Get the latest intelligence direct to your inbox.

From April 2026, non-residents buying real estate in Japan face a straightforward but important requirement: most acquisitions must be reported shortly after completion under the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act. Photo by Markus Winkler on Unsplash A “non-resident” is defined by residency status rather than nationality. This means the rules apply not only to foreign buyers, but also to Japanese nationals living overseas who do not have a legal residence in Japan. The sc

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) on April 30th released its fiscal 2025 and March 2026 housing starts statistics. FY 2025 runs from April 2025 to March 2026. Total housing starts nationwide in FY2025 came to 711,171 units, down 12.9% year on year, marking a return to decline after increasing in the previous fiscal year. Total floor area fell 13.2% to 54.57 million square meters, also reversing the previous fiscal year’s growth. Breakdown by P

Mitsui Fudosan will open a shared office and co-creation base at New Chitose Airport in August, positioning the facility at the center of Hokkaido’s expanding semiconductor cluster, as Chitose emerges as one of Japan’s key semiconductor nodes. RISE GATE New Chitose Airport lounge CG rendering, courtesy of the company. The project, branded RISE GATE NEW CHITOSE AIRPORT, will be located on the third floor of the domestic terminal and developed in partnership with RISE-A. It is

Global markets are entering a rare G7 Super Week - a tightly packed stretch in which multiple major central banks, including the Bank of Japan, the Federal Reserve, the Bank of England, the Bank of Canada and the European Central Bank, deliver policy decisions within days of each other. The BOJ is under particular pressure as it contends with a weak yen, rising inflation, and geopolitical risks linked to Iran. As other central banks signal their policy paths, questions remain

On April 23rd, Sankei Building, Haseko Real Estate, and Hilton announced a jointly developed hotel project, tentatively named the “Hakone Gora Hotel Project,” in Hakone Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture. This marks the first hotel development collaboration between Sankei Building and Haseko Real Estate. The two companies signed a branding and management agreement with Hilton on March 30th. For Hilton, the project represents its first entry into the Hakone mark