Japan's apartment price to income ratio increases again

According to Tokyo Kantei, the average price of a brand-new apartment across Japan was 7.81 times the average annual income in 2017, up 0.34 points from 2016 and exceeding the previous high of 7.64 seen in 1992. A total of 28 prefectures saw affordability of brand-new apartments worsen in 2017, up from 22 prefectures in 2016. In Kanazawa City, the supply of high-priced new condominiums pulled up the average for Ishikawa Prefecture to a multiple of 8.37, up 3.52 points from 2016.Read more


Tokyo apartment asking prices in August 2018

According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) second-hand apartment across greater Tokyo was 36,400,000 Yen in August, up 0.2% from the previous month and up 2.1% from last year. The average building age was 23.9 years.Read more


Locals oppose Tsukishima high-rise apartment plan

The Tsukishima 3 Chome South District Redevelopment (left) and the Tsukishima 3 Chome North District Redevelopment (right).

Plans for a 190m tall, 50-storey, 750-unit apartment tower on the manmade island of Tsukishima in Tokyo Bay have local residents up in arms.Read more


Standard land prices across Japan increase for first time since 1991

Yesterday the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) announced the Standard Land Prices for 2018. The average standard land price across Japan increased by 0.1% - the first increase since 1991. This follows a 0.3% drop recorded in 2017.Read more


New apartment supply in August hits 25 year low

According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, the supply of brand new apartments across greater Tokyo in August reached the lowest level seen for the month since 1993. A total of 1,502 new apartments were released for sale, down 49.7% from the previous month and down 28.5% from last year.Read more


Tokyo apartment rents drop 0.5% from previous month

According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in Tokyo’s 23 wards was 3,464 Yen/sqm in August, down 0.5% from the previous month but up 5.1% from last year. This is the 9th month in a row to see a year-on-year increase. The average apartment size was 55.47 sqm and the average building age was 19.5 years.Read more


Japan’s whole building renovation market doubles this decade

It has often been said that Japanese consumers prefer new construction over old. However, this way of thinking has started to change over the past few years with home buyers turning their attention to the existing home market. In 2016, sales of existing ‘second-hand’ apartments in greater Tokyo exceeded those of brand-new apartments for the first time ever. This has not gone unnoticed by Japan’s major real estate developers, who, once focusing solely on new construction, are now entering the growing renovation market. 15 of the top 20 developers are already active in this market.

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