Urban-planning datasets updated
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism announced that urban-planning information and designated emergency-evacuation locations in the Real Estate Information Library would be updated on June 24, 2026. Updated datasets include city-planning areas, zoning classifications, land-use zones, high-intensity-use districts, fire-prevention zones, planned roads, district plans and location-optimization plans. Emergency-evacuation data were also refreshed using information from the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.
Internal flood-risk data is also planned
During fiscal 2026, the ministry plans to add inundation-assumption zones for rainfall-driven internal flooding to both the map interface and API. Such flooding can occur when intense rainfall exceeds drainage or sewer capacity. The information can be relevant even for urban condominium buyers because basement parking, electrical equipment and lower floors may be exposed to water damage. Hazard analysis should therefore go beyond general city-level risk and examine the specific site.
Useful starting point for overseas due diligence
Foreign buyers often cannot inspect Japanese properties repeatedly in person. The Real Estate Information Library allows users to combine transaction-price information with planning, disaster-risk and neighborhood data on a map, making it useful for preliminary research from overseas. It does not replace boundary verification, building-condition checks, management records or formal disclosure documents. A practical approach is to use the online database to screen properties and then combine it with municipal research, building documentation and physical inspection.