Mitsui starts work on Nihonbashi 2 Chome Redevelopment

Nihonbashi redevelopment 3

On November 13, Mitsui Fudosan announced that they have started construction on the Nihonbashi 2 Chome District Redevelopment Project. This redevelopment forms an important part of the second stage of the Nihonbashi Revitalisation Plan.

The 2.6 hectare site includes the historic Nihonbashi Takashimaya Department Store. The important cultural property was built in 1933 and will be retained as part of the new development. The rooftop terrace and gardens will be upgraded and expanded to cover a 6,000 sqm space with footbridges connecting the rooftop to the neighboring office buildings.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Chinese buyers lured by Tokyo property prices and yields

In mid-September, the CEO of a real estate brokerage held an investment seminar in a function room at the Shangri-La Hotel in Shanghai. The 40 attendees listened carefully to every word. This seminar was not about investing in Shanghai or Hong Kong, but was focused on the Japanese property market, in particular the areas in Tokyo and Osaka.

Promotional material handed out to attendees provided detailed information on the merits of investing in Japanese real estate, the purchase process and taxes, as well as information on ‘Abenomics’ and currency markets. With the recent weakening of the Yen, the pamphlet explained that a 30 million Yen apartment that would have cost 2.5 million Yuan in January 2012 could now be bought for 1.765 million Yuan (at January 2014 exchange rates). Note: As of November 24, it is the equivalent of 1.56 million Yuan. 

Major companies right down to small agencies dealing only with Chinese buyers are busy organising property tours in Japan, with bus tours held almost every day.

A representative from a major brokerage said they have seen the number of inquiries jump by 1.5 times over the past 12 months and have attributed the strong interest to the falling Yen. Approximately half of the participants in their tours end up buying a property.

Taiwanese brokerage Sinyi plan to double their presence in Japan next year. They have already sold 20 billion Yen (170 million USD) worth of real estate in the first 10 months of 2014 and are expecting to close 450 deals worth  31 billion Yen in 2015.

An unnamed source in the the Nikkei Asian Review suggested that Taiwanese agencies could sell between 50 ~ 60 billion Yen (423 ~ 508 million USD) worth of Japanese real estate in 2014. This is still a small figure when compared to other destinations for Chinese money, such as the US where Chinese citizens bought 22 billion USD worth of homes in 2014.

What makes Tokyo appealing?Read more

by Zoe Ward

Dai-ichi and Generali to invest in residential properties in Tokyo

The Dai-ichi Life Insurance Company and Italian insurance company Generali have joined forces to acquire residential rental buildings in Tokyo. With current government bonds offering low yields (1.2% for 20-year bonds), the insurance giants are looking at diversification their portfolio. This will be Generali’s first real estate investment in the Asia region.

The two companies have formed a joint private placement fund targeting residential buildings in Tokyo that meet the following:

  • Less than 15 years old
  • Occupancy rates over 90%
  • Apartments catering to singles and DINKS
  • Buildings containing studios ~ 2-bedroom apartments
  • In locations with good transport and less than 10 minutes walk from the nearest station
  • Studio apartments that rent for around 100,000 Yen/month, or apartments for DINKS that rent for under 150,000 Yen/month

They are seeking gross yields over 6.6% with depreciated returns in the 3% range.

Read more

by Zoe Ward

Secondhand apartment prices in October 2014 - Tokyo Kantei

Apartment price Japan October 2014

According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sqft) second-hand apartment in Tokyo’s 23 wards was 42,560,000 Yen in October, up 0.9% from the previous month and up 4.7% from last year. Asking prices have increased by 8.1% over the past 2 years. The average building age was 22.3 years.

In central Tokyo’s six wards (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku, Bunkyo and Shibuya), the average apartment asking price was 60,180,000 Yen, up 1.7% from the previous month and up 10.3% from last year. The average price has increased by 18.0% over the past 2 years. The average building age was 21.7 years.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Office vacancy rates in October 2014 - Miki Shoji

According to Miki Shoji’s office report, the office vacancy rate in Tokyo’s five central business districts (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku and Shibuya) was 5.60% in October, down 0.05 points from the previous month and down 1.96 points from last year.

The vacancy rate in brand new office buildings was 14.98%, up 1.08 points from the previous month but down 2.06 points from last year.Read more

by Zoe Ward

High demand for luxury apartments in Tokyo

The market for luxury apartments in Tokyo has seen a rapid improvement and is at a point where some are comparing it to the mini bubble that occurred prior to the Lehman collapse in 2008.

In June 2014, Mori’s latest high-rise project - Toranomon Hills - was completed. The 52-storey building contains office space, the Andaz Hotel and 172 apartments. Approximately 70 of the apartments were offered for sale with an average price of around 3,000,0000 Yen/sqm, making this the most expensive apartment building in Japan. The sales office was inundated with inquiries prior to sale and lucky apartment buyers were selected by a raffle-type system. All apartments sold out.

Although it is difficult to say that the new apartment market is doing well across the board, the number of luxury developments seeing same-day sellouts is increasing. The share of new apartments priced over 60 million Yen is also rising. In 2013, they accounted for 19.8% of the new apartment supply, up 6.7 points from 2000. The contract rate for new apartments in October hit a five year low of 63.3% in greater Tokyo, but the contract rate for new apartments priced over 100 million Yen has remained over 70% for the past five months. For new apartments in the 200 ~ 300 million Yen range, the contract rate has been between 75% ~ 100%.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Redevelopment for west side of Shinbashi Station

Shinbashi Station Redevelopment SL Hiroba

Redevelopment plans are underway for the area on the western side of Shinbashi Station in Tokyo. On November 5, landowners decided in favour of a project to be led by Nomura Real Estate and NTT Urban Development with completion expected in 2023.

The proposed 3 hectare site adjoins Shinbashi Station and includes the SL Square and Sakurada Park. One of the buildings to be redeveloped is the New Shimbashi Building, which contains approximately 300 restaurants and stores. Despite the ‘New’ name, the 11-storey building was built in 1971. Read more

by Zoe Ward