

Finally, the most obvious point: When your wealth reaches a certain level (his net worth was already in the hundreds of billions of yen back then), "how not to lose money" becomes more critical than "how to make money."

Don't Put All Eggs in One Basket: Having everything in stocks exposes you to severe asset depreciation in events like the 2008 financial tsunami or a major Japanese stock market crash. Tangible assets—especially premium commercial real estate in prime locations—have far stronger risk resilience.
Hedge Against Inflation: Cash in hand slowly gets eroded by inflation. Property and rents typically rise with increasing prices, making them excellent inflation hedges.

In Summary

Don't be fooled just because Takashi Ojikawa (B.N.F.) stood up from his computer screen to buy a building. The fundamental "algorithm" inside his head hasn't changed one bit.

His ¥17 billion purchase of the Akihabara building was, at its core, an act of incredibly cool-headed value investing based on data and logic.

Investment Vehicle: An "asset stock" offering stable cash flow, fortified by a subcultural moat, and potentially undervalued by the market.
Investment Goal: To convert high-risk trading profits into long-term, stable, secure passive income while preserving capital and diversifying risk.

Put simply, he just applied his stock-picking logic—"find and buy undervalued companies"—to a much bigger target: a building. That move is just... so B.N.F..