Owning a castle in Japan? A possibility or a pipe dream?
Europe is dotted with historic castles that can be bought and lived in, but what about Japan? Can you buy an authentic castle in Japan?
In short - probably not.Read more
Want to live in Nagasaki's Huis Ten Bosch?
Huis Ten Bosch is a Dutch-style theme park spread over 152 hectares in Sasebo, Nagasaki. In addition to the popular theme park, there is also a small enclave of canal-front homes and apartments that can be purchased.
The gated residential estate is called Wassenaar - named after an affluent suburb in The Hague. There are 130 houses and 10 apartment buildings containing 120 apartments housing as many as 800 residents. As Huis Ten Bosch is only 30 minutes from downtown Sasebo, some residents live here full-time while others use their home as a weekender or on holidays. The homes were all designed in keeping with the Dutch theme, and have landscaped gardens, boat moorings and some have swimming pools. Read more
Residential yields and vacancy rates in Minato-ku - July 2014
According to real estate listing site Homes, the average gross yield on an apartment in Minato-ku in July was 5.2%, down 0.1 points from last month and down 0.8 points from July 2013. The average gross yield across Tokyo was 7.1%, down 0.1 points from last month and down 0.9 points from last year.
The vacancy rate remains unchanged at 9.9% in Minato-ku and 11.0% across Tokyo.
The average asking price of a secondhand apartment in Minato-ku was 785,957 Yen as of July 1, down 0.86% from June. The price growth seen in 2013 appears to have stalled and asking prices have started to decline slightly. The average asking price for land was 1,250,303 Yen/sqm, up 5.9% from last month.Read more
Tokyo’s bayside islands struggling with apartment and population boom
Residents in Tokyo’s bayside islands in Chuo-ku and Koto-ku are growing increasingly concerned about whether the current transport infrastructure and schools can cope with the growing population. Over the past several years, the area has been undergoing a transformation from what was once heavy industrial areas and shipyards into islands crowded with high-rise residential towers.
The development boom is not the direct result of the coming Olympic games, although the announcement did lead to a flurry of sales from buyers excited by the news.
The Athlete’s Village is expected to be built on Harumi Island - about 1 kilometre from Kachidoki Station on the Oedo Line. It will need to house approximately 17,000 people for the Olympic games, with the housing converted for either rental or sale post-games. Read more
Park Mansion Mita Tsunamachi to go on sale this month
Mitsui's latest development - Park Mansion Mita Tsunamachi The Forest - goes on sale at the end of this month. Although prices have yet to be officially announced, this could be the most expensive condominium to go on sale in Tokyo this year. The model room was opened to the public over the weekend, but we had a sneak peak last week.
The 11-storey building is currently under construction on a large 6,100 sqm site directly south of the Australian Embassy. It is directly across the street from the gardens of the historic members-only Tsunamachi Mitsui Club as well as Mitsui's very first Park Mansion building - Mita Tsunamachi Park Mansion (1971).
About the model room
The 167 sqm (1,797 sqft) 1-Bedroom room is filled with optional extras and non-standard finishes. The original plan for this apartment is two bedrooms, one bathroom and a study. In addition this apartment, along with two others, also have private 'atelier' rooms on the 10th floor. The atelier that comes with this particular apartment is 35 sqm and has a mini kitchen, toilet, shower room and a 21 sqm roof terrace. Perfect for a home office, man cave or guest room.Read more