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Average asking rents for rental housing rise year on year in November across multiple major urban areas, according to an AtHome survey of Japan’s rental market. AtHome is a dominant Japan-based property portal strong in residential leasing listings.  Subscribing agents upload their listings to AtHome and data presented below is an averaged aggregate of advertised rents. In nine of the thirteen surveyed metro areas across Japan, rents increase across all floor-area categories

Tokyo overtook New York to rank second globally for the first time in the Global Power City Index 2025, a yearly benchmark of global urban competitiveness, according to a report released on December 17th by the Mori Memorial Foundation’s Institute for Urban Strategies. Ranking graphic courtesy of the Mori Memorial Foundation. The Global Power City Index, compiled annually since 2008, evaluates 48 major cities worldwide across six categories - economy, research and development

On December 16th, Japan’s Ministry of Justice announced that individuals acquiring real estate - such as land or buildings - will be required to disclose their nationality according to the Nikkei Shimbun. The information will be collected at the time of ownership transfer registration, including sales and inheritances, enabling the government to better track the nationalities of property owners. Photo by 潇 文 on Unsplash   Following a public comment period, the ministry plans

On December 15th, the Nikkei Shimbun released its 2025 winter bonus survey, showing that the average bonus paid per employee rose 6.40% from a year earlier to ¥1,029,808, exceeding ¥1 million for the first time since the Nikkei began their survey. Bonus payouts set a new record for the third consecutive year. Construction and defense-related industries led the gains, while auto and steel sectors lagged due to the impact of U.S. tariff policies. Photo by Cullen Cedric on Unsp

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is accepting entries for its Abandoned (Akiya) House Renovation Contest 2025, an initiative aimed at promoting the reuse of unused residential properties as community assets. Applications are open through December 19, 2025. Following an initial screening, shortlisted entries will advance to a public judging event on February 17, 2026, when winners will be announced. Renovated abandoned home entranceway courtesy of Onoya.   Onoya is unrelated