High-End Apartments Sprout in Osaka's Umeda

May 18, 2024 | News On Japan

OSAKA - The Umeda area in Osaka is seeing a surge in high-rise apartment construction, including a 49-story residential skyscraper south of JR Osaka Station.

The Brillia Tower Dojima, with its distinctive yacht sail-inspired exterior, houses 457 units. Prices start at approximately 50 million yen, with the highest-priced unit at an astounding 1.08 billion yen.

Yamamoto Maho, Reporter: 'The top floor, accessible only to residents, offers a panoramic view of Osaka City. I wish I could live here too!'

The building features amenities such as a lounge and fitness room. Of the 376 units already on sale, 373 have been sold.

Hitoshi Nomura, President of Tokyo Tatemono: 'We are delighted to have completed a flagship property for Kansai.'

Currently, similar luxury tower apartments are being built around Umeda.

Mika Kasamatsu, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of SUUMO: 'A 40-story building with over 500 units is planned here.'

Near Brillia Tower Dojima, another 40-story tower apartment is under construction. According to real estate website SUUMO, within a 15-minute walk of six stations in the Umeda area, 13 apartments with a total of over 3,000 units have been built over the past six years since 2017.

Umeda, where the first JR Osaka Station was completed 150 years ago, has long been the largest terminal in western Japan, with numerous commercial facilities and office buildings. Why is there now a surge in apartment construction in this prime commercial area of Kansai?

Kasamatsu: 'Umeda has traditionally been seen as a commercial hub and an office area, but it's increasingly being viewed as a residential area where people can live and work nearby.'

Additionally, younger generations are focusing on the high 'asset value' of the area. In a survey asking about the most desirable places to live in Kansai, Umeda ranked first for three consecutive years, surpassing Nishinomiya-Kitaguchi and Kobe-Sannomiya.

This trend is further accelerated by the development of the 'Ume-kita Phase 2' area north of JR Osaka Station, set to open in September. Two tower apartments will be built near a vast park, almost the size of Koshien Stadium.

As Umeda transforms into a residential area, a challenge emerges.

Kasamatsu: 'While the population in Osaka City is rapidly increasing, suburban areas are experiencing a decline, which raises concerns about Osaka City becoming overly dominant.'

The redevelopment of Umeda could invigorate the entire Kansai region. This remains to be seen.

Players to Watch When Japan Faces the Netherlands

Japan's World Cup campaign begins on June 14 when the Samurai Blue face the Netherlands at Dallas Stadium in Texas, a clash that will showcase some of the game's most talented players and pit two ambitious teams against one another in a crucial Group F opener. While Japan arrives without injured winger Kaoru Mitoma, one of its most recognizable stars, the squad still boasts a wealth of talent drawn from Europe's top leagues.

El Nino Returns, But Japan Faces Another Hot Summer

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced that an El Niño phenomenon is believed to have developed this spring, warning that Japan is likely to experience above-average temperatures nationwide this summer despite the climate pattern's traditional association with cooler summers.

Narita Airport Advances Compulsory Land Acquisition for Runway

Narita International Airport Corporation is expected to announce next month that it will apply to the national government for project certification as part of the process to enable compulsory land acquisition for the construction of a new runway at Narita Airport, according to sources familiar with the matter.

Fire Destroys Historic Arima Inari Shrine

A fire broke out at Arima Inari Shrine near the Arima Onsen hot spring resort area in Kobe on the night of June 9th, destroying multiple buildings and leaving an elderly Shinto priest and his wife with minor injuries.

Japan National Team Holds First Training Session in Nashville

Japan's national soccer team arrived in Nashville, Tennessee, on June 8th from Monterrey, Mexico, where it had been conducting a pre-World Cup training camp, and held its first practice session at its base camp for the FIFA World Cup in North America.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Business NEWS

Will There Be Another Currency Intervention to Boost Weak Yen?

The Bank of Japan is set to raise its policy interest rate from 0.75% to 1.0% at its monetary policy meeting on June 15th and 16th, a move that could mark another step in the central bank's gradual shift away from ultra-loose monetary policy as inflation remains elevated and the yen continues to weaken.

IT Infrastructure Management Solutions for Businesses in Japan

The contemporary corporate field across Japan is undergoing a profound digital transformation as forward-thinking organizations strive to maintain their market competitiveness in a globalized economy.

Japan Producer Prices Rise 6.3% to Highest Level in Over Three Years

Japan's corporate goods prices rose 6.3% in May from a year earlier, marking the fastest pace of increase in more than three years as higher oil and petrochemical costs linked to tensions in the Middle East pushed up wholesale prices.

Bank of Japan Poised to Raise Rates to 1.0% as Inflation Risks Mount

The Bank of Japan is increasingly expected to raise its policy interest rate to 1.0% at next week's monetary policy meeting, responding to growing concerns that inflation could rise faster than previously anticipated due to soaring oil prices and other cost pressures.

Japan's Restaurants Struggle Under Inflation and Labor Shortages

The number of restaurant bankruptcies in Japan reached a record high for the January–May period, highlighting mounting pressures from rising costs, labor shortages, and increasingly cautious consumer spending.

Inside Casio’s Secret Project to Revive Its Manufacturing Spirit

Casio Computer, the company behind some of Japan’s most iconic consumer electronics including calculators, digital cameras, electronic musical instruments, and the G-SHOCK watch, is pursuing a new strategy aimed at reviving its tradition of product innovation.

Nippon Steel to Invest 400 Billion Yen in U.S. Steel Plant Expansion

Nippon Steel plans to invest up to $2.5 billion, or approximately 400 billion yen, over the next three years in the Mon Valley Works steel complex in Pennsylvania, one of the key facilities operated by U.S. Steel, the American steelmaker it acquired in 2025.

Japan Revises Q1 GDP Growth Down to 1.8% on Weak Capital Investment

Japan's economy grew at an annualized rate of 1.8% in the January–March quarter of 2026, according to revised gross domestic product (GDP) data released by the Cabinet Office, with the figure marked down from the preliminary estimate due largely to weaker-than-expected capital investment.

< 2 3 4 5 >