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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Corporations Own 16% of Central Tokyo Condos, and Many Are Flipping Top Floors
If you live in a condo in central Tokyo, there’s a good chance some of your neighbors don’t actually live there. A recent Nikkei investigation into condo ownership in the hearts of Tokyo and Osaka found that a sizable share of units are owned by corporations rather than individuals. Since these owners don’t appear on… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Homebuilder Altered 127 Mortgage Applications in Japan: What Buyers Should Check
Kumamoto-based homebuilder Sears Home announced on October 9 that some of its employees had been altering information on customers’ home loan applications. In total, 127 applications were affected, including cases where the loan had already been paid out. The findings come from an investigation committee that included outside members. Since 2021, several employees whose job… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Renters Pass 30% of Japanese Households for the First Time as Home Prices Climb
For the first time since records began in 1970, more than three in ten households in Japan are renting. More specifically, Japan’s 2025 national census found that 30.9% of households now live in private rentals. That’s up 1.2 percentage points from the last census in 2020. Over the same five years, the homeownership rate slipped… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz More Than Half of Tokyo-Area Condo Sellers Planned to Sell From the Start, Survey Finds
In Japan, buying a condo has traditionally meant buying a place to live for the long haul, but with inflation and interest rates on the rise, mindset has changed. According to a recent survey by LIFULL HOME’S, one of Japan’s major real estate portals, more than half of people who recently sold a condo in… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Japan Mortgage Rates Rise Again in October: Mizuho, Resona, and Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Raise Variable Rates
Last month, Mitsubishi UFJ Bank and Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation raised their variable mortgage rates, while the other three major banks held off. As we mentioned at the time, there was a strong expectation that the rest would follow in October, and that’s exactly what happened. On September 30, Mizuho Bank, Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank,… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Osaka Restricts New Minpaku in Wooden and Steel-Frame Apartment Buildings: What Property Investors Need to Know
Osaka City is tightening its minpaku rules once again. On September 30, the Osaka City Council unanimously passed an amended ordinance that will essentially prohibit minpaku from opening in wooden and steel-frame apartment buildings. The goal is to cut down on noise trouble between guests and neighbors. According to Osaka City, no other municipality in… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Japan Condo Repair Bid-Rigging: JFTC Issues Orders and Names 171 Affected Condos
The Japan Fair Trade Commission (JFTC) has now officially taken action against bid-rigging in the large-scale condominium repair sector. Back in June, we covered the JFTC’s plans to issue these orders, which you can read here for background. On September 28, the JFTC found that 42 design consultants and construction companies had violated the Antimonopoly… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Bank of Japan Raises Rates to 1.25% as Government Looks to Expand Flat 35 Support for Families
The Bank of Japan has raised interest rates again. At its September 18 policy meeting, the BOJ decided to raise its short-term policy rate from around 1.0% to around 1.25%, the highest level since 1995. The new rate took effect on September 24. The timing is notable, as the BOJ has generally been raising rates… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Short-Term Resales of New Tokyo Condos Hit 8.8%, the Highest Since 2018, With Corporations Behind Over 80%
Short-term resales of new Tokyo condos recently hit their highest level since 2018. On September 15, 2026, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) released survey results on transactions of newly built condominiums. To be specific, we can define a “short-term resale” as a resale within one year of purchase. Among new condos… More
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Image credit: Nathan Reinholz Japan Real Estate Brokerage Bankruptcies Near Record High in 2026
Japan’s real estate brokerage industry is seeing bankruptcies at near-record levels in 2026. The figures come from Teikoku Databank, which conducts research and analysis on corporate bankruptcies in Japan. According to its latest report, 86 real estate agency and brokerage businesses went bankrupt between January and August, just one fewer than the 87 recorded during… More
