Sapporo’s office vacancy rate is on the rise

The office vacancy rate in Sapporo’s business district has recently hit an eight-year high. According to Miki Shoji, the vacancy rate was 4.08% in September 2024, up 1.22 points from last year. In existing buildings, the vacancy rate was 2.94%, and in brand-new office buildings it was 49.37%.Read more


Hakuba’s hotel shortage may hinder tourism potential

The rise in inbound tourism is outpacing Hakuba’s supply of hotels, leading to a shortage of beds this ski season. Hotels opened up their winter reservations a month earlier this year and were quickly inundated with bookings from international guests. Many of the village’s hotels are now fully booked for this upcoming season.Read more


REIT disposes of office buildings in Osaka and Tokyo

KDX Realty Investment Corporation sold two office buildings in Osaka and Tokyo this month, one of which sold for 14% less than its book value. The buyers were domestic corporations.Read more


Development Bank sets up minpaku fund

Some countries and international cities may be banning Airbnb-style accommodation in an attempt to alleviate a housing crisis, but not Japan. With inbound tourism expanding, the government-owned Development Bank of Japan has established a real estate fund to invest in ‘minpaku’ or Airbnb-style short-term accommodation in Japan. This is the first domestic bank to establish this initiative.Read more


Akasaka Garden City sells for 54.6 billion Yen

Sekisui House Reit is selling its share in Akasaka Garden City to an unnamed domestic special purpose company for 54.6 billion Yen (approx. US$365 million).Read more


Sapporo’s rents on the rise

Sapporo City in Hokkaido is experiencing a rise in residential rental prices as the rapid increase in construction costs spreads to consumers. A larger supply of newer, high-end apartments has also contributed to the rise. Real estate portal site, AtHome, reported that average advertised rent for family-type apartments has reached the highest level since reporting began in 2015.Read more


Standard Land Prices increase 1.4% thanks to semiconductors and tourists

Standard Land Prices were announced on September 17, and a small town of just 36,000 residents in Kyushu topped the nationwide ranking for commercial land price growth with a 33.3% increase. There’s a simple reason - semiconductors.Read more