Data and methodology

Every number on this site is calculated from data published by Japanese government bodies. This page lists the sources, the calculations, and what to keep in mind when reading the numbers.

Transaction prices

  • Source: MLIT Real Estate Information Library, transaction price data (2005 onwards, all prefectures).
  • Split into used condos, houses (land and building) and land.
  • Prices and prices per m² are medians for the area and year, so a few very expensive sales do not distort them.
  • Figures based on fewer than 20 sales in a year are not shown (10 for finer splits such as building age, layout or station).
  • The "latest year" is the most recent complete year (currently 2025); later sales are treated as partial.

Growth rates

  • "Growth over the past 5 years (per year)" compares the average of the last two years' price per m² with the average of the two years five years earlier, as a compound annual rate. This reduces noise from the mix of homes sold in a single year.
  • Medians depend on what sold (size, age, location). When a median moves sharply, we also check the price per m² and the mix of homes.

Official land prices

  • Source: MLIT official land prices (地価公示, National Land Numerical Information L01), latest as of 1 January 2026.
  • An area's change is the average of the changes at each site, the same method MLIT uses. The same sites are valued every year, so this shows the movement of land values themselves.
  • "Vs 1991" compares sites that have been surveyed continuously since 1991.

Population, households, vacancy and rent

  • Population and household change: Census (2020, and 2025 preliminary results).
  • Net moves within Japan: Internal Migration Report (2025, domestic moves only).
  • Vacancy, long-term empty homes ("other vacant") and second homes: Housing and Land Survey (2023). "Other vacant" homes are those not for rent, not for sale and not second homes.
  • Median rent: estimated from the rent distribution in the Housing and Land Survey (2023).
  • "Years of rent to buy": median used-condo price divided by annual rent (median monthly rent × 12).

Natural hazards

  • Earthquakes: NIED J-SHIS national seismic hazard maps, probability of shaking of intensity 6-lower and 6-upper or stronger within 30 years (at a representative point of each municipality; prefectures and Japan are population-weighted).
  • Flood, tsunami and landslide: National Land Numerical Information hazard zones (maximum assumed flood, tsunami inundation, sediment-disaster warning areas), overlaid on the area's official land-price sites; we show the share of sites inside each zone. Always check the local hazard map for a specific address.
  • Urban renewal: Cabinet Office Urgent Urban Renewal Areas.

Updates

Transaction prices are updated quarterly when MLIT publishes them, official land prices once a year, and statistics when new surveys are released.

Limitations

  • MLIT collects transaction prices through questionnaires to buyers and sellers, so not every sale is included.
  • In areas with few sales, a handful of transactions can move the median a lot.
  • This site is for understanding market levels. It does not value individual properties. Please consult a professional before buying or selling.