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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

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

Japan’s consumer sentiment weakened sharply in March 2026, even as a separate survey of housing intenders shows that more than half believe now is a good time to buy property, highlighting a divergence between broad household confidence and purchase timing among active buyers. Photo by Nikolay Likomanov on Unsplash Released April 9th, the latest Consumer Confidence Survey from the Cabinet Office shows a clear deterioration in sentiment across all major indicators, while Recr

Supply of brand-new condominiums in the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) fell to its lowest level on record in fiscal 2025, according to data released April 20 by the Real Estate Economic Institute. A total of 21,659 new condominium units were launched across the region during the fiscal year (April 2025–March 2026), down 2.6% from the previous year. Supply declined for a fourth consecutive year, marking the lowest level since the survey began in 1973. By area, Tokyo’s 23 wards recor

According to a survey released April 16th by Recruit, 50% of people currently considering purchasing or building a home believe now is a good time to buy - the highest level recorded since 2020 and the fourth consecutive annual increase. The survey was conducted online by Recruit’s housing research arm, the SUUMO Research Center, between December 19, 2025 and January 7, 2026. It targeted men and women aged 20 to 69 who are actively considering purchasing, building, or renovat

Existing condominium transactions in the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) rose slightly in March, extending a 17-month streak of year-on-year (YoY) growth, according to data released April 10th by the Real Estate Information Network for East Japan (REINS). A total of 5,001 resale condominium units were transacted across the GTA during the month, inching up 0.2% from a year earlier. The GTA consists of the following prefectures: Tokyo, Kanagawa, Chiba and Saitama. Broken down by GTA p

Speaking to CNBC’s Squawk Box Asia on April 1, 2026, Stefan Angrick, senior economist at Moody’s Analytics, said resilient business sentiment and strong corporate profits continue to support Japan’s economic backdrop, but warned that weak domestic demand, uneven wage growth, and rising geopolitical tensions could complicate the path toward further interest rate hikes. Click the screen-grab above or click here to watch the segment on CNBC’s website. Key Topics Covered Japan’s

Premium existing condominiums in central Tokyo reached a record average price of ¥13.35 million per tsubo in the October–December 2025 quarter, according to a report released March 12th by Mitsui Fudosan Realty. The analysis is based on proprietary transactions and listing data compiled by the company’s private-client advisory service Mitsui no Real Plan, which provides real estate consulting to high-net-worth individuals. Photo by Takashi Miyazaki on Unsplash What Counts

Mizuho Securities Chief Economist Kobayashi Shunsuke explains why the Bank of Japan is expected to hold off on another interest rate hike for now, as moderating inflation and rising global tensions complicate the economic outlook. A March 13th NHK World News Biz Picks segment outlines the coming week which brings several major policy events in Japan and the United States, with markets watching closely for signals on the direction of monetary policy. NHK World Japan doesn’t al

The Real Estate Information Network for East Japan (REINS) on March 10 released its latest report on residential real estate market trends in the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) for February 2026. The number of existing condominium transactions in the GTA totaled 4,241 units, up 2.1% year-on-year, marking the 16th consecutive month of increases. The average transaction price per square meter rose to ¥856,100, up 8.2% year-on-year, extending a 70-month streak of price increases. Grap

The Nikkei Shimbun published on February 24th an article highlighting a growing concentration of short-term condominium resales in central Tokyo, adding to concerns that speculative trading may be distorting prices in some of the capital’s most expensive neighborhoods. According to a private-sector survey cited in the report, resale activity was notably higher in the city center. In 2025, roughly 5% of units in condominiums less than five years old in Chiyoda Ward were listed

After decades characterized by falling prices, ultra-low yields, and subdued growth, Japan is navigating a markedly different economic environment. Inflation has re-emerged, interest rates are shifting, and structural reforms are beginning to influence market behavior. In this Bloomberg Wall Street Week episode released on February 21st, Apollo Global Management’s Marc Rowan, Japan Exchange Group’s Hiromi Yamaji, and Brookings Institution’s Mireya Solís explore how Japan’s ma

The Japan Housing Finance Organization (JHF) on Feb. 20 released the results of its Survey on the Conditions of Mortgage Borrowers (January 2026 survey), showing that variable-rate mortgages continue to dominate while expectations of rising interest rates intensify. The survey targeted individuals aged 20 to 70 who took out housing loans between April and September 2025, gathering 1,237 valid responses. Photo by PJH on Unsplash The most common borrowing rate range was 0.5% t

New condominium supply in the Greater Tokyo Area rose modestly in January 2026, while prices continued their upward trend and contract rates remained subdued according to the latest survey released by the Real Estate Economic Institute on February 19th. Photo by Cem Ersozlu on Unsplash The survey covers Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba prefectures, collectively referred to as the Greater Tokyo Area. Sales Increase for First Time in Four Months A total of 628 new condominiu

AtHome, a leading Japanese real estate property portal, announced on February 17th the results of its “Ask the Pros 2025 Ranking of Most Inquired About Features - Buyer Edition,” offering insight into the equipment and features most frequently requested by buyers of condominiums and single-family homes (SFH). Photo by Jakub Żerdzicki on Unsplash The ranking is based on an online survey conducted between January 14th and 21st, 2026, targeting AtHome subscribed advertising rea

On February 10th, the Real Estate Information Network for East Japan (REINS) released its report on real estate market trends in the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) for January 2026, showing continued momentum in existing condominium sales. Existing condominium transactions rose 3.1% year-on-year to 3,343 units, extending the growth streak to 15 months. Chart provided by REINS, edited by Patience Realty. By GTA prefecture, Tokyo recorded 1,752 transactions (down 0.4%), Saitama 397

On February 3rd, the Nikkei Shimbun wrote that the pace of population concentration in Tokyo is slowing. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, also on the 3rd, that Tokyo’s net in-migration fell in 2025 for the first time in four years, signaling a potential shift after years of steady inflows into the capital. Tokyo posted a net in-migration of 65,219 people in 2025, down 14,066 from the previous year. Net inflows into the city’s 23 wards fell more sharply

Tokyo Kantei released the results of its analysis of condominium housing stock nationwide on January 29th. The survey counted every condominium unit that had been built and still exists as of December 31, 2025. This includes unsold units and shared spaces such as meeting rooms that are legally registered as part of a condominium. Buildings that had already been torn down were excluded. Wix AI image using the prompt "Japan condominiums" using a Fantasy filter. All rights rese

Tokyo Kantei announced on January 22nd the average prices of existing condominiums in Japan’s three major metropolitan areas and key cities for the full year 2025, calculated on a standard 70-square-meter basis. Chart courtesy of Tokyo Kantei, edited by Patience Realty. In 2025, the average price of existing condominiums in the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) surged to ¥57.96 million, up 22.1% from the previous year. After posting a 1.1% year-on-year decline in 2024, prices rebounde

Sales of existing condominiums in the Greater Tokyo Area (GTA) continued to increase in December, marking the 14th consecutive month of year-on-year growth, according to data released by the East Japan Real Estate Information Network on January 13th. The GTA consists of Tokyo, Chiba, Saitama and Kanagawa prefectures. A total of 3,975 existing condominiums were sold during the month, representing a 25.9% increase compared with December last year. Graph courtesy of East Japan R