Foreigners buy 373 hectares of forestry in 2018

In 2018, foreign funds purchased 373 hectares of forestry across Japan. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF), there were 30 acquisitions made across seven prefectures.

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by Zoe Ward

Foreign funds spend 1.1 trillion Yen on Japanese real estate in 2017

In 2017, foreign corporations and funds spent a total of 1.1 trillion Yen (approx. 9.7 billion USD) on real estate acquisitions across Japan, a three-fold increase from 2016 and the first time that the annual volume has exceeded one trillion Yen.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Foreign buyers of real estate in Japan still lack adequate support from agents

As a foreign buyer of real estate in Japan, whether living abroad or in the country, you may find that there are only a small number of real estate agencies that are capable and experienced in working with foreign clients. Even if the language barrier is not an issue, finding an agent who has worked with foreigners and can understand and explain the key differences and intricacies about Japan’s property market is essential.

We have heard of nightmare stories from buyers who have purchased properties without receiving full explanations or even incorrect explanations of property details, resulting in some very bad investments. With a growing number of foreign buyers, these bad practices are only going to increase.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Foreign investment in Japan reaches 19-year high but still low by international standards

Foreign investment Japan 2015 2
[Left] Meguro Gajoen; [Right] Kirarito Ginza.

Investment by foreign-based funds and corporations in Japanese real estate has reached the highest level since 1996. Between January and September 2015, foreign funds acquired 706.5 billion Yen (5.91 billion USD) of property, an increase of 41% from the same period in 2014.

Meanwhile, some last minute transactions at the end of 2014 put the annual acquisition volume for 2014 at 981.8 billion Yen.

Some of the funds have been seeking capital gains, while others, including government-related funds, have been seeking high yields with a long-term view for holding their assets. In September, average office rents in central Tokyo increased for the 21st month in a row. The average spread between the office yield in central Tokyo and the long-term interest rate is around 3%, versus 1% in Singapore and Hong Kong.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Chinese developer sets sights on Japanese real estate market

Chinese developer, Greenland Group, are planning to invest in Japan’s real estate market. On September 21, Mizuho Financial Group entered into a business partnership with the developer. As part of the agreement, Mizuho will provide support and assistance for Greenland’s investments in Japan.

With the lower Yen, and an oversupply in some sectors of the Chinese property market, Greenland is looking at participating in some urban planning projects in Japan, as well as investing in existing residential and office buildings. Mizuho will supply necessary information on suitable land for potential projects and assist with fundraising.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Kyoto machiya popular with foreign buyers

Kyoto machiyaAccording to the Urban Research Institute Corporation, foreign corporations acquired 1.2 billion Yen of real estate in Japan in 2014, 2.8 times higher than the figure in 2013. This accounted for a little over 20% of the value of all transactions nationwide.

While most of the foreign investment is centred in Tokyo, Kyoto is also attracting some foreign buyers.Read more

by Zoe Ward

China’s Wanda Group to develop luxury hotel in Tokyo

According to an article in Business Journal, Chinese property developer and cinema chain operator, Dalian Wanda Group, plan to develop a mixed-use hotel and cinema complex in Tokyo.  This will be the first project in Japan to be developed by a major mainland Chinese property developer.

It is hoped that the hotel will be open in time for the 2020 Summer Olympics.

The group has developed 109 large-scale shopping malls and 71 hotels (including 69 five-star hotels) across China. In early 2014, the group acquired a 90% stake in plans for a mixed-use condo, hotel and commercial project in Chicago. Construction of the $900 million project is scheduled to start in 2016. There are also plans for Wanda Hotels in London and Madrid.Read more

by Zoe Ward