The May and first-quarter release scheduled for August 31 was postponed
Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced on August 27 that publication of the May 2026 and first-quarter Property Price Index, originally scheduled for August 31, would be postponed. A malfunction occurred in the program used to calculate the index, and the ministry needs additional time to investigate, recalculate and verify the results. Releases covering January, February, March and April 2026 as well as Q4 2025 have also been delayed for the same reason. A new publication date will be announced once a schedule is established.
The official index is based on roughly 300,000 transaction records each year
The Property Price Index is an official MLIT statistical series based on approximately 300,000 real estate transaction-price records annually. It measures movements nationwide and by regional blocks and metropolitan areas and is normally published every month. Complementary statistics using ownership-transfer registrations also track monthly transaction counts and areas. The index is not a valuation of a particular property, but it is an important official benchmark for comparing medium- and long-term movements in Japanese residential and commercial property prices.
Alternative datasets can supplement, but not replace, the index
Investors can use REINS completed transactions, Land Price LOOK, housing starts and corporate transaction-volume data for more recent signals while the official index is delayed. Those sources measure different concepts, properties, geographic areas and time periods, so they cannot be substituted directly for the Property Price Index. Reports prepared for overseas investors should clearly state the observation period and publication date rather than presenting an older official index as the current Japanese property price level.