Public housing block to receive heritage listing
Three public housing blocks in Tokyo’s Kita ward have been registered as tangible cultural properties by Japan’s Council for Cultural Affairs. The historic building registration was formalized in December 2019. These are the first public housing blocks in the country to receive a national heritage listing.
32-story office tower for Akasaka
The former Kokusai Akasaka Building will be replaced with a 32-story office tower. The new building will have a floor area of 73,000 sqm (approx. 785,000 sq.ft).
Apartment rents in greater Tokyo climb 4.5% in 2019
The average monthly rent for a condominium-type apartment across greater Tokyo in 2019 was 2,886 Yen/sqm, up 4.5% from 2018. This was primarily due to an increase in rents within the Tokyo metropolitan area, while Yokohama City saw rents fall.
Remaining apartment inventory in Tokyo drops for first time in 27 months
According to REINS, a total of 2,810 second-hand apartments were reported to have sold across greater Tokyo in December, down 11.5% from the previous month and down 5.9% from December 2018. New listings dropped for the 4th month in a row, with a 7.4% drop from the previous year.
Hiroshima to demolish historic warehouses
Hiroshima Prefecture plans to demolish two of four historic warehouses in Hiroshima City. The 100+-year-old buildings survived the 1945 atomic bombing and are of significant importance to the city’s history.
Tax depreciation on overseas real estate to end in 2021
Investing in highly-depreciable real estate overseas will quickly lose its appeal for Japan-based investors as the Japanese government closes a tax loophole.
Nagano ski field closes due to lack of snow, skiers, buyers
The Iizuna Kogen Ski Area in Nagano will close in March due to a declining domestic ski industry and a lack of snow. Nagano City has had no luck finding anyone interested in taking over the 60 hectare ski fields.