Historic former library in Kamakura to be demolished
On January 5, Kamakura City announced plans to demolish a historic property that was originally the Kamakura City Library, and until recently had been used as a training center.
The 2-storey wooden building was completed in 1936. It is located between the Onarimachi’s local city office and the Onari Elementary School and is 200 meters west of Kamakura Station. Aside from a brief period during the war when it was confiscated by the military, the building had been was used a library until 1974. Afterwards it had been used by the city’s Board of Education for a variety of uses.Read more
Omotesando public housing site to be redeveloped
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced plans to redevelop the Aoyama Kitamachi Apaato, a city-operated public housing complex located near Omotesando Station and just behind Aoyama Dori Street.
The four hectare site currently contains 25 residential blocks built between 1957 and 1968. This project was said to be the first post-war city housing in Tokyo. Apartments ranged in size from 32 ~ 52 sqm. The 4 and 5 storey buildings have no elevators and some of the buildings did not have bathrooms (bathroom units were added to the balconies later).Read more
December rental data - Tokyo Kantei
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condomonium apartment in greater Tokyo was 2,562 Yen/sqm in December, up 0.1% from the previous month and up 1.9% from the previous year. The average apartment size was 59.62 sqm and the average building age was 19.7 years.
In Tokyo’s 23-ku, the average monthly rent was 3,195 Yen/sqm, down 0.1% from the previous month but up 2.3% from the previous year.
Second-hand apartment prices in central Tokyo up 19% over the year
According to REINS, 2,497 second-hand apartments were sold across greater Tokyo in December 2014, down 11.8% from the previous month and down 13.9% from December 2013. This is the 9th month in a row to see a year-on-year decline.
The average apartment sale price was 28,470,000 Yen, up 1.4% from the previous month and up 11.2% from the previous year. The average price per square meter was 448,700 Yen, up 1.6% from the previous month and up 10.9% from the previous year. The average building age was 19.85 years.
1,250 second-hand apartments were sold in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, down 12.6% from the previous month and down 12.1% from the previous year. The average sale price was 35,070,000 Yen, up 2.9% from the previous month and up 12.7% from the previous year. The average price per square meter was 593,400 Yen, up 3.1% from the previous month and up 10.7% from the previous year. The average building age was 18.93 years.
Luxury sales are rising in the metropolitan area with 79 apartments priced over 100 million Yen selling in the 4th quarter of 2014, up 31.7% from the same quarter in 2013.
In central Tokyo’s 3 wards (Chiyoda, Chuo and Minato), the average sale price was 57,310,000 Yen, up 15.4% from the previous month and up 28.5% from the previous year. The average price per square meter was 998,600 Yen/sqm, up 3.3% from the previous month and up 19.6% from the previous year. It has now exceeded the level seen in January 2008 when REINS began keeping records for central Tokyo sale prices.Read more