JAPAN

Office Prices Easing: Tokyo office space is still among the most expensive on the planet. But the price of admission into Asia’s premiere financial center may finally be easing up, thanks to Japan’s ongoing economic doldrums and an emerging office glut. Real estate prices have collapsed throughout most of Japan since the bursting of the country’s speculative bubble economy in late 1989. However, until recently Tokyo’s most exclusive business districts seemed insulated from the crash in property values. That’s finally starting to change for companies willing to scout around for bargains. “It’s the first time in 20 years it’s a renter’s market,” said Mark Brown, a senior real estate analyst at Barclays de Zoete Wedd Securities.