Following of the adoption in June of a national ordinance legalizing short-term home rentals in Japan - driven by a shortage of traditional accommodations for growing numbers of tourists - registration of accommodations haven't kept up with demand.

This has resulted in some unregistered properties being offered for rent, which is unlawful.

The City of Kyoto is the first jurisdiction to pursue prosecution of a landlord under the new law.

Under the nationwide law, local jurisdictions may introduce additional requirements. Kyoto - a popular tourist destination - has especially demanding requirements, including 24/7 availability of a property manager with a response time no longer than 10 minutes.

Landlords around the world will be watching this.