Standard Land Prices dip for first time in 3 years

The nationwide standard land price, announced yesterday, dropped for the first time in three years. The average across all land uses recorded a 0.6% decrease in 2020, after a 0.4% increase in 2019. In 2018, the nationwide average increased for the first time since 1991.

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Tax Agency considering special measures if land prices drop significantly

The National Tax Agency (NTA) is, according to the Nikkei Shimbun newspaper, working on a plan that could see rosenka land values re-adjusted in the event of a severe drop in market prices.

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Japan’s regional land prices increase for first time in 28-years

Nationwide land prices rose for the fifth year in a row this year, but hard-hitting effects of the novel coronavirus could put a swift end to Japan’s real estate recovery. 

According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), the nationwide ‘chika-koji’ assessed land price saw a 1.4% increase in 2020. This was a 0.2 point improvement from 2019’s 1.2% increase. 

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Okinawa’s military land attracting out-of-state investors

The percentage of land under Japanese and US military bases in Okinawa is increasingly being held by investors from outside the prefecture. As of 2018, 9% of the 44,523 landlords were located outside of Okinawa, a 3 point increase (or around 1.4 times the number of landlords) from 2012.

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Japan has 98,000 hectares of unused farmland

According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), a total of 97,814 hectares of farmland was sitting idle and unused across Japan in 2018, down 700 hectares from 2017 but the third year in a row to be around the 100,000 hectare range. 

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House in Minami Aoyama sells for 3.8 billion Yen

Apparel company Onward Holdings has sold a company-owned house in Minami Aoyama for 3.81 billion Yen (approx. 36 million USD). The buyer was developer Tokyu Land. 

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Shangri-La buys land next to Nijo Castle

Good news coming out of Kyoto last week with word that Shangri-La Group has acquired a large development site on the northern side of Nijo Castle in Kyoto. The 4,700 sqm site is about 90 meters west of our restored machiya townhouse.

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