No market for homes 20km+ outside of Tokyo
Takashi Ishizawa, chief real estate analyst at Mizuho Securities, says a clear divide has formed between properties that can be re-sold and those that have no chance of selling. As properties in Tokyo's outer suburban areas continue to fall in value, they become more and more difficult to sell.
Properties with a chance of selling are located within a 20 km radius of Chiyoda-ku. Properties located east of Funabashi in Chiba and north of Omiya in Saitama are almost impossible to sell, even though asking prices of a house and land start from as little as 2 million Yen (19,000 USD). Developers are also careful not to venture past these zones.
The two main causes are the shrinking population and the shift in demand towards more central locations. In addition, the home buyers of today are seeking a better work-life balance and are avoiding areas that are over an hour from their office. Read more
Seiko to sell historical residence in Shirokane for an estimated 30 billion Yen
On August 12, Seiko Holdings announced that they will be selling the 81-year old residence of company founder Kintaro Hattori in Shirokane 2 Chome and are expected to post a gain of 8.5 billion Yen (82 million USD) from its sale. Managing Director Akio Naito said the property was of historical importance to the company and they will announce further details after the property is transferred at the end of September.
The residence was designed by architect Teitaro Takahashi (1892 - 1970) and built by Obayashi Corporation in 1933. Takahashi designed a number of residences, hotels and buildings including the Former Maeda Residence in Komaba Park (1928) and the Takashimaya Department Store in Nihonbashi (1933).
Hattori founded the Wako watch and jewellery shop in Ginza in 1881. The current Wako department store building in Ginza was built in 1932 as the K. Hattori Building and replaced Hattori's original store which had been demolished in 1921. Naturally, the clock atop the building is a Seiko.Read more
Secondhand apartment prices in July 2014 - Tokyo Kantei
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sqft) second-hand apartment in Tokyo’s 23 wards was 41,740,000 Yen in July, up 0.3% from the previous month and up 4.7% from last year. The average apartment age was 22.3 years.
In central Tokyo’s six wards (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Bunkyo and Shibuya), the average apartment asking price was 58,040,000 Yen, up 0.8% from the previous month and up 8.9% from last year. The average apartment age was 22.2 years.
The average price across greater Tokyo was 28,250,000 Yen, down 0.2% from the previous month but up 2.2% from last year. The average building age was 21.6 years.Read more
Proposed revision to taxes to encourage removal of abandoned homes
The Japanese government is considering a revision to the fixed asset tax code in order to encourage the removal of dilapidated and abandoned homes.
Currently, the annual fixed asset tax on land is reduced to a sixth of its original level if there is an existing house on the land. This reduction was introduced in 1973 when Japan was going through a period of rapid growth as a means to encourage the conversion of agricultural land into housing. The reduction also applies to empty houses, so demolishing a house would mean a higher tax bill. Read more
Toranomon 2 Chome Redevelopment Project
On July 15, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government approved the re-development plans for the Toranomon Hospital and National Printing Bureau site in Minato-ku.
The 145.6 billion Yen project will include a 19-storey hospital building and a 179m tall, 36-storey commercial building. The hospital building will be rebuilt from 2015 ~ 2018, with the office tower to be built between 2019 ~ 2022. The entire project is expected to be completed by 2024.
There are a number of major redevelopment projects in the Toranomon area, including the recently completed Toranomon Hills, the future redevelopment of Hotel Okura, the redevelopment of the Toranomon Pastoral Building (Toranomon 4 Chome Project) and the Akasaka 1 Chome Redevelopment.Read more
July rental data - Tokyo Kantei
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium apartment in greater Tokyo was 2,558 Yen/sqm in July, down 2.0% from the previous month but up 1.0% from last year. The average apartment size was 59.92 sqm and the average building age was 18.9 years.
The average rent in Tokyo’s 23-ku was 3,174 Yen/sqm, showing no change from the previous month and up 2.5% from last year. The average apartment size was 56.38 sqm and the average building age was 17.1 years.Read more