Commercial land prices in Japan’s regional areas increase for first time in 26 years
On March 27, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) released the Chika-Koji assessed land prices for 2018. According to the data, nationwide land prices across all uses increased by 0.7%, a 0.3 point improvement from 2017 and the third year in a row to record a year-on-year increase.Commercial land prices increased for the third year in a row with a 1.9% increase in 2018. Residential land prices increased by 0.3% in 2018. In 2017, residential land prices increased by 0.022%, showing the first increase in 9 years.
Notably, commercial land prices in Japan’s regional areas increased by 0.5% - the first increase since 1992. Residential land prices in regional areas dropped by 0.1%, although the rate of decline has reduced.
The most expensive land in Japan is the site of the Yamano Music Building in Ginza, Tokyo. The land had an assessed value of 55,500,000 Yen/sqm (approx. 48,800 USD/sq.ft) in 2018, up 9.9% from 2017 and the fifth year in a row to record an increase. This land has increased in value by 275% since 2002.Read more
Thai developer makes 30% on Niseko land sale
Thai-based property company Pace Development has sold a 14 hectare block of land in Hokkaido’s Niseko area for 2.05 billion Yen (approx. 18.8 million USD). The buyer was Richforest International Investments Ltd.
Pace had previously acquired the land in 2016 for approximately 1.56 billion Yen, resulting in a 30% gain over the past 18 months.Read more
The owners of 20% of Japan’s land are unaccounted for
According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT), approximately 41,000 square kilometers, or 20% of privately-owned land in Japan is owned by unidentifiable or missing owners.
A missing owner is defined as someone who has either passed away without the property title being transferred to the heirs, or an owner who has since moved but has not updated their address details on the property title. Generally speaking, there is no legal obligation to update a change of address or inheritance on property titles.
Of the land, 14% is building land, 18.5% is farmland, and 25.7% is forestry. The MLIT reported that 19.8%, or 930,000 hectares, of Japan’s agricultural land has property titles that have not been updated in over 50 years. Some local governments have found property titles showing the owner’s address as Manchukuo - a short-lived pre-war puppet state located in northeastern China.Read more
Luxury hotel planned for historic site in Nara Park
Nara Prefecture is accepting bids from private companies for a hotel development to be located within the Nara Park grounds in Nara City. The 1.3 hectare site is located on the southern side of Nara Park’s Ukimi-do Hall, and was purchased by the prefecture from the national government in 2005.
Prior to the Meiji Restoration, the property was home to one of Kofuku-ji’s sub-temples. In 1890 it was sold to Nara poet Haruyasu Umeda (1850-1917). From 1911, it became the holiday villa of Kenshiro Yamaguchi (1886-1957), a wealthy banker and president of the Kansai Trust Bank (the predecessor of the Toyo Trust Bank, which is now part of the Mitsubishi UFJ Trust and Banking Corporation). After WWII, the annex of the Nara Family Court was built on the land. The land is currently vacant although traces of the original Japanese garden remain.Read more
Commercial standard land prices in Japan’s big cities increase for 4th year in a row
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) announced this year’s Standard Land Prices on September 20.
Nationwide, land prices declined for the 25th year in a row with a 0.6% decrease, although the rate of decline is slowing. Meanwhile, commercial land prices stopped their downwards trend for the first time in 9 years.
Land prices in Japan’s urban centres of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya continued to benefit from booming foreign tourist numbers, redevelopment and infrastructure projects, shrinking office vacancy rates, and monetary easing.
Commercial land prices in these three cities increased by 2.9%, representing a fastening pace after 2.3% growth in 2015 and 1.7% growth in 2014. In the Tokyo metropolitan area, commercial land prices increased by 4.1% in 2016, after a 3.3% increase in 2015. In Osaka city, they were up 4.7% this year.Read more
City suing for ownership of ancient tomb in Osaka
Fujidera City in Osaka Prefecture has filed a lawsuit seeking the transfer of ownership of land containing a 1,500 year-old ancient tomb.
Called a ‘kofun’, the ancient tomb is part of the Mozu and Furuichi Kofun-gun group of tombs constructed between the 3rd and 7th century AD in the Osaka area. The city is hoping to have the tombs registered as UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and owning the land would help to ensure its protection and preservation.Read more