MLIT Existing Home Sales Index for July 2026: Osaka Condo Index at 168.8, With Nearly All the Growth in Units Under 30 m²

The short version: Osaka resale condo transactions are up about seventy percent on 2010, but units of 30 m² or more have barely grown

On 30 October 2026 the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) published its Existing Home Sales Index for July 2026, still in trial operation. The seasonally adjusted national index for detached houses and condominiums combined stands at 132.4, up 0.2% on the month, and at 120.8 excluding condominiums under 30 m², up 0.6%^[1]. Osaka Prefecture's condominium index is a high 168.8, but only 102.3 once units under 30 m² are excluded^[2]. Because the index sets the 2010 average at 100, this means the number of resale condominiums registered to individual buyers in Osaka Prefecture is nearly seventy percent higher than in 2010, while transactions in condominiums of 30 m² or more are essentially still at 2010 levels. Nearly all the growth has come from units under 30 m²^[2].

What this index is

MLIT compiles the Existing Home Sales Index from property registration data. From ownership transfer registrations caused by building sales, it takes those acquired by individuals that qualify as existing (resale) homes, and converts the count into an index with the 2010 average set at 100^[3]. The index includes holiday homes, second homes and investment properties, which are not captured in the Housing and Land Survey the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications conducts every 5 years. Because purchases of studio condominiums under 30 m² by individuals have been rising, condominium figures are published both including and excluding units under 30 m²^[2]. Trial operation began in April 2020, monthly publication began in April 2023, and every monthly figure is seasonally adjusted^[3].

Two caveats matter. First, only registrations in an individual's name are counted, so corporate purchases are excluded. Second, registration usually lags the contract and the handover, and the July figures were released on 30 October, so what you are looking at is the market as it stood roughly three months ago^[1].

The main figures for July

Nationally, the detached house index is 132.5, up 1.1% on the month; the condominium index is 131.5, down 0.4%; and the condominium index excluding units under 30 m² is 106.1, also down 0.4%^[1]. The combined index of 132.4 is below the 138.5 recorded in October 2025 and January 2026, but above the 128.9 of July 2025, a year earlier^[2].

The table below shows the index and month-on-month change for Japan as a whole, the Kinki region, the Keihanshin area, Osaka Prefecture and Tokyo (seasonally adjusted, 2010 average = 100)^[2].

Area	Total	Total (excl. condos under 30 m²)	Detached houses	Condominiums	Condominiums (excl. under 30 m²)
Japan	132.4（+0.2%）	120.8（+0.6%）	132.5（+1.1%）	131.5（−0.4%）	106.1（−0.4%）
Kinki region	131.7（+1.1%）	109.7（−0.5%）	117.1（+1.5%）	147.6（+0.2%）	101.6（−3.0%）
Keihanshin area	134.5（+1.2%）	109.0（−0.2%）	114.3（+2.5%）	153.0（+0.1%）	102.9（−3.6%）
Osaka Prefecture	140.2（+2.4%）	103.3（+0.9%）	104.0（+1.7%）	168.8（+2.6%）	102.3（+1.0%）
Tokyo	138.5（−4.3%）	108.0（−3.1%）	120.8（−6.3%）	142.6（−4.8%）	103.4（−1.9%）

The Kinki region covers Shiga, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara and Wakayama; the Keihanshin area covers the 3 prefectures of Kyoto, Osaka and Hyogo^[2].

What makes Osaka different: small units carry the volume

Osaka Prefecture's condominium index of 168.8 is second only to Aichi Prefecture's 173.9 among the areas MLIT lists. Excluding units under 30 m², however, it drops to 102.3, and the gap between the two readings is the widest of any area in the table^[2]. For comparison, Tokyo reads 142.6 against 103.4 and Japan as a whole 131.5 against 106.1^[2]. In other words, registrations of resale condominiums bought by individuals in Osaka Prefecture are up about seventy percent since 2010, but the portion of 30 m² or more has hardly changed. The growth comes from studios under 30 m², the type of unit usually bought to let^[2]. The Kinki region and the Keihanshin area show the same pattern: condominium indices of 147.6 and 153.0, but only 101.6 and 102.9 once small units are excluded^[2].

Detached houses stand out too. Osaka Prefecture reads 104.0, against 132.5 for Japan and 117.1 for the Kinki region^[2]. Registrations of resale detached houses bought by individuals in Osaka Prefecture are roughly where they were in 2010 and have not kept up with the national increase.

The weight of small units is visible in the national figures as well. In July the condominium sample contained 15,217 registrations, falling to 10,496 once units under 30 m² are excluded, so roughly three in ten resale condominium registrations by individuals were for units under 30 m²^[2].

Month on month, Osaka Prefecture's combined index rose 2.4% in July while Tokyo's fell 4.3%^[2]. Monthly readings are volatile, though. The national combined index was 126.1 in May 2026 and 132.1 in June, so a single month's move should not be over-read^[2].

What this means for buyers

1. Treat the idea of an active Osaka resale condo market with care. The activity is mostly in investment studios under 30 m². If you are looking for a 60 to 80 m² home for yourself or your family, transaction volume in that segment has changed little since 2010, so the choice of units and the speed of turnover are not as high as the headline total suggests^[2].

2. Check the scope before reading average prices or sales counts. A high share of small units pulls the average total price down and the price per square meter up. When comparing market data from different sources, first confirm whether units under 30 m² are included; otherwise Osaka's figures are easily skewed by small units^[2].

3. Investment studios form a relatively separate market. Both sellers and buyers are mostly investors, who react more sharply to rental yields and interest rates. In July the Kinki region's condominium index excluding small units fell 3.0% and the Keihanshin area's fell 3.6%, while the indices including small units were flat or slightly up, so the two markets do not always move together^[2].

4. This is registration data from three months ago. It is useful for reading structure and trend, not for judging how much room there is to negotiate today. For a specific building, recent REINS transaction records and sales in the same building are the right reference.

Summary

MLIT's Existing Home Sales Index for July 2026 shows registrations of existing homes bought by individuals up 0.2% on the month nationally, up 2.4% in Osaka Prefecture and down 4.3% in Tokyo^[1][2]. The structure matters more than the monthly move: Osaka Prefecture's condominium index is 168.8, or 102.3 excluding units under 30 m², so nearly all the growth in transactions since 2010 has come from small investment units, while volume in owner-occupier sized units has changed little^[2]. If you are looking for a resale condominium to live in within Osaka City, please contact us. Using transaction records and management documents for specific buildings, we can help you judge how scarce a unit really is and whether its asking price is reasonable.