New housing starts forecast to drop a third by 2030
The Nomura Research Institute is forecasting a significant drop in new housing starts across Japan by 2030.
Kyoto’s office shortage is getting dire
Kyoto’s shortage of office space is becoming critical as vacancy rates drop below 1%. With a booming tourist industry, developers have been focusing on building hotels, leaving very little supply of new offices.
Buying a mountain in Japan
Generally speaking, whether you are Japanese or a foreigner, it is possible to buy and own mountainside forest in Japan.
70% of Japan is forest. According to the Forestry Agency, 40% of that is national forest, with the remaining 60% owned by private individuals and companies.
Owner of abandoned hotel on Lake Towada sued by government
The Japanese government has sued the owner of a derelict hotel in Aomori Prefecture to demolish the building and return the state-owned land. The Towada Kanko Hotel sits on the shores of Lake Towada. It was founded in 1950 before closing in 2012. The owner filed for bankruptcy in 2014.
Residents in mountainous new-town growing increasingly cut-off
Back in February, Japan’s ABC TV ran a special program on problems facing one of the aging 'new towns' that were developed in far-flung, mountainous regions. These subdivisions were developed in the 1970s and 1980s, promoting an ideal lifestyle away from the hustle and grind of downtown Tokyo or Osaka. Decades later, the remaining residents are facing issues both with a declining and aging population, and a lack of access to basic amenities.
New apartment supply in Tokyo drops for 5th month
Supply of brand-new apartments across greater Tokyo between January and May has fallen to the lowest levels seen following the crash of the bubble in 1992. Rather than release new apartments onto the market, developers are focusing their attention on reducing unsold inventory.
According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, a total of 2,206 brand-new apartments were released for sale across greater Tokyo in May, up 55.2% from the previous month but down 10.4% from last year. This is the fifth month in a row to see a year-on-year decline in supply. The average apartment size was 68.16 sqm (733 sq.ft).
Tokyo sees drop in new listings for first time in 19 months
According to REINS, a total of 2,749 second-hand apartments were reported to have sold across greater Tokyo in May 2019, down 20% from the previous month and down 1.3% from last year. The average sale price was 33,250,000 Yen, down 2.2% from the previous month but up 0.6% from last year. The average price per square meter was 518,000 Yen, down 2.8% from the previous month but up 1.4% from last year. The average age of an apartment sold was 21.63 years.