Investment property in Japan: what to buy and what it costs
One-room apartment in Nagata ward
$66,300
A 40 m² apartment with a room, a dining kitchen and a balcony in Nagata ward in western Kobe. A JR line and two subway lines meet at Shin-Nagata station, most of the ward was rebuilt after the 1995 earthquake, and the sea is a few minutes' walk away. Kobe is a port city half an hour from Osaka, and a square metre here costs almost half the Osaka price.
Studio apartment in Yodogawa ward
$88,700
A 30 m² studio with a kitchen and a bathroom in Yodogawa ward in northern Osaka. The ward has Shin-Osaka station, served by the shinkansen bullet trains, and Juso station a few minutes from the Umeda business district. Studios here are rented by office workers and staff on assignment for the whole length of their contracts.
One-room apartment in Fushimi ward
$112,100
A 45 m² apartment with a room and a dining kitchen in Fushimi ward in southern Kyoto. Fushimi Inari shrine, old sake breweries and a Ryukoku University campus are nearby, and the Keihan and JR lines run to central Kyoto and to Osaka. One-room apartments here are rented by students, lecturers and company staff.
Two-room apartment in Tsurumi ward
$129,800
A 55 m² apartment with two rooms, a dining kitchen and a balcony in a 1990s building in Tsurumi ward, between central Yokohama and Kawasaki. Keihin-Tohoku line trains run from Tsurumi station to Yokohama and to Tokyo. The building dates from after 1981 and meets the current earthquake-resistance standards, and two-room apartments here are rented by families.
Studio apartment in Koto ward
$131,700
A 25 m² studio with a kitchen and a bathroom in a 1990s building in Koto ward, east of central Tokyo. From Monzen-Nakacho and Kiba stations on the Tozai line it takes about 10 minutes to the Otemachi business district. The building meets the current earthquake-resistance standards, studios here are rented by office workers, and in buildings over 30 years old a square metre costs almost 40% less than the average across Tokyo's 23 wards.
Three-room apartment in Hachioji
$161,600
A 70 m² apartment with three rooms, a dining kitchen and a balcony in a 1990s building in Hachioji, a city in western Tokyo. It has about 20 universities, and Chuo line trains reach Shinjuku in about 40 minutes. A square metre in the Tama suburbs costs less than half the price in Tokyo's 23 wards, and three-room apartments are rented by families.
Two-room apartment in Sumiyoshi ward
$177,500
A 60 m² apartment with two rooms, a dining kitchen and a balcony in Sumiyoshi ward in southern Osaka. Sumiyoshi Taisha shrine is nearby, along with quiet residential blocks with schools and parks, and Nankai line trains reach Namba in about 10 minutes. Two-room apartments here are rented by families.
One-room apartment in Itabashi ward
$210,700
A 40 m² apartment with a room, a dining kitchen and a balcony in a 1990s building in Itabashi ward in north-western Tokyo. The Tobu Tojo line and the Mita subway line run to Ikebukuro and the centre, and the trip to Ikebukuro takes about 10 minutes. Apartments like this are rented by couples and company staff.
What investors buy in Japan
Above are the most interesting offers selected by our experts. The manager will find a property that fits your requirements.
Apartments for sale in Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto and Kobe, rental yield, taxes, transaction costs and how a foreigner buys.
A foreigner buys an apartment in Japan on the same terms as citizens: no special permit, a share of the land under the building, and the title registered in your name in the real estate registry. A square metre on the resale market in Tokyo's 23 wards costs $8,570 on average, in Osaka $4,530 and in Kobe $2,470, and in Tokyo buildings over 30 years old a square metre costs almost 40% less. A one-room apartment in Kobe costs $66,300, a studio in Tokyo $131,700, and letting in Tokyo brings about 3.6% a year before tax.
This page covers resale apartments: one-room apartments in Kobe, Kyoto and Tokyo, studios in Osaka and Tokyo, two-room apartments in Yokohama and Osaka, a three-room apartment in Hachioji, prices by city, rental yield, taxes, transaction costs and the purchase procedure. The manager will confirm what is on sale today and the exact price.
The market in brief
Prices and rules as of 2026.
How much an apartment in Japan costs in 2026
Apartment prices in Japan are quoted in yen. Based on resale transactions for July - September 2026, a square metre in Tokyo's 23 wards costs 1.36 million yen on average, about $8,570, in Osaka 716,000 yen, about $4,530, in Kyoto about $3,780 and in Kobe about $2,470. In buildings over 30 years old a square metre in Tokyo's 23 wards costs 833,000 yen on average, about $5,270, and in Osaka's 18 wards outside the centre about $2,960. Over the year a square metre rose by 1% in Tokyo, by 4.2% in Kyoto and by 2.7% in Kobe, and fell by 3.6% in Osaka.
| City | Square metre on the resale market | Average size | Average apartment price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo, 23 wards | ~$8,570 | 55.9 m² | ~$478,800 |
| Tokyo, Tama suburbs | ~$3,660 | 65.6 m² | ~$239,800 |
| Yokohama and Kawasaki | ~$4,170 | 65.5 m² | ~$273,600 |
| Osaka | ~$4,530 | 60 m² | ~$271,500 |
| Kyoto | ~$3,780 | 61.2 m² | ~$231,500 |
| Kobe | ~$2,470 | 68.8 m² | ~$170,200 |
Transaction data of the East Japan and Kinki real estate networks, designated by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, for July - September 2026; yen converted at the Bank of Japan rate of 158.13 yen per dollar on 21 October 2026, dollars rounded.
What rental yield letting brings
The gross yield of long-term letting in Tokyo is about 3.6% a year before tax. Leases in Japan usually run for 2 years, and a management company finds tenants and collects the rent, so the apartment can be let from another country. One-room apartments and studios are rented by office workers and students, and two- and three-room apartments by families.
| Tax | Rate |
|---|---|
| Letting the apartment | if a company rents the home, it withholds 20.42% of the rent; the final tax is calculated on a Japanese tax return, taking property expenses into account |
| Selling the apartment | 15.315% of the gain after more than 5 years of ownership, 30.63% for a shorter period; the buyer withholds 10.21% of the price towards the tax |
| Every year | fixed asset tax of 1.4% and city planning tax of up to 0.3% of the assessed value |
Data for 2026: yield for Tokyo; the country comparison is in the rental yield table.
Property taxes are calculated on the assessed value, which is lower than the transaction price, and the municipality sends the notice. A non-resident appoints a tax representative in Japan to file returns and pay taxes. Rates and examples are on the taxes in Japan page.
What costs to add to the property price
| Payment | Amount |
|---|---|
| Agent's commission | no more than 3% of the price plus 60,000 yen, ~$379, and 10% consumption tax |
| Real estate acquisition tax | 3% of the assessed value of the home and land until 31 March 2027 |
| Registration tax | up to 2% of the assessed value; a judicial scrivener files the registration documents |
| Stamp duty on the contract | 10,000 yen, ~$63, for a contract of 10 to 50 million yen |
| Purchase report through the Bank of Japan | free, within 20 days of the purchase |
| Building upkeep | a monthly management fee and a contribution to the repair reserve fund |
Data for 2026. The total is usually 6-8% of the price on top of the apartment; bank transfer fees and interpreter services are paid separately. The manager calculates the total for a specific property.
In Japan an apartment is checked in the registry and the building's documents before the deposit
Mistakes cost more than the transaction: a deposit on an apartment with the seller's mortgage, repair fund arrears that pass to the buyer, a building from before 1981 built to old earthquake-resistance standards, a missed report through the Bank of Japan, tax on rent without a tax representative and a tax return. Murblz support removes these risks: we select an apartment for your budget and goal, check it in the real estate registry and the building's documents, handle the transaction until the title is registered in your name and prepare the report.
The cost of support depends on the purchase budget and the goal - letting or a home for yourself; the manager will calculate it in the chat.
Buying without a permit, with a right to the land
A foreigner buys an apartment in Japan on the same terms as citizens: no special permit and no residence permit are needed, and with the apartment the buyer receives a share of the land under the building. A judicial scrivener registers the title in the real estate registry, and the rule is the same for all nationalities. Since 1 April 2026 a non-resident files a report through the Bank of Japan within 20 days of the purchase, even for a home for personal use, and we prepare this report as part of the transaction.
Buying an apartment does not give a visa: living in Japan requires a separate residence status - work, business or another one. That is why apartments for letting are bought without relocating, and taxes are paid through a tax representative. Residence statuses are covered on the Japan residence permit page, and the manager will send a selection of apartments for your goal to the chat.
How we select a property
- Budget and goal: letting or a home for yourself. The manager clarifies the city, the district and the year the building was built.
- Buyer's documents: passport, certified signature and proof of address, a tax representative in Japan.
- A selection of real properties and a check in the real estate registry: the seller's title, mortgages, repair fund arrears and the state of the building - before the deposit.
- The transaction: contract, deposit, payment and registration of the title in your name, the report through the Bank of Japan within 20 days.
The manager sends the selection to the chat, with sellers' prices on the date of the selection.
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More on buying in this country:
- Property in Japan for foreigners: search and legal checks
- Buying an apartment in Japan: prices and taxes
- Residence in Japan: statuses and documents
- Taxes in Japan
- How to send money to Japan
- Company registration in Japan
- Tokyo: what to see and whether to move there
- Japan: all programs
All countries and budgets compared - on the page Investment property abroad.
FAQ
How much does an apartment in Japan cost in 2026?
Can a foreigner buy an apartment in Japan?
Does buying property give a visa to Japan?
What rental yield does an apartment in Japan bring?
What are the costs of buying property in Japan?
What tax applies when selling an apartment in Japan?
Where to buy an apartment for investment in Japan?
Can you buy an apartment in Japan remotely?
Don’t want to figure this out alone?
We handle the whole process end to end: we shortlist properties for your goal, run legal checks and support the deal through to registration. Ask your question in the chat: the free consultation starts right here. Legal representation before authorities and courts is handled by Murblz specialists together with locally licensed partners.
The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.
Free consultationWhat happens next
- An expert reviews your situation and goal.
- We contact you the way you prefer and answer your questions.
- You get a work plan, honest timelines and a written quote.