Chuson-ji, Hiraizumi, Iwate
Photo: Chuson-ji, Hiraizumi, Iwate · Shino Nakamura / Unsplash

Oshu City Housing Market Report 2025

Data updated 2026-11-10 · Source: MLIT transaction price survey, 2005 Q3–2026 Q2

Key figures for 2025

Median house price (land + building)
¥7.3M
Residential land per m² (sales)
¥14k/m²
-22.9% over 5 years
Transactions in 2025
188
#9 of 9 areas in Iwate by price per m²

What the data says

The trend has turned down

After rising earlier, house prices per m² have slipped by about 12.5% a year over the last five years. That often reflects weaker local demand, so check vacancy and population trends before buying.

Lagging Iwate

Per m², houses here are 43% below the Iwate average. Ten years ago the gap was 21%, so Oshu City has been falling behind the rest of Iwate.

Sales are thinning out

Transactions are down about 14% on the previous three years. Fewer sales mean less choice and slower resale, so allow more time to sell later.

What a typical purchase costs

Half of all house sales last year were between ¥3.4M and ¥22.5M. Listings outside that range are either unusual properties or worth a closer look.

A shrinking population

The population fell 8% between 2020 and 2025 (−7% for the wider area). Moves in and out roughly balanced in 2025.

Many abandoned homes

16.6% of homes were empty in 2023 (17.3% for the wider area), and 10.3% were empty without being for rent, for sale or used as second homes. That is a high share of truly abandoned homes (akiya), a sign of weak demand. Cheap houses are easy to find, but resale can be slow.

Lower earthquake risk

The government's seismic model gives a 9% chance of shaking of intensity 6-lower or stronger in the next 30 years (12% for the wider area). This is low by Japanese standards, although no part of Japan is free of earthquake risk.

Official land prices are still falling

On the government's fixed benchmark sites, which are valued the same way every year, residential land prices changed 0% in the year to January 2026 and -2% over five years. Because these sites don't change, this is the cleanest measure of land value trends.

Some flood or landslide exposure

Of the official land-price benchmark sites here, which sit in typical neighbourhoods, 39% are inside the worst-case flood zone (8% with expected depths of 3 m or more). Most worst-case flood zones are shallow (under 0.5 m) at the edges, so depth matters as much as the share. Check the hazard map for any specific address before buying.

Living in Oshu City: people, homes and risks

Population 2025
103,899
-8.0% since 2020
Iwate: -7.0%
Net moves in 2025
-127
-1.22 per 1,000 residents
Iwate: -3.52
Vacant homes (2023)
16.6%
10.3% empty and not for rent or sale
Iwate: 17.3%
Median rent (2023)
¥45k
per month, all rented homes
Iwate: ¥46k
Strong earthquake risk
8.8%
chance of shaking of intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years
Iwate: 12.3%
Official land price 2026
¥17k/m²
-0.5% in a year · -1.9% in 5 years
Iwate: ¥30k/m²
Flood exposure
38.5%
of 13 benchmark sites in a worst-case flood zone (7.7% 3 m or deeper)
Iwate: 38.2%
Landslide exposure
0.0%
of 13 benchmark sites in a landslide warning area
Iwate: 5.1%

Check flood, landslide and tsunami zones for a specific address on the government hazard map ↗

Sources: 2025 Census (preliminary), 2025 Internal Migration Report, 2023 Housing and Land Survey (Statistics Bureau of Japan); J-SHIS seismic hazard model (NIED, 2024); Land Price Publication (MLIT). Earthquake probability is measured at the municipal center.

Example sales in Oshu City

Real transactions from the last four quarters, picked near the lower (20th percentile), middle and upper (80th percentile) price points. Locations are shown at district level, as published by MLIT.

House

Lower-priced2026 Q2

¥2.9M

¥9k/m²

  • Maesawakojo
  • Rikuchu Orii · 19 min walk
  • Land 1100 m² · floor 330 m²
  • Built 1950 (76 yrs) · Wood
Typical2026 Q2

¥10.0M

¥26k/m²

  • Mizusawa
  • Mizusawa · 28 min walk
  • Land 390 m² · floor 390 m²
  • Built 1986 (40 yrs) · Wood
Higher-priced2025 Q3

¥22.0M

¥200k/m²

  • Isawaoyama
  • Mizusawa
  • Land 310 m² · floor 110 m²
  • Built 2022 (3 yrs)
Median transaction price by year
¥0¥5.0M¥10.0M¥15.0M2007200920112013201520172019202120232025
Show data table
YearHouse
2007¥9.0M
2008¥11.0M
2009¥8.9M
2010¥10.0M
2011¥10.5M
2012¥9.8M
2013¥9.3M
2014¥9.5M
2015¥9.7M
2016¥8.8M
2017¥8.7M
2018¥9.3M
2019¥13.0M
2020¥13.0M
2021¥11.0M
2022¥12.0M
2023¥11.0M
2024¥6.9M
2025¥7.3M
2026 (partial)¥6.8M
Median price per m² by year
¥0¥50k¥100k2007200920112013201520172019202120232025
Show data table
YearHouseLand
2007¥64k/m²¥18k/m²
2008¥79k/m²¥16k/m²
2009¥64k/m²¥19k/m²
2010¥69k/m²¥19k/m²
2011¥66k/m²¥18k/m²
2012¥67k/m²¥17k/m²
2013¥66k/m²¥22k/m²
2014¥67k/m²¥17k/m²
2015¥71k/m²¥18k/m²
2016¥66k/m²¥14k/m²
2017¥56k/m²¥14k/m²
2018¥59k/m²¥18k/m²
2019¥93k/m²¥19k/m²
2020¥100k/m²¥18k/m²
2021¥71k/m²¥17k/m²
2022¥63k/m²¥17k/m²
2023¥73k/m²¥16k/m²
2024¥49k/m²¥10k/m²
2025¥51k/m²¥14k/m²
2026 (partial)¥39k/m²¥16k/m²
Price per m² by building age (2021–2025 sales)
¥0¥100k¥200k¥300k05101520253035404550
Show data table
Building age (years)House
0¥234k/m²
1¥200k/m²
27¥55k/m²
30¥61k/m²
31¥54k/m²
35¥58k/m²
40¥37k/m²
43¥27k/m²
45¥10k/m²
46¥44k/m²
47¥16k/m²
48¥32k/m²
50¥21k/m²
House price per m² by construction period
¥0¥100k¥200k¥300k2007200920112013201520172019202120232025

Each line follows buildings from one construction period over time. 1981 is when Japan's current earthquake-resistance standard (shin-taishin) took effect.

Show data table
Year1971-19801981-20002011-2020
2007–¥55k/m²–
2008–¥74k/m²–
2009–¥62k/m²–
2010–¥67k/m²–
2011–¥65k/m²–
2012–¥80k/m²–
2013–¥63k/m²–
2014¥54k/m²¥82k/m²–
2015–¥71k/m²–
2016–¥67k/m²–
2017–¥63k/m²–
2018¥39k/m²¥82k/m²–
2019–¥63k/m²¥200k/m²
2020¥36k/m²¥79k/m²¥219k/m²
2021–¥53k/m²–
2022¥40k/m²¥64k/m²–
2023–¥56k/m²–
2024¥15k/m²¥38k/m²–
2025–¥48k/m²–

Prices near train stations in Oshu City

Sales from 2023–2025, grouped by nearest station.

StationMedian used condo priceCondo price per m²Median house price (land + building)Walk (min)Sales
Mizusawa (水沢)––¥8.0M18251
Maesawa (前沢)––¥17.0M926

How much does a house cost in Oshu City?

The median house sale, including the land, was ¥7.3M in 2025 across 95 sales.

Are property prices in Oshu City going up?

Over the five years to 2025, residential land prices changed -22.9%.

About this data

Figures are medians of real transactions reported to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) through its quarterly price survey. House prices per m² divide the total price (land and building) by the floor area. Medians based on fewer than 20 sales are not shown. The latest quarters are preliminary and are revised as more survey responses arrive.

Information only, not investment advice.