Mori Trust to open Hilton-branded hotel and time-share resort in Okinawa in 2020
On June 26, Mori Trust started construction on a 300-room hotel on Okinawa’s Sesoko Island. The Okinawa Sesoko Project includes the main hotel, which will be operated by Hilton Hotels & Resorts, along with a time-share resort that will be sold to members in weekly units. The time-share resort will be operated by Hilton Grand Vacations.Read more
60-yr old office building in Tokyo to be renovated rather than redeveloped
Although Tokyo’s Marunouchi and Otemachi business district has been seeing multiple skyscrapers go up in recent years, one vintage building from the 1950s has been faithfully protected by its owner.
The 9-storey Otemachi Building built by Mitsubishi Estate in 1958 celebrated its 60th birthday this April. It served as their headquarters until last year when they moved across the street to the recently completed 140 meter tall Otemachi Park Building.Read more
Tokyo apartment sale prices increase for 69th month
According to REINS, 3,317 second-hand apartments were reported to have sold across Greater Tokyo in June, up 19.1% from the previous month but down 0.5% from last year. The average sale price was 33,200,000 Yen, up 0.5% from the previous month and up 5.0% from last year. The average price per square meter was 519,000 Yen, up 1.6% from the previous month and up 4.6% from last year. This is the 66th month in a row to record a year-on-year increase in sale prices.Read more
Shinjuku 65-storey residential high rise project moving forward
A town planning decision for the Nishi Shinjuku 3 Chome West District Redevelopment is expected sometime in February or March 2019. The project includes two high-rise residential towers containing approximately 3,200 apartments, which would make it the largest twin-tower development in Japan based on total floor size and unit count.Read more
Government approves new law to deal with abandoned land issue
On June 6 Japan's House of Councilors approved a new act concerning the use of abandoned land. The new law will go into effect from June 2019.
This law will grant local municipalities, private corporations and non-profits the right to use idle land for up to 10 years. This applies to land where the owners are unknown or cannot be contacted. If the owners make themselves known and object to the use of their land, the land will be returned to them at the end of the 10 year term. If the owners do not object, the term may be renewed.Read more
Second Indigo Hotel to open in Inuyama in 2021
InterContinental Hotels Group will open their second Indigo Hotel in Japan in 2021. Hotel Indigo Inuyama Urakuen will replace the Meitetsu Inuyama Hotel located just outside of Nagoya City.
The Meitetsu Inuyama Hotel opened in 1965 with 123 rooms. The grounds include a Japanese tea house built for Oda Nagamasu (1548-1622), the younger brother of powerful daimyo Oda Nobunaga. The 400-year old tea house, called ‘Jo-an’, is considered one of the three best tea houses in Japan, and is designated as a National Treasure. It was relocated to the gardens by Meitetsu in 1972.Read more
Vacant home rate in central Tokyo at 2% or lower
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) released their 2018 White Paper on Land for the Greater Tokyo Area on June 8. This year’s report covered the growing problem of vacant homes.
The vacant home issue in Japan refers to unused, idle homes and land in Japan and it is important not to confuse it with rental vacancy rates.
Vacant homes across Greater Tokyo have increased by 43% over the 10 years to 2013, with Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma and Yamanashi prefectures seeing a 62% increase, and Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa seeing a 52% increase. Tokyo saw a 7% increase.Read more