Omotesando: A look at the market and current sale listings
Omotesando is one of the most sought-after retail and residential addresses in Japan, and is the most in-demand location for our clients. It has a vibrant cafe and shopping scene, while also offering laid-back, quiet neighbourhoods filled with a mix of old and new homes, small boutiques, galleries and restaurants.
Unfortunately, being the most popular location means that supply is very limited, and becoming part of Japan's most fashionable neighbourhood means buyers are up against a lot of strong competition. Earlier this year a low-rise condominium in Minami Aoyama 5 Chome went on sale. The 20 apartments offered for sale received 193 offers from buyers, with one apartment receiving 63 offers. Apartments had an average price of around 2,300,000 Yen/sqm when new. The building, The Parkhouse Gran Minami Aoyama, is still under construction and will be completed in late 2016.
Pricing
Residential land in Omotesando ranges from 1,500,000 ~ 2,500,000 Yen/sqm for sites suitable for single homes. Expect to pay more the closer you get to the station.
The standard land price (kijun-chika) for a survey site located at Minami Aoyama 5-1-27 (near the Omotesando intersection) was 11,600,000 Yen/sqm in 2015, up 20.2% from 2014. Meanwhile, a residential site in Minami Aoyama 4-26-18 (near Nezu Museum) increased by 8.1% from 2014 to 1,470,000 Yen/sqm. Read more
Instant sell-out in The Parkhouse Gran Minamiaoyama
The latest and most luxurious condominium development under construction in Omotesando saw a same-day sellout over the weekend.
Apartments in The Parkhouse Gran Minamiaoyama were priced from 150 ~ 770 million Yen, with an average price of 2,300,000 Yen/sqm. To date this has been the most expensive condominium offered for sale in central Tokyo this year.
Despite the high price tag, a total of 193 purchase applications were made on the 20 apartments offered for sale, with an average of 9.6 applications per apartment. The most popular apartment received as many as 63 applications. Read more
Omotesando public housing site to be redeveloped
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced plans to redevelop the Aoyama Kitamachi Apaato, a city-operated public housing complex located near Omotesando Station and just behind Aoyama Dori Street.
The four hectare site currently contains 25 residential blocks built between 1957 and 1968. This project was said to be the first post-war city housing in Tokyo. Apartments ranged in size from 32 ~ 52 sqm. The 4 and 5 storey buildings have no elevators and some of the buildings did not have bathrooms (bathroom units were added to the balconies later).Read more
Avex Group redeveloping Omotesando HQ
Japan's leading record label Avex Group will be rebuilding their headquarters in Omotesando. The current building was constructed in 1980 and has been occupied by Avex since 1995. Avex later acquired the building and land in 2002.
The decision to rebuild was made after an assessment showed that the 33-year old building would require some very costly repairs and maintenance in the mid-term.
A total of 1,923 people work in the 9-storey building. Read more
US-based firm acquires two Omotesando buildings
Elliott Management, a US-based fund management firm, has acquired two buildings in prime locations just across the street from Omotesando Hills.
(1) 21st SY Building (fronting Omotesando Avenue and next to the Emporio Armani boutique). The 6-storey building is on a 360 sqm block of land. The 2011 assessed land value (koji-chika) for this site was 9,300,000 Yen/sqm.Read more
[Foreclosed] Land in Minamiaoyama 2 Chome
Court Evaluated Price: 150,000 JPY (1830 USD)
*UPDATE: The winning bid was 555,556 JPY (6775 USD). A total of 15 bids were made on the land.*
The cheapest (and smallest) land you will ever find in Omotesando. The land is in a laneway just behind Aoyama Dori Avenue and is 200 meters from Gaienmae Station and 660 meters from Omotesando Station.
With commercial land fronting Aoyama Dori valued at anywhere between 5~9 million JPY/sqm and residential land in Minami Aoyama ranging anywhere between 1.2 ~ 1.5 million JPY/sqm, this piece of land at only 78,500 JPY/sqm seems like a great deal, but...
UT Building Project (Stalled & Foreclosed)
*Update: As of December, 2010, this building has been foreclosed on and is now up for public auction with a court evaluation price of 1,005,030,000 JPY (12 million USD).*
Located alongside Aoyama Dori Avenue, halfway between Omotesando and Shibuya Stations, this building has been 'under construction' for several years. Construction work stalled at least 2 years ago. Earlier last year there was a crane atop the building, but it has since been removed and there are no signs of life.Read more