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Sumitomo Forestry and Rengo announced on April 1st the establishment of RS Wood Refinery, a joint venture that will produce bioethanol, a feedstock used in Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), using wood-based construction waste generated in Japan. RS Wood Refinery will manufacture and sell bioethanol using construction byproducts such as wood waste generated during housing construction, renovation, and demolition projects within the Sumitomo Forestry Group. Production will take

Japan’s rental housing market continues to tighten, particularly in the capital, as new data shows rents across Tokyo reaching fresh highs. According to the latest market report from LIFULL, operator of the major Japanese property portal LIFULL HOME'S, both family-type and single-occupant rental listings climbed sharply in February 2026, with central Tokyo leading the increase. The data highlights a growing imbalance in the Tokyo rental market: landlords are raising listing

Longer mortgage repayment periods are becoming increasingly common in Japan, with 50-year housing loan terms emerging as the most widely offered option among lenders, according to a new survey by the Japan Housing Finance Agency (JHF). The findings suggest financial institutions are expanding longer-term loan products to keep monthly payments manageable for borrowers amid rising housing costs and changing demographic conditions. Photo by Sasun Bughdaryan on Unsplash   The JH

When Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced its factory in Kumamoto, the impact on the local real estate market was immediate. Land prices surged rental housing tightened and an influx of engineers and contractors transformed the town of Kikuyo into one of Japan’s fastest growing property markets. A similar dynamic is now beginning to emerge nearly 2,000 kilometers north. In Chitose, Hokkaido the construction of Rapidus’ advanced semiconductor fabrication

On March 26th, Fukuoka City has unveiled plans for the Hakozaki Green Innovation Campus, a large-scale mixed-use redevelopment on the former site of Kyushu University. The project is scheduled to open in fiscal 2028, will deliver approximately 2,000 housing units, and includes plans for more than 10,000 trees across a district targeting 40 percent green coverage. Full completion is expected in the early-to-mid 2030s. Exterior CG rendering courtesy of the PR times press releas