The Parkhouse Nishi-Shinjuku Tower 60 reaches completion

Construction of Japan’s tallest apartment building based on total floor count has reached completion this month. The Parkhouse Nishi-Shinjuku Tower 60 is a 60-storey, 209 meter tall condominium located to the west of the Shinjuku business district.

It may not keep its title as the tallest building based on floor count for long - two 65~66-storey, 235m tall apartment buildings with as many as 3,200 apartments are tentatively planned for a site on the eastern side of Shinjuku’s Park Hyatt Hotel and less than 1,000 meters south of The Parkhouse.

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Apartment asking prices across greater Tokyo drop slightly in September

According to Tokyo Kantei, the average asking price of a 70 sqm (753 sq ft) apartment across greater Tokyo was 35,550,000 Yen in September 2017, down 0.3% from the previous month but up 0.7% from last year. The average building age was 23.1 years.

In Tokyo’s 23 wards the average asking price was 52,920,000 Yen, down 0.9% from the previous month but up 0.5% from last year. The average building age was 22.7 years. Saitama City saw average asking prices increase by 2.0% from the previous month and 10.4% from last year.

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Residents in Kyoto neighborhood ban short-term rentals

Residents of the Shimoseizoguchicho address in Kamigyo Ward, Kyoto, have received city approval for neighborhood bylaws that will ban Airbnb-style rentals, apartment buildings and enforce strict height limits.

This is expected to be a model case for neighborhoods struggling with a rise in short-term accommodation facilities and apartment development.

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Tokyo office rents increase for 45th consecutive month

According to Miki Shoji, the average monthly office rent in central Tokyo’s five business districts reached 18,995 Yen per Tsubo (approx. 5,747 Yen/sqm) in September, an increase of 3.59% from last year and the 45th month in a row to record a year-on-year increase. The average is still 17% below the recent record high of 22,901 Yen/Tsubo (6,929 Yen/sqm) seen in August 2008.

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The Kahala Hotel & Resort to open in Yokohama

Resorttrust Inc, a Nagoya-based hotel operator and developer, is planning to open The Kahala Hotel & Resort Yokohama in the city’s waterfront district of Minato Mirai by 2020.

Resorttrust plans to capitalize on the Kahala brand-name to attract both domestic and foreign tourists. The project will include two 14-storey hotels - one that is open to the general public, and one that is a members-only hotel. The smallest room will be a 50 sqm suite that is expected to be 100,000 Yen (890 USD) per night. There will also be four rooms of 120 sqm each that will be priced at around 300,000 Yen (2,675 USD) per night.

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New apartment prices in greater Tokyo increase for 6th month in a row

According to the Real Estate Economic Institute, 2,978 brand new apartments were released for sale across greater Tokyo in September, up 41.7% from the previous month but down 13.0% from last year. Back in 2013, as many as 5,970 new apartments were released for sale in the month of September.

The average sale price was 58,240,000 Yen, up 0.5% from the previous month and up 4.4% from last year. The average price per square meter was 846,000 Yen, down 2.9% from the previous month but up 7.6% from last year. This is the sixth month in a row to record a year-on-year increase.Read more


Average rent drops for 3rd consecutive month in Tokyo

In September, the average monthly rent of a condominium in Tokyo’s 23 wards was 3,287 Yen/sqm, down 0.2% from the previous month and down 2.4% from last year. This is the 3rd month in a row to record a year-on-year drop in rents and the lowest level seen in the past 12 months.Read more