Office vacancy rates in July 2014 - Miki Shoji
According to Miki Shoji’s office report, the office vacancy rate in Tokyo’s five central business districts (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku and Shibuya) was 6.20% in July, down 0.25 points from the previous month and down 2.09 points from last year. This is the lowest level seen since March 2009 when vacancy rates were 6.05%.
The vacancy rate in brand new buildings was 17.41%, down 0.68 points from the previous month but up 4.69 points from last year.
The following office buildings were completed in July:
- Mercros Building, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku: 9 floors; 6,980 sqm floorspace.
- Tamachi Front Building, Shiba, Minato-ku: 9 floors; 5,730 sqm floorspace.
- PMO Shiba Koen, Minato-ku: 8 floors; 3,500 sqm floorspace.
Mitsubishi Jisho to start renovating old office buildings
Mitsubishi Jisho Residence announced that they are entering the building renovation business. With the cooperation of their subsidiary MEC eco LIFE Co. as well as Real Tokyo Estate, Mitsubishi plan to rent entire buildings from owners, carry out refurbishments, including earthquake-retrofitting, and then offer the newly made-over spaces for rent.
The owners of older office buildings can have a difficult time attracting tenants and such buildings tend to have high vacancy rates. As such, landlords of buildings with little-to-no rental income are less inclined to carry out renovations on their own.Read more
Shoto Noh Theatre may be on the market
The owners of the Kanze Noh Theatre in Shoto, Shibuya, are looking into selling the building and land. The head of Yodobashi Camera is a possible buyer, having reportedly expressed an interest to redevelop the property into a private guest house to accommodate his foreign visitors.Read more
Pembroke to redevelop site opposite Tokyo Midtown
Pembroke Real Estate will soon be embarking on their first redevelopment project in Japan - a 14-storey retail/commercial building in Roppongi 7 Chome. The site is in a prime position alongside Gaien-Higashi Dori Avenue and directly across from Tokyo Midtown.
The 4,000 sqm development site was originally several smaller parcels of land. Pembroke began purchasing the various buildings from around 2007 onwards. The site temporarily housed the 'Mercedes Benz Connection' concept showroom and is located next door to a building housing the headquarters of the Inakawa-gai yakuza group.
Chongryon headquarters back on the auction block
The Chongryon headquarters and North Korean de facto embassy building in Tokyo will be put up for public auction for a second time in early October.
The building and land was first listed for auction in March 2013. It made headlines after the winning bidder - the chief priest of a Kagoshima-based buddhist temple - failed to come up with the money for his 4.5 billion Yen bid.Read more
Nihonbashi office conversion provides solution to vacancy woes
Renovation company Haptic Co. collaborated with interior design and furnishing company Idee to convert a 24-year old office building in Nihonbashi into residential apartments.
The 7-storey Nihonbashi M&K Building was built in 1989. The owners of the ageing building were having difficulty attracting commercial tenants. Converting the building to residential use was less than a third of the estimated cost of rebuilding. Read more
Asakusa's Ryounkaku Tower to be revived
Asakusa's Ryounkaku Tower is going to make a reappearance as a new theatre under construction will feature a facade replicating the original historic tower.
The Maruhan Shochiku Rokku Tower is scheduled to open in December 2014. At 48 meters tall, it will be 4 meters shorter than the original tower.
The Ryounkaku was a 12-storey octagonal tower built in 1890. It was designed by British engineer William Kinnimond Burton, who spent most of his career in Japan. The first 10 floors were brick, while the top observation floors were wood.Read more