Okinawa apartment prices up 108% over past 12 years
According to the Ryugin Research Institute, the average price of a 70 sqm (753 sq.ft) second-hand apartment in Okinawa as of October 2020 was 2.1 times higher than it was back in 2008.
Quick real estate news summary for the week
Prices of investment-grade condos on the rise, time-share offices as an alternative to co-working spaces, Okinawa hotels hit with cancellations following State of Emergency declaration, and Suruga Bank sees more share house loan cancellation requests. Below is a quick weekly summary of some of the recent goings-on in the Japanese real estate market.
Okinawa’s military land attracting out-of-state investors
The percentage of land under Japanese and US military bases in Okinawa is increasingly being held by investors from outside the prefecture. As of 2018, 9% of the 44,523 landlords were located outside of Okinawa, a 3 point increase (or around 1.4 times the number of landlords) from 2012.
Okinawa’s housing starts drop for first time in 5 years
Housing starts in Okinawa in 2019 are likely to see the first decline in five years. Total starts between January and November 2019 dropped 9.4% from the same period in 2018 to 13,854 units. The biggest drop was seen in rental housing.
Okinawa real estate market outlook turns dim
The outlook for Okinawa’s real estate market has shifted negative.
Okinawa’s construction costs increase for 8th year in a row
According to Tokyo Shoko Research, the average construction cost in Okinawa Prefecture reached 224,800 Yen per square meter (approx. 193 USD/sq.ft) in 2018, up 0.6% from 2017 and the 8th year in a row to see an increase. Costs are approximately 36% higher than they were in 2010.
Miyakojima’s property boom
Land prices on this tropical island in Okinawa have increased by as much as 50,000% (no, that’s not a typo) over the past four years.
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
Plans for Japan’s largest hotel on island in Okinawa
Hotel and restaurant operator Unimat Precious is planning a 3,400-room resort for Miyako-jima Island in Okinawa. The project will be an extension to the resort they currently operate on Miyako-jima. When complete, it is said that this will become the largest hotel/resort in Japan.
Shigira Resort is currently comprised of four different hotels, villas and condominiums located on a 3.3 million sqm beachfront estate. In addition to the 585 rooms currently under operations, there is also a golf course and hot spring facilities.Read more
Mori Trust taking over abandoned resort in Okinawa
Mori Trust has acquired a 335,000 sqm block of beachfront land with a half-finished hotel on Sesoko Island in Okinawa and plans to open an internationally-branded resort by 2020. Sesoko Beach Project, a limited liability company registered in Tokyo, was the seller.
Back in 2005, Toshi Design System, through a special purpose company, started construction on a large-scale luxury resort on the site of a former golf course. The 30 billion Yen hotel was to include 360 rooms each over 100 sqm (1,076 sq.ft) in size, with room rates of around 70,000 Yen per night. It was scheduled to open in 2009.Read more