How low are mortgage interest rates in Japan compared to the United States?
The Japan Finance Housing Agency (JHFA) has announced the interest rate for Flat 35 home loans for May, with a lowest available rate of 1.480% per annum, the fourth consecutive month in which the Flat 35 rate has risen. In... More
Housing starts in Japan increase in 2021 for the first time in three years
The total number of new housing starts in Japan in 2021 reached 865,909 units, an increase of 6.6% versus 2020 and the first increase in three years. This is as recently announced by the Ministry of Land. By usage type,... More
Average sales price of a newly built apartment in Tokyo hits record high in 2021: Behind the headline numbers
The average selling price of a newly built condominium in greater Tokyo reached ¥63,600,000 ($490,000 USD) in FY2021, exceeding asset bubble era highs and the highest ever recorded by the Real Estate Economic Research Institute. The average price per square... More
Average Price of an Apartment in Japan in 2022 — Ranked by Prefecture
In this post we rank Japan’s 47 prefectures by the average listing price for a re-sale apartment. For the 2021 ranking, please see this article: Average price of an apartment in Japan in 2021. Here are the key takeaways thus... More
Seals no longer required: Digital real estate document delivery to start in May 2022
Real estate documents, such as sales contracts and the Explanation of Important Matters, will be permitted to be signed and delivered digitally in Japan starting May 18, 2022. Seals (hanko), will also no longer be required to execute real estate... More
Mita Garden Hills to be Japan’s largest ZEH condominium development, with virtually zero CO2 emissions
Mita Garden Hills will be Japan’s largest ZEH (Zero Energy Home) condominium development when it is completed in May 2025, with 1,002 units, on-site power generation and virtually zero CO2 emissions for both electricity and gas. The joint developers Mitsui... More
How much does an apartment cost in Osaka – April 2022 Update
The average sales price of a newly constructed apartment in the city of Osaka was ¥56,480,000 ($441,000 USD) in March 2022. This was a significant year-on-year increase of 33.5% and also up 32.7% versus February. However, the average sales price... More