Roppongi site sells for 63.4 billion Yen

On February 16, Bridgestone reported the sale of a company housing compound in Roppongi to an unnamed buyer for a staggering ¥63.4 billion (US$422 million) profit over its original book value. A private bidding process took place last year, drawing quite a bit of interest. The land had been originally held by the Bridgestone family since 1897. The traditional residence was destroyed in WWII air raids. 

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Japan's Standard Land Prices increase by 1.0% in 2023

Japan’s Standard Land Prices were announced on September 19, and as the pandemic winds down and dwellers and tourists return to central hubs, the major urban centers saw the steepest increase.

Nationwide, land prices across all uses increased by 1.0%, following a 0.3% increase in 2022. Regional areas saw the first increase across all uses for the first time in 31 years; however, this may have been driven by growth in cities such as Sapporo, Sendai, Hiroshima, and Fukuoka. Residential land outside of those cities continued to decline, while commercial land increased for the first time in 32 years.Read more


Semiconductor manufacturer expanding land acquisitions in Kumamoto

Japan Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing (JASM), a subsidiary of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC), is acquiring more land adjoining its semiconductor factory currently under construction in Kumamoto, according to TBS News.Read more


Daikanyama housing village sold

Nomura Real Estate Development has acquired the Bess Square housing display site in Daikanyama for an undisclosed price.Read more


Why the registered land size may differ from the actual size

When buying land it is important to be aware that registered land sizes can often differ from actual measured or surveyed sizes. This dates back to the Land Tax Reform introduced by the Meiji government in 1873 that coincided with the establishment of private land ownership. Read more


Nationwide unwanted land donation scheme now in effect

On April 27, the Ministry of Justice enacted a nationwide unwanted land donation system in order to reduce the burden of rural, idle land on heirs. However, there are some strings attached that may limit how effective this system will be at reducing the number of vacant ‘akiya’ properties across Japan.Read more


Nationwide land values increase for 2nd year in a row

The nationwide Assessed Land Values (koji-chika), as issued by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) saw a year-on-year increase in 2023. This is the second year in a row to see an increase. The growth is apparent not only in urban centers, but is also spreading to regional areas as the country emerges from the pandemic.Read more