The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced the 2026 standard land prices. The nationwide average for all land-use categories rose 1.5% year on year, marking the fifth consecutive annual increase. It has been noted that leaving vacant homes unattended may create new cost increases even when land prices are rising.
On 15 September 2026 (Reiwa 8), the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced the 2026 standard land prices it had compiled. The nationwide average across all land-use categories, including residential and commercial land, rose 1.5% year on year, marking the fifth consecutive annual increase. The announcement indicated the trend during a period of rising land prices, and the publication of standard land prices is considered useful as a timely indicator of land prices.
The article explains real estate pricing through the concept of “one property, five prices,” organizing the five prices, actual market price, official land price, standard land price, road price and fixed asset tax assessment, as having different bases and uses. It explains differences in the source and timing of each price, including that official land prices are published by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism every March, while standard land prices are published by prefectures every September.
In the relationship among the five prices, the actual market price is generally around 110% of the official land price, the road price around 80%, and the fixed asset tax assessment around 70%. The article explains that actual market prices are particularly susceptible to significant fluctuations in response to market supply and demand and future expectations. Risks of leaving vacant homes unattended even when land prices are rising include higher maintenance costs and the lifting of tax relief measures following designation as a poorly managed vacant house. Owners are therefore said to need to consider the balance between understanding the property's current value and its costs.