Contractor cites Edo-period land claim in lake landfill dispute
A construction contractor in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, is citing a 200-year old claim to surface rights of Lake Shinji after the government has accused him of illegal legal reclamation. Since 1997, the national government has issued 35 infringement notices to the contractor, ordering him to cease his land reclamation work and return the site to its original condition.Read more
Apartment asking prices in Tokyo increase for 16th month but supply-demand balance starts to shift
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) second-hand apartment in greater Tokyo in October was 31,970,000 Yen, up 1.2% from the previous month and up 12.3% from last year. This is the 14th month in a row to see a month-on-month increase in asking prices. The average building age was 22.3 years.
In Tokyo’s 23 wards, the average asking price was 49,780,000 Yen, up 1.3% from the previous month and up 17.0% from last year. This is the 16th month in a row to see a month-on-month increase. The average building age was 22.0 years.
In Tokyo’s central six wards (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Bunkyo and Shibuya), the average asking price was 69,690,000 Yen, up 0.7% from the previous month and up 15.8% from last year. This is the fifth month in a row to see an increase, although the rate of increase has slowed.Read more
Condo manager accused of 1.1 billion Yen embezzlement
The former chairperson of the owner’s association of a ski resort condominium in Niigata has been accused of allegedly embezzling 1.178 billion Yen (9.6 million USD) from the apartment building’s management and repair fund over the span of sixteen years.
The owner’s association filed a criminal complaint in an attempt to recover the 400 million Yen which falls within the statute of limitations. The former chairman allegedly falsified bank statements after transferring the funds to his personal bank account to purchase shares and make other personal investments. Read more
3,200 unit apartment building for Nishi Shinjuku
A large development site situated between Shinjuku Park Tower/Park Hyatt and Opera City in Nishi Shinjuku may finally see some activity as the redevelopment association move forward on construction plans.
Current discussions call for two 65-storey high-rise residential towers containing around 3,200 apartments. A town planning decision will be made in 2016, and if approved, construction could begin in 2019.
A 60-storey condominium tower is currently under construction in Nishi Shinjuku 5 Chome. The Parkhouse Nishi Shinjuku Tower 60 was advertised as being the tallest apartment building in Japan based on the total number of floors, but if the Nishi Shinjuku 3 Chome Project goes ahead as planned, The Parkhouse won’t keep its title for long.Read more
Residential rental growth slows in Tokyo
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in greater Tokyo was 2,681 Yen/sqm in October, up 1.3% from the previous month and up 3.0% from last year. The increase is due to a larger share of transactions in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which is pulling up the average. The average apartment size was 59.65 sqm and the average building age was 19.2 years.
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, the average rent was 3,184 Yen/sqm, up 0.1% from the previous month and up 2.7% from last year. The average apartment size was 57.08 sqm and the average building age was 17.4 years.
In Tokyo’s 23 wards, the average rent was 3,317 Yen/sqm, down 0.3% from the previous month but up 2.6% from last year. The average apartment size was 56.49 sqm and the average building age was 17.0 years.Read more
Nara Dreamland sold to Osaka real estate company
Nara Dreamland, the long-since closed amusement park modelled after California’s Disneyland, was purchased by an Osaka-based real estate company earlier this month for 730 million Yen (5.95 million USD). The buyer, SK Housing, was the only bidder at the public auction. It is unclear what the new owner plans to do with the site.Read more