Zoe Ward

Average apartment rent falls by as much as 1.6% in June

Tokyo Kantei released the results of their survey on rent movements for condominium apartments for the month of June, 2011.

Tokyo City:
Average Rent: 2960 Yen/sqm/month - down 0.5% from MayRead more

by Zoe Ward

Yokohama Prince Hotel site redevelopment work commences

Clearing work has started on the site of the former Yokohama Prince Hotel in Isogo ku, Yokohama. The 11 hectare site will have a 1200 unit condominium, commercial facilities as well as a child-care center.

The site is located on the top of a hill and development will include elevator access as well as a tunnel. The five developers working on the project are Tokyo Tatemono, Orix Real Estate, Tokyu Corporation, Itochu Toshi Kaihatsu and Nippon Tochi-Tatemono.Read more

by Zoe Ward

High-rise Refugees

Tokyo's bayside area, which has seen a boom in high-rise condominiums or "tower mansions" in recent years, is now considered a rather risky area to live since the March 11 earthquake. The earthquake caused land liquefaction and many elevators to stop working, resulting in a newly coined term for residents living on high floors - "high-rise refugees".

"There was a lot of swaying. It felt like an amusement park ride" remarked a resident who lives in a 54-storey condominium in Koto-ku's Shinonome area. "I still cannot forget the sounds made by the steel-frame of the building."Read more

by Zoe Ward

Market prices for apartments along the Hibiya Subway Line in Tokyo

The following data was published by Tokyo Kantei in July, 2011, and is based on the asking prices for apartments for sale on the secondary market along the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. The most recent data for 2011 is based on listing prices from March to May.

The apartment price in the table below is the price in Yen per square meter. The number in brackets is the average apartment age in years.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Sweden Hills, Hokkaido

sweden-hills-hokkaido-1

Planning of the Sweden Hills neighborhood began in 1979 and construction started in 1984. The idea began after the Swedish Ambassador visited Tobetsu Town and remarked how similar the atmosphere and scenery was to his native Sweden. Tobetsu Town's sister city is Leksand in Dalarna County, Sweden.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Japan's very first high-rise public housing condominium

Miyamasuzaka Building / Apartment

Built in 1953 (58 years old)
As seen in 2002 horror film "Dark Water"
Apartments sold for between 600,000 ~ 1,000,000 Yen when brand newRead more

by Zoe Ward

Average secondhand apartment prices for June only increase in Osaka

Tokyo Kantei has announced the average sale prices for secondhand apartments across Japan for the month of June, 2011.

In the greater Tokyo area, the average price was 29,750,000 Yen (376,580 USD). This is a fall of 0.7% from the month before, and a fall of 3.5% from June of 2010. It is also the first time in 17 months that prices have fallen.Read more

by Zoe Ward