Tokyo apartment sales in August 2015
The following is a selection of apartments that were sold in central Tokyo during the month of August 2015:Read more
400m tall office tower for Tokyo Station area
Mitsubishi Estate is planning a 400 meter tall office building for an area just north of Tokyo Station. This is the largest development planned for the Otemachi/Marunouchi area, and when complete it will be the tallest building in Japan, exceeding the 300m tall Abeno Harukas in Osaka.
Mitsubishi is aiming to make the building an international centre for finance, and hope to attract both domestic and foreign financial institutions.Read more
Apartment prices in Tokyo’s 23 wards exceed previous mini-bubble
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) apartment in greater Tokyo in July was 30,680,000 Yen, up 1.9% from the previous month and up 8.6% from last year. This is the 11th month in a row to see an increase, although the average is still 9.9% below the peak of 34,040,000 Yen seen in December 2007. The average building age was 22.2 years.
In Tokyo’s 23 wards the average asking price was 47,640,000 Yen, up 1.7% from the previous month and up 14.1% from last year. This is the first time that the price has exceeded the previous peak of 47,280,000 Yen seen in February 2008. This is also the 13th month in a row to see an increase in prices. The average building age was 22.2 years.
In central Tokyo’s six wards, the average price was 66,950,000 Yen, up 1.8% from the previous month and up 15.4% from last year.
In Yokohama City, the average price was 26,510,000 Yen, down 0.8% from the previous month but up 3.6% from last year. Prices in Yokohama are still 9.4% below their peak of 29,250,000 Yen seen in December 2007.Read more
Iga City’s modernist government building may be saved from demolition
The 50-year old City Hall building in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, might just be saved from demolition after a building report suggested that repairing the structure may be cheaper than rebuilding it.
The city mayor has proposed restoring the south building and using it as a multi-purpose centre with library facilities. At a council meeting, however, concerns were raised about whether the building could be earthquake-retrofitted and how much it would cost to renovate it rather than destroy it.
Early estimates suggested that large-scale repairs and maintenance to the building could cost around 5.5 billion Yen (44.5 million USD).Read more
New apartment prices reach 23-year high in greater Tokyo
According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, the average price of a brand new apartment released for sale in greater Tokyo was 59,530,000 Yen (478,000 USD) in July, up 2.4% from the previous month and up 7.6% from last year. This is the highest sale price seen since May 1992, when prices were 59,710,000 Yen.
The average price per square meter in July was 850,000 Yen (635 USD/sq ft), up 2.5% from the previous month and up 10.2% from last year. This is the highest price seen since November 1992 (877,000 Yen/sqm).
An increase in the supply of luxury apartments as well as high construction costs is said to be behind the rise in the average sale price.Read more
New apartment prices in Sendai 20% higher than bubble era
New condominium prices in the Sendai area continue to surge, with the average price in the first half of 2015 increasing by 10% from the previous year to 42,620,000 Yen (343,000 USD). This price is now around 40% higher than pre-Tohoku earthquake prices and 20% higher than prices during Japan’s asset price bubble in the late 1980s.
Construction costs have increased following the disaster due, but the increase in prices has been met with an increase in demand and a relative shortage in supply of new construction.Read more