Rent in Tokyo reaches record-high
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average monthly rent of a condominium in Tokyo’s 23 wards was 3,488 Yen/sqm in January 2018, up 0.4% from the previous month and up 4.7% from last year. This is the highest level seen since record-keeping began in March 2008.Read more
Niseko's luxury hotel and villa boom continues
There is no end in sight to the current construction boom in the ski resort town of Niseko in Hokkaido, with a number of luxury resorts and private villas under development. Spacious homes and apartments can easily fetch upwards of several hundred million Yen (several million USD). Rising construction costs and a labor shortage, however, are putting a strain on developers.Read more
Tokyo apartment sale prices increase for 64th month
According to REINS, 2,641 second-hand apartments were reported to have sold across greater Tokyo in January 2018, down 12.3% from the previous month and down 7.7% from last year. The average sale price was 33,590,000 Yen, up 1.2% from the previous month and up 7.0% from last year. The average price per square meter was 516,000 Yen, down 0.6% from the previous month but up 4.6% from last year. This is the 61st month in a row to see a year-on-year increase in sale prices.Read more
Tokyo Bay’s transport woes may leave Athlete’s Village an isolated outpost
The Nihon Keizai Shimbun morning paper has suggested that the post-olympic future of Tokyo’s Athletes Village, located on a man-made island in the bay, seems uncertain as the city looks to scale back plans for the bus rapid transit (BRT) system.
Without adequate transport links, one major developer reported that the the potential salability of the 5,600+ condos to be built in the village looks grim.
The Athletes Village will be converted to a mix of rental and condo-style apartments after the 2020 Summer Olympics. The 18 hectare site will have 24 buildings containing over 5,600 apartments and housing over 10,000 residents. Over 4,000 of the apartments will be put on the market for sale, with the remainder to be held as rental-only units.Read more
Tokyo apartment asking prices reach highest level since 1994
According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) second-hand apartment across greater Tokyo was 35,770,000 Yen in 2017, up 2.9% from 2016 and the fourth year in a row to record a year-on-year increase.
In the Tokyo metropolitan area the average asking price was 48,250,000 Yen, up 1.3% from 2016. This is the highest level seen since 1994. This is being supported by a number of investors buying apartments off-the-plan and then listing them for resale at prices higher than what they paid for them.Read more
Thai developer makes 30% on Niseko land sale
Thai-based property company Pace Development has sold a 14 hectare block of land in Hokkaido’s Niseko area for 2.05 billion Yen (approx. 18.8 million USD). The buyer was Richforest International Investments Ltd.
Pace had previously acquired the land in 2016 for approximately 1.56 billion Yen, resulting in a 30% gain over the past 18 months.Read more
Sheraton to open in Kagoshima City in 2022
Nangoku Corporation, a general trading company located in Kagoshima City, announced that they have signed an agreement with Marriott International for a Sheraton-branded hotel to be built as part of a large redevelopment of a city block. This will be the 2nd Sheraton to open in Kagoshima Prefecture and the 10th in Japan.Read more