--- title: "Osaka vs Tokyo: Class A office comparison" description: "Side-by-side Class A office comparison for Osaka and Tokyo — rent, vacancy, talent, tax, lease norms, transit, and top submarkets." canonical: https://classa.info/compare/osaka-vs-tokyo pageType: comparison lastUpdated: 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z license: "CC BY 4.0 with attribution to Class A Atlas (https://classa.info)." --- > Osaka ($56/sqft, 4.8% vacancy) and Tokyo ($113/sqft, 4.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Osaka on talent depth and Tokyo on rent and tax. ## TL;DR - Class A rent: Osaka $56/sqft vs Tokyo $113/sqft. - Vacancy: Osaka 4.8% vs Tokyo 4.6%. - Talent index: Osaka 85 vs Tokyo 84. - Corporate tax: Osaka 30.62% vs Tokyo 30.6%. - Premium flex/seat/month: Osaka $660 vs Tokyo $980. # Osaka vs Tokyo: Class A office comparison **Osaka ($56/sqft, 4.8% vacancy) and Tokyo ($113/sqft, 4.6% vacancy) compete on different axes: Osaka on talent depth and Tokyo on rent and tax.** ## TL;DR - [Class A](/glossary/class-a) rent: Osaka $56/sqft vs Tokyo $113/sqft. - Vacancy: Osaka 4.8% vs Tokyo 4.6%. - Talent index: Osaka 85 vs Tokyo 84. - Corporate tax: Osaka 30.62% vs Tokyo 30.6%. - [Premium flex](/topics/lease-vs-flex)/seat/month: Osaka $660 vs Tokyo $980. ## Market data side-by-side | Metric | Osaka | Tokyo| | Region | APAC | APAC| | Country | Japan | Japan| | Class A rent (USD/sqft/yr) | $56 | $113| | Class A rent (local) | 25000 JPY | 50000 JPY| | Vacancy | 4.8% | 4.6%| | Trend | flat | rising| | Prime yield | 3.6% | 3%| | Premium flex / seat / month (USD) | $660 | $980| | Submarkets covered | 5 | 6| | Corporate tax | 30.62% | 30.6%| ## Lease norms | Metric | Osaka | Tokyo| | Typical term | 4 yrs | 5 yrs| | Typical rent-free | 2 mos | 4 mos| | Lease norms | Standard Japanese commercial lease (futsuu shakuyaku) — 2-3 year terms with auto-renewal; or fixed-term lease (teiki shakuyaku) of 4-10 years. Security deposit (shikikin) of 10-12 months standard. Free rent of 2-4 months on a 4-year deal. | 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.| | Tax note | 23.2% national corporate tax plus prefectural and municipal taxes for an effective combined rate near 30.6%. SME and R&D tax credits available. | Effective corporate tax rate 30.6% (national + local). Tokyo Metropolitan corporate inhabitant tax adds a meaningful local component.| ## Talent | Metric | Osaka | Tokyo| | Talent index (0–100) | 85 | 84| | Talent note | Deep manufacturing, pharma, and trading talent. Strong feed from Osaka University, Kyoto University, and Kobe University. Japanese-only operating environment for most domestic tenants. | The largest single-language white-collar talent pool in the world. Average all-in compensation for senior knowledge workers indexes 84 vs. New York's 100, though English-fluent bilingual talent commands a premium.| ## Transit & commute **Osaka:** Osaka Metro (8 lines), JR West (loop and radial), Hankyu, Hanshin, Kintetsu, and Nankai private rails. Osaka Station / Umeda is the world's third-busiest rail hub. KIX airport connected via Nankai and JR. **Tokyo:** JR Yamanote loop plus 13 metro lines connect every Class A address. Shinkansen termini at Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno support inter-city corporate networks. ## Top submarkets — Osaka - [**Umeda (Kita)**](/cities/osaka/umeda) — [trophy tier](/topics/trophy-asset-selection) · ¥27,000/[tsubo](/topics/apac-lease-conventions)">tsubo/mo · ≈ $61 PSF/yr USD - [**Honmachi & Yodoyabashi**](/cities/osaka/honmachi-yodoyabashi) — prime tier · ¥24,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $54.2 PSF/yr USD - [**Nakanoshima**](/cities/osaka/nakanoshima) — prime tier · ¥22,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $49.7 PSF/yr USD ## Top submarkets — Tokyo - [**Azabudai & Roppongi**](/cities/tokyo/azabudai-roppongi) — trophy tier · ¥60,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $136 PSF/yr USD - [**Marunouchi & Otemachi**](/cities/tokyo/marunouchi-otemachi) — trophy tier · ¥55,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $124 PSF/yr USD - [**Toranomon**](/cities/tokyo/toranomon) — trophy tier · ¥50,000/tsubo/mo · ≈ $113 PSF/yr USD ## Decision criteria ### Pick by cost Osaka is the cheaper Class A market on a USD basis. ### Pick by talent depth Osaka has the deeper talent index (85/100 vs 84/100). ### Pick by tax Tokyo has the lower headline corporate tax (30.6% vs 30.62%). Local incentives can change the effective rate materially. ### Pick by lease optionality Osaka typical term is 4 years with 2 months free; Tokyo runs 5 years with 4 months free. ### Pick by transit Osaka: Osaka Metro (8 lines), JR West (loop and radial), Hankyu, Hanshin, Kintetsu, and Nankai private rails. Osaka Station / Umeda is the world's third-busiest rail hub. KIX airport connected via Nankai and JR. Tokyo: JR Yamanote loop plus 13 metro lines connect every Class A address. Shinkansen termini at Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno support inter-city corporate networks. ## Run a 4-city comparison Score Osaka, Tokyo and up to two more markets side-by-side on Class A rent, vacancy, talent, corporate tax, and premium flex pricing — all in USD. [**Run a 4-city comparison →**](/tools/city-comparator) ## Frequently asked questions ****Is Class A office cheaper in Osaka or Tokyo?**** : Osaka is cheaper on a USD basis: $56/sqft vs $113/sqft. ****Which has better talent depth, Osaka or Tokyo?**** : Osaka indexes higher on talent depth (85 vs 84). ****Which has more sublease availability, Osaka or Tokyo?**** : Osaka carries higher vacancy (4.8% vs 4.6%) and therefore typically more [sublease](/glossary/sublease) overhang. ****What lease term should I expect in Osaka vs Tokyo?**** : Osaka typical term is 4 years with 2 months rent-free; Tokyo typical term is 5 years with 4 months rent-free. ****How does transit and commuter access compare?**** : Osaka: Osaka Metro (8 lines), JR West (loop and radial), Hankyu, Hanshin, Kintetsu, and Nankai private rails. Osaka Station / Umeda is the world's third-busiest rail hub. KIX airport connected via Nankai and JR. Tokyo: JR Yamanote loop plus 13 metro lines connect every Class A address. Shinkansen termini at Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Ueno support inter-city corporate networks. ## 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) --- Citation: Source: Class A Atlas (https://classa.info/compare/osaka-vs-tokyo), updated 2026-04-15T00:00:00.000Z.