Imperial Hotel sells 35% of land for 62 billion Yen

On September 26, Imperial Hotel announced plans to sell a 35% share of the land under its tower building in its Tokyo property to Mitsui Fudosan for 62 billion Yen (approx. US$416 million). This purchase price works out to around 15 million Yen per square meter (US$9,300/sq.ft), which is approximately 93,600 times its book value.Read more


Rare ruling sees leaseholders responsible for paying land taxes

In a rare court ruling, some leaseholders in a city in Toyama Prefecture are now on the hook for paying land taxes.Read more


Wakayama demolishing abandoned hotel

A long-abandoned hotel in Japan’s Amalfi is being forcibly demolished by the city government in response to complaints from local residents. Located on a cliffside position, the former Taikobo Hotel overlooks the Saikazaki Fishing Harbor on Wakayama City’s coastal area.Read more


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


Historic Osaka office building demolished and sold to developer

A landmark heritage building alongside Dojima River in Osaka is under demolition by a local developer. Demolition started in April 2023 with completion expected by late October.Read more


Tokyo apartment rents up 11.9% y-o-y

After remaining relatively subdued throughout the pandemic, apartment rents in Tokyo’s 23 wards are on the rise, increasing by 8% since the start of the year.

The average monthly rent of a condominium apartment in the 23 wards was 4,266 Yen/sqm as of August, up 2.3% from the previous month and up 11.9% from last year. This has exceeded the previous record high set in July. Read more


Tokyo's population reaches record high

Tokyo’s population has risen to a record high for the past 4 months in a row, reaching 14.09 million in August. This is the population of the Tokyo metropolitan area which includes the densely populated 23 wards, along with the cities to the west and island communities.Read more