In this article we rank Japan’s 47 prefectures by the average listing price for a re-sale apartment.
What is the average price of an apartment in Japan?
It can be misleading to present average price data out of context, since the price of a property is dependent on many factors, including location (especially distance from the nearest station), size, layout, year built, what floor it is located on, and the structural materials used in construction (concrete, steel reinforced concrete, steel frame). These are just some of the main ones.
Newly constructed apartments are, of course, more expensive than re-sale properties. In April, the average sales price of a newly constructed condominium in the greater Tokyo region (which consists of Tokyo and the surrounding prefectures of Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa) increased by 5.4% year-on-year to ¥62,160,000 (about $575,000). This continued a general upward trend in 2019, which saw record-breaking sales prices in Tokyo.
Also, of course, the more you drill down, the more precise the data. In the table below, the average listing price of a re-sale “Tokyo” apartment is shown as ¥51,390,000, but in addition to the 23 Wards, Tokyo includes 26 more cities, and eight villages. The Tokyo metropolitan government also administers two island chains in the Pacific Ocean: the Izu Islands, and the Ogasawara Islands, which are located more than 1,000 km away from the mainland! If we look only at the 23 Wards, the April average listing price was ¥57,360,000 (about 11.8% higher than the overall Tokyo average).
Using average listing price data from April, we can also pull out these key takeaway points:
- The nationwide average listing price for a re-sale apartment in Japan was ¥18,885,000 (about $175,000)
- The nationwide median listing price was ¥17,310,000.
- The Tokyo average listing price of ¥51,390,000 was 172% of the national average.
- 42 of Japan’s 47 prefectures had average listing prices that were 50% less expensive than that of Tokyo.
- In 32 of Japan’s 47 prefectures the average listing price rose year-on-year compared to April 2019.
For more drill down, please see the table below!
Average Listing Price of an Apartment in Japan by Prefecture
In the table below, we rank the average price of a 70-sqm (753-sqft) re-sale apartment in Japan by prefecture, based on actual listing prices as of April 2020 and show percentage change versus the average listing price in March 2019 and year-on-year. The last column shows the price difference in each prefecture as a percentage of the Tokyo average, which is the highest in Japan, at ¥51,390,000 or about $480,280. The prefectures surrounding Tokyo (Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba), often considered a part of the greater Tokyo region have average prices that are between 44% and 60% of the Tokyo average. Okinawa and Kyoto, ranked 2nd and 3rd, are about 36% less expensive than Tokyo. Wakayama, located in the Kansai region is the least expensive, with an average listing price that is 83% of the Tokyo average. Data source: Tokyo Kantei
Prefecture | April 2020 Average Listing Price in JPY |
April 2020 Average Listing Price in USD @ 107 JPY = 1 USD |
Price Change v. March 2020 in % |
April 2019 Average Listing Price in JPY |
April 2020 % Price Change v. April 2019 |
April 2020 Average Listing Price Compared to Tokyo |
|
1 | Tokyo | 51,390,000 | 480,280 | -0.7% | 50,020,000 | 2.7% | —– |
2 | Okinawa | 31,200,000 | 291,589 | -1.9% | 31,520,000 | -1.0% | -39.3% |
3 | Kyoto | 31,170,000 | 291,308 | 1.9% | 28,770,000 | 8.3% | -39.3% |
4 | Kanagawa | 28,630,000 | 267,570 | -1.8% | 28,730,000 | -0.3% | -44.3% |
5 | Osaka | 26,260,000 | 245,421 | -0.3% | 25,130,000 | 4.5% | -48.9% |
6 | Saitama | 22,470,000 | 210,000 | -2.3% | 22,780,000 | -1.4% | -56.3% |
7 | Nagano | 21,840,000 | 204,112 | 3.3% | 21,870,000 | -0.1% | -57.5% |
8 | Hyogo | 21,530,000 | 201,215 | -2.1% | 20,240,000 | 6.4% | -58.1% |
9 | Hiroshima | 21,150,000 | 197,664 | -0.6% | 20,650,000 | 2.4% | -58.8% |
10 | Shiga | 20,990,000 | 196,168 | 1.4% | 19,710,000 | 6.5% | -59.2% |
11 | Aichi | 20,750,000 | 193,925 | -1.0% | 21,070,000 | -1.5% | -59.6% |
12 | Chiba | 20,620,000 | 192,710 | -2.0% | 20,200,000 | 2.1% | -59.9% |
13 | Miyagi | 20,120,000 | 188,037 | -0.2% | 19,840,000 | 1.4% | -60.8% |
14 | Fukuoka | 19,980,000 | 186,729 | -1.5% | 19,490,000 | 2.5% | -61.1% |
15 | Okayama | 19,660,000 | 183,738 | -3.4% | 19,110,000 | 2.9% | -61.7% |
16 | Tochigi | 19,130,000 | 178,785 | 0.6% | 17,250,000 | 10.9% | -62.8% |
17 | Kagoshima | 18,790,000 | 175,607 | -2.5% | 19,490,000 | -3.6% | -63.4% |
18 | Nagasaki | 18,460,000 | 172,523 | 3.7% | 17,460,000 | 5.7% | -64.1% |
19 | Iwate | 18,380,000 | 171,776 | -0.4% | 17,910,000 | 2.6% | -64.2% |
20 | Shimane | 18,210,000 | 170,187 | -0.7% | 18,590,000 | -2.0% | -64.6% |
21 | Akita | 17,960,000 | 167,850 | -1.2% | 16,390,000 | 9.6% | -65.1% |
22 | Fukushima | 17,830,000 | 166,636 | -0.6% | 16,930,000 | 5.3% | -65.3% |
23 | Yamagata | 17,730,000 | 165,701 | 1.7% | 16,710,000 | 6.1% | -65.5% |
24 | Kumamoto | 17,310,000 | 161,776 | -1.1% | 17,260,000 | 0.3% | -66.3% |
25 | Miyazaki | 17,170,000 | 160,467 | 0.4% | 16,760,000 | 2.4% | -66.6% |
26 | Gunma | 16,990,000 | 158,785 | -0.6% | 15,830,000 | 7.3% | -66.9% |
27 | Ibaraki | 16,780,000 | 156,822 | 3.5% | 15,830,000 | 6.0% | -67.3% |
28 | Mie | 16,610,000 | 155,234 | 0.5% | 16,370,000 | 1.5% | -67.7% |
29 | Hokkaido | 16,490,000 | 154,112 | -0.9% | 16,420,000 | 0.4% | -67.9% |
30 | Shizuoka | 16,480,000 | 154,019 | -0.3% | 14,950,000 | 10.2% | -67.9% |
31 | Niigata | 16,390,000 | 153,178 | -0.5% | 16,190,000 | 1.2% | -68.1% |
32 | Kochi | 16,330,000 | 152,617 | -4.8% | 16,550,000 | -1.3% | -68.2% |
33 | Ishikawa | 16,240,000 | 151,776 | 3.2 | 15,880,000 | 2.3% | -68.4% |
34 | Toyama | 15,990,000 | 149,439 | -0.5% | 15,590,000 | 2.6% | -68.9% |
35 | Ehime | 15,980,000 | 149,346 | 1.6% | 16,450,000 | -2.9% | -68.9% |
36 | Fukui | 15,410,000 | 144,019 | 1.1% | 13,350,000 | 15.4% | -70.0% |
37 | Tottori | 15,240,000 | 142,430 | 1.8% | 17,010,000 | -10.4% | -70.3% |
38 | Aomori | 14,930,000 | 139,533 | 2.7% | 14,430,000 | 3.5% | -70.9% |
39 | Yamanashi | 14,930,000 | 139,533 | -3.4% | 15,230,000 | -2.0% | -70.9% |
40 | Gifu | 14,720,000 | 137,570 | -1.9% | 13,700,000 | 7.4% | -71.4% |
41 | Oita | 14,300,000 | 133,645 | 1.0% | 14,250,000 | 0.4% | -72.2% |
42 | Yamaguchi | 14,050,000 | 131,308 | 0.6% | 13,200,000 | 6.4% | -72.7% |
43 | Tokushima | 13,470,000 | 125,888 | 7.9% | 14,000,000 | -3.8% | -73.8% |
44 | Saga | 13,330,000 | 124,579 | -2.2% | 14,560,000 | -8.4% | -74.1% |
45 | Nara | 12,930,000 | 120,841 | -0.3% | 12,990,000 | -0.5% | -74.8% |
46 | Kagawa | 12,440,000 | 116,262 | 2.1% | 11,510,000 | 8.1% | -75.8% |
47 | Wakayama | 8,840,000 | 82,617 | -0.3% | 8,910,000 | -0.8% | -82.8% |
Sources: Tokyo Kantei May 2020 Re-Sale Manshon Price Weather Map (in Japanese), Tokyo Kantei 70-sqm Re-Sale Apartment Price Change by Month May 2020 (in Japanese), Tokyo Kantei May 2020 Manshon Price Weather Map (in Japanese)
FAQs About Buying Property in Japan
Can a foreigner buy property in Japan?
Yes. You can buy property in Japan regardless of your nationality or country of origin. There are also no residency requirements for buying real estate in Japan. Securing financing as a resident foreigner is more complicated. For info on financing, please see “Basic Requirements for Getting a Mortgage as a Foreigner in Japan“.
How do I get a property loan as a foreigner in Japan?
Please see this article for information on: Getting a property loan as a foreigner in Japan
What is the process for buying a property in Japan?
Please see our step-by-step guide: Guide to Buying Property in Japan
See how much you can borrow and your monthly payments in yen: Yen Mortgage Loan Calculator
For information about purchase and brokerage fees: Breakdown of real estate purchase fees and taxes in Japan
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How much is my property worth?
Real Estate Japan is pleased to offer free, no obligation appraisals for owners of property in Japan. Please click here and fill out the form: How much is my property worth?
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Please see our seminar page for a current list of seminars on: how to buy a home in Japan, investing in Japanese real estate for beginners, how to apply for permanent residency in Japan, how to sell property in Japan, and much more.
Lead photo: Shizuoka, Japan – May 05, 2017: JR Shinkansen train passing through mountain Fuji and Shibazakura in spring. via iStock