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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 

On December 5, NHK World Japan reported that analysts are predicting 2026 real wages are unlikely to rise much. Reporter Yuko Fukushima spoke with Kumano Hideo, Executive Chief at Dai-ichi Life Research Institute in the segment below. NHK World does not allow their YouTube videos to be embedded on third party sites, so click here  or the above screengrab to watch the segment on YouTube. Key Topics Covered Household spending in Japan fell 3% in October as consumers cut back on

On December 10th, the East Japan Real Estate Information Network (REINS) released their November 2025 market trend report for the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) existing property sector. The GTA consists of Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama prefectures.  All figures are presented as averages to illustrate trends and in no way offer price guarantees.  Real estate is a hyper-local venture so always consult a licensed realtor for your property specific needs. Existing condo transacti

Kenbiya Incorporated, operator of the real estate investment platforms Kenbiya and LIFULL HOME’S Real Estate Investment, released its November 2025 edition of their Income-Producing Property Market Trends Monthly Report on December 4th. Kenbiya focuses primarily on income earning properties in residential property spaces. The monthly report analyzes data submitted to Kenbiya for three categories of residential investment properties nationwide - strata-title condos, wood-frame