New apartment supply forecast to rise by 4.4% in 2016
The supply of brand new apartments to be released for sale in the greater Tokyo area in 2016 is forecast to reach around 43,000 units, up 4.4% from 2015.
Japan’s consumption tax rate will be raised to 10% from its current level of 8% in April 2017. This is expected to lead to a rush in last-minute demand from buyers seeking to lock in the purchase price at the lower tax rates. The deadline to lock in a new apartment under the lower tax rate will be for contracts signed up until September 30, 2016.
According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, the construction scandal concerning falsified data about building foundations has had less of an effect that originally anticipated, and is not expected to impact on forecasts for 2016.Read more
Apartment prices along Tokyo's Ginza Line
The following table shows the change in apartment prices along the Ginza Subway Line (Japan’s oldest subway line). This subway line runs from Shibuya to Asakusa and passes through several of the city’s prime residential and business districts, many of which have seen a boost in prices over the past few years.
The average price across all stations on the Ginza line was 1,000,000 Yen/sqm in 2015, up 19.8% from 2014. The average building age was 21.0 years, down from 23.6 years in 2014. The average apartment size was 56.35 sqm (606 sq.ft), down from 60.76 sqm in 2014.Read more
Tokyo apartment asking prices up for 17th month in a row
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) second-hand apartment in greater Tokyo in November was 32,740,000 Yen, up 2.4% from the previous month and up 13.6% from last year. This is the 15th month in a row to see a month-on-month increase. The increase was driven by a larger share of sales in the Tokyo metropolitan area, which pulled up the average. The average building age was 22.2 years.
In Tokyo’s 23 wards, the average asking price was 50,630,000 Yen, up 1.7% from the previous month and up 16.9% from last year. This is the 17th month in a row to see a month-on-month increase. The average building age was 21.8 years.
In Tokyo’s central six wards (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Bunkyo and Shibuya), the average asking price was 70,560,000 Yen, up 1.2% from the previous moth and up 15.1% from last year. The average building age was 20.1 years.Read more
New apartment prices in greater Tokyo exceed 60 million Yen for first time since 1991

According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, 3,496 brand new apartments were released for sale in greater Tokyo in November, up 19.7% from the previous month and up 4.8% from last year. 2,871 apartments were sold, making the contract ratio 82.1%, up 13.3 points from the previous month and up 3.7 points from last year.
The average price of a new apartment was 63,280,000 Yen, up 18.0% from the previous month and up 21.1% from last year. This is the first time that prices have exceeded 60 million Yen since June 1991. The average price per square meter was 871,000 Yen, up 14.8% from the previous month and up 18.2% from last year.Read more
Tokyo apartment prices increase for 38th consecutive month
According to REINS, 2,971 second-hand apartments were sold across greater Tokyo in November, up 3.3% from the previous month and up 5.0% from last year. The average apartment sale price was 29,160,000 Yen, down 1.1% from the previous month but up 3.8% from last year. The average price per square meter was 459,800 Yen, up 0.4% from the previous month and up 4.2% from last year. The average building age was 20.45 years.
In the Tokyo metropolitan area, 1,500 second-hand apartments were sold, up 6.0% from the previous month and up 4.8% from last year. The average sale price was 36,110,000 Yen, down 2.0% from the previous month but up 6.0% from last year. The average price per square meter was 619,600 Yen, up 0.1% from the previous month and up 7.6% from last year. This is the 38th month in a row to see a year-on-year increase in the sale price per square meter. The average building age was 19.27 years.
Central Tokyo’s 3 wards
In central Tokyo’s 3 wards (Chiyoda, Chuo and Minato), 186 apartments were sold, up 3.9% from the previous month and up 26.5% from last year. This is the highest number of transactions recorded for the month of November since record-keeping began in 2008, and is 63% higher than the average transaction numbers seen between 2008 ~ 2012.
The average sale price was 53,770,000 Yen, down 6.0% from the previous month but up 8.3% from last year. The average price per square meter was 1,005,900 Yen, down 3.3% from the previous month but up 4.1% from last year. The average building age was 18.19 years.Read more
Tadao Ando-designed house in Tokyo for sale
UPDATE: SOLD
A contemporary residence designed by famed architect Tadao Ando is currently listed for sale. The 4-bedroom home is located in the trendy Daikanyama neighbourhood and is a 15 minute walk from Shibuya Station.Read more
Shiba Park Building returns to the market
Shiba Park Building, a landmark office building in central Tokyo, is being offered for sale again, with insiders suggesting it could sell for more than 160 billion Yen (1.3 billion USD). *Update: Several months later, the owners decided to take advantage of low borrowing rates to refinance rather than sell the building, with the net rental income providing a more attractive return than disposal of the asset.
The 14-storey building has a total floor area of 103,000 sqm (1.1 million sq.ft), of which 83,000 sqm is leasable space. It was built in 1982 by Shuwa Corporation, a real estate developer that invested heavily in US properties during Japan’s bubble economy in the late 1980s. Shuwa was also the developer of numerous ‘Shuwa Residence’ vintage apartment buildings built across Tokyo and Saitama in the 1960s and 1970s.Read more