Yakuza member lies in order to buy apartment

A member of the Yamaguchi-gumi, Japan's largest criminal organization, was arrested Kyoto on June 18 for the fraudulent purchase of an apartment.

According to the Kyoto Prefectural Police, the accused signed a contract on an apartment on December 20, 2011. The signing took place at a real estate agency in Kyoto's Nagakyo-ku. The property in question was a secondhand apartment priced at 16,750,000 Yen, which was to be used for the buyer's personal residence.Read more


Tokyo's office construction boom and it's repercussions

JP Tower in Marunouchi

The construction of new office buildings in central Tokyo is steadily progressing. In January, Mitsubishi Jisho's Marunouchi Eiraku Building was completed. In Spring, JP Tower and the Palace Building were completed, and Otemachi Financial City will be completed in fall.

According to the Urban Research Institute Corporation, the total supply of commercial office space in 2012 will reach 2,680,000 sqm (28,836,800 sqft). This is close to the past decade's peak of 2,980,000 sqm in 2003. A quarter of the office supply is located in the Marunouchi area on the western side of Tokyo Station.Read more


Supply of family-type apartments down 60% from peak

A recent survey by the Haseko Research Institute has found that the supply of brand new family-type* apartments totaled 12,588 units in 2011 - just 28.3% of the total apartments to hit the market last year.

While this is the second year where the ratio has increased, it is still at a low level compared to the early to mid 2000s. Compared to the peak in 2005, the current supply has fallen by over 60%.

*For the purpose of this survey, family-type apartments are those sized between 60 - 80 sqm (645 - 860 sqft) and priced under 40 million Yen.

Source:
The Asahi Shimbun, May 2, 2012.


Contract rate in greater Tokyo exceeds 80%

The contract rate on condominiums in greater Tokyo reached 81.8% in April. This is the first time since February 2011 where the rate has exceeded 80%. The high percentage was helped by strong sales of large-scale condominiums, and signals a change towards positive market conditions.Read more


Tougher times for home loan approvals

This current period of low-interest rate competition is considered an unprecedented point of time in Japan's history of property finance. But, rather than low interest rates signaling an ease to borrow, banks are becoming increasingly strict over loan approvals.Read more


Eviction orders for Gamagori hotel

The Toyohashi branch of the Nagoya District Court has issued an eviction order to the religious organization that is using the former Gamagori Fukinuki Sightseeing Hotel in Miyacho, Gamagori City. The court is ordering the land to be returned to its owner (Miyacho) and the building to be demolished.

The original hotel opened in 1939 and has undergone many alterations and extensions over the years. During its prime, the hotel was Miyacho's leading hot spring resort. However, in 1998 the hotel filed for bankruptcy with debts over 3 billion Yen. It was later put up for public auction with a minimum bid of 956 million Yen. A buddhist organization purchased the building, but not the land, from Miyacho in 2004 and were charged an annual land rent of 3.8 million Yen. They demolished several buildings and refurbished the main hotel which had previously been damaged by fire.Read more


Ban on advertising new and old property price to be lifted

Moves are underway to lift the ban that prohibits advertising the former price of a secondhand property or land alongside it's new and reduced price.

Currently, this form of advertising can only be used on brand new construction less than two years old, and which has never been occupied.  Certain terms relating to the length of time advertised also apply. It is expected that the law will change this summer to allow advertisements for secondhand properties and land to use the same method.Read more