---
title: "Tokyo relocation guide"
description: "Moving an existing office into Tokyo — what changes, what carries over, and what to budget."
canonical: https://classa.info/cities/tokyo/relocation-guide
pageType: city-topic
lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z
license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)."
---

> Moving into Tokyo from another Tier 1 market means re-baselining occupancy economics in JPY, re-running headcount density against local norms, and translating lease terminology to local conventions.

## TL;DR

- Re-baseline occupancy in JPY (then USD for comparison).
- Local lease conventions differ — translate terms via the Lease Term Translator.
- Density assumptions vary materially by region; revalidate.
- Build local counsel and broker relationships before the LOI, not after.

# Tokyo relocation guide

**Moving into Tokyo from another Tier 1 market means re-baselining occupancy economics in JPY, re-running headcount [density](/glossary/density) against local norms, and translating lease terminology to local conventions.**

## TL;DR

- Re-baseline occupancy in JPY (then USD for comparison).
- Local lease conventions differ — translate terms via the Lease Term Translator.
- Density assumptions vary materially by region; revalidate.
- Build local counsel and broker relationships before the LOI, not after.

## Re-baseline economics

Headline Tokyo rent is ¥50,000/[tsubo](/topics/apac-lease-conventions)">tsubo/mo · ≈ $113 PSF/yr USD. Translate your incumbent occupancy cost-per-seat to the same basis using the Occupancy Cost tool. Most [cross-border](/topics/cross-border-expansion) moves underestimate [fit-out](/topics/fit-out-capex)">fit-out timeline and overestimate density transferability.

## Translate the contract

Tokyo leases are typically 5-7 years with a 2-year tenant notice. Standard leases are 'fixed-term' (teiki shakuya) or 'ordinary' (futsu shakuya) — fixed-term is increasingly common for Grade A. Rent is base + common-area maintenance billed separately. Restoration to original (genjo kaifuku) is contractual and significant. Personal seal (jitsuin) requirements apply. Use the Lease Term Translator to map terminology before reading the LOI.

## Build the local stack

Engage a tenant-rep broker, local counsel, an MEP/AV designer with Tokyo project history, and a project manager who has run a [Class A](/glossary/class-a) fit-out in this market in the last 24 months.

## Key facts

| city | Tokyo|
| country | Japan|
| region | APAC|
| classARentLocal | ¥50,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $113 PSF/yr USD|
| classARentUsd | $113/sqft/yr|
| vacancy | 4.6%|
| typicalLeaseYears | 5|
| typicalRentFreeMonths | 4|
| submarkets | 6|
| primeYieldPct | 3%|

## Frequently asked questions

****Can I keep the same density assumption when moving to Tokyo?****
: Not without revalidation. Local density norms differ; loss factors differ; meeting-room intensity expectations differ. Re-run the Office Space Calculator with Tokyo-specific defaults.

## Editorial provenance

Reviewed by [**Kenji Watanabe**](/about/authors/kenji-watanabe) — APAC contributing editor. Last updated 2026-04-15. See our [methodology](/about/methodology) and [editorial standards](/about/editorial-standards).

### Primary sources for this page

- [CBRE Marketview reports](https://www.cbre.com/insights) — CBRE
- [JLL Office Insight](https://www.jll.com/en/trends-and-insights) — JLL
- [Cushman & Wakefield Marketbeat](https://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/insights) — Cushman & Wakefield
- [Savills World Research](https://www.savills.com/research_articles/) — Savills
- [Colliers Global Office Outlook](https://www.colliers.com/en/research) — Colliers

[Full sources index](/about/sources) · [Submit a correction](/about/corrections)

## Related topics

- [**Cross-border Expansion**](/topics/cross-border-expansion) — How to run a coordinated Class A office search across multiple geographies.

---

Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/cities/tokyo/relocation-guide), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.