Buying a home is one of the largest purchases in a lifetime. Even so, many people make a multi-million-yen decision based on intuition — "I sort of liked it," "the agent recommended it."
To avoid post-contract regret of "I should have looked into that property…", here are concrete research methods you can use right now.
Why "property research" matters
A real estate listing price is not necessarily a "fair price." Sellers' wishes are baked in, and prices are not infrequently set above market levels. Even more important than price is risk.
Here are the three biggest risks that often surface after purchase:
① Buying above market price Without checking surrounding closing prices (the prices at which transactions actually settled), you can end up paying hundreds of thousands of yen above market. Listing prices are public, but closing prices are only listed in MLIT's "Real Estate Transaction Price Information."
② Overlooking natural-disaster risk You cannot tell from sight whether land is in a flood-inundation risk zone or designated as a landslide warning area. Post-purchase, you may face damage from natural disasters or struggle to find buyers when selling.
③ Insufficient checking of living conditions School zones, distance to the nearest station, nearby hospitals and supermarkets — these living-condition factors are common blind spots that surface only after you actually move in.
What is "Mekiki Research"?
Mekiki Research is a real estate research tool that retrieves the following information in 30 seconds — just from an address.
| Feature | Content |
|---|---|
| Transaction price summary | Surrounding closing prices, ¥/m², and price trends based on MLIT actual transaction data |
| Hazard risk assessment | Instantly determines flood inundation depth rank and landslide warning zone status |
| Living environment info | Automatically pulls nearby stations, school zones, hospitals, supermarkets, and other surrounding facilities |
| AI area report | Gemini 2.5 Flash auto-generates a 10-item detailed area analysis report |
| PDF export (Pro plan) | Outputs and saves all of the above on a single PDF |
The free plan offers all features with up to 3 searches per day. The Pro plan (¥980/month) allows unlimited searches.
Why actual transaction prices matter, and how to read them
"Listing price" and "closing price" are different
The price displayed on real estate portals (SUUMO, Homes, etc.) is the "listing price" — the seller's hope, not the price at which a transaction actually closed.
In general, closing prices are typically a few percent to 10% lower than listing prices.
MLIT's "Real Estate Transaction Price Information" is the only public dataset that releases actual closed transactions on a quarterly basis. Mekiki Research automatically aggregates this data and visualises it in an easy-to-read format.
Three indicators to check
① Surrounding median and mean Confirm the distribution of closing prices in the same municipality and same use (residential, commercial, etc.). Comparing against the price of the property under consideration provides input for judging "expensive" or "cheap."
② ¥/m² trend Looking at the past several years' ¥/m² trend reveals whether area asset values are rising or falling. Especially important for purchases with investment intent or future-sale plans.
③ Number of transactions Areas with few transactions have low liquidity and may take time to sell. Conversely, areas with many transactions have higher demand and are easier to sell.
How to use it (steps)
- Visit Mekiki Research
- Enter the address of the property under consideration (e.g. "1-chome, Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo")
- Click "Research"
- Check the "Transaction Prices" tab for surrounding closing-price data
- Review the price-trend chart for the past 5 years
Reading hazard maps the right way
Looking at each one separately is a chore
MLIT and local governments publish multiple hazard maps:
- Flood hazard map (river inundation)
- Inland flood hazard map (drainage capacity exceeded)
- Landslide hazard map
- Storm surge hazard map (coastal areas)
- Earthquake risk map
Checking each one separately takes substantial effort. Each municipality also has a different UI, and many are difficult to navigate.
What Mekiki Research shows you
The "Hazard Risk" feature in Mekiki Research determines all of the following risks at once, just from an address.
Flood inundation depth rank Five levels from "0m (no risk)" to "5m+ (severely dangerous)." At 0.5m+ inundation, there's risk of above-floor flooding; at 3m+, water could reach the second floor.
Landslide warning zones You can confirm whether the property is in a Landslide Special Warning Zone (Red Zone) or a Landslide Warning Zone (Yellow Zone). Properties in Red Zones are sometimes refused mortgage financing.
How to handle high-hazard properties
A property with high hazard risk is not "off-limits." It's important to make a holistic judgement using these lenses:
- It may be the reason the price is below market
- Confirm with the seller / builder the status of disaster prevention features and ground improvement
- With the hazard risk acknowledged, consider risk hedges (insurance, etc.)
- Understand the potential impact on future resale or rental
How to use the AI area report
One of Mekiki Research's distinctive features is the AI area report, auto-generated by Gemini 2.5 Flash.
10 analysis items
| # | Item |
|---|---|
| 1 | Area overview |
| 2 | Child-rearing / education environment score |
| 3 | Living convenience score |
| 4 | Transport access evaluation |
| 5 | Redevelopment / city planning trends |
| 6 | Subsidy / grant information |
| 7 | Natural / surrounding environment |
| 8 | Future asset value outlook |
| 9 | Real estate professional's evaluation |
| 10 | Comprehensive advice |
Caveats on the AI report
The AI report is reference information. Final purchase decisions should be made based on site visits and advice from real estate professionals (licensed real estate transaction specialists). Use it with the understanding that AI-generated information may contain errors.
Putting it all together: a sample research flow
If you're considering a home purchase, here's a research flow using Mekiki Research:
Step 1: Enter the candidate property's address (5 min)
Before the viewing, enter the address of any property of interest into Mekiki Research. Even for currently-listed properties, area-level data is available as long as you have an address.
Step 2: Check transaction prices to grasp the market (5 min)
Confirm surrounding closing-price data on the "Transaction Prices" tab. Comparing against the candidate's price — if it's significantly above market, you have grounds for negotiation.
Step 3: Check hazard risk (2 min)
On the "Hazard Risk" tab, confirm flood and landslide risks. If risk is high, ask the seller for details at the viewing — or reconsider the purchase.
Step 4: Check the AI report for an overall view (5 min)
Read through the 10 items in the AI area report, paying particular attention to "Redevelopment / city planning trends" and "Future asset value outlook."
Step 5: Site visit and professional consultation (on-site)
Bring the information from Mekiki Research with you to the viewing. Asking the seller or agent to address specific concerns directly produces sharper judgement.
Takeaways: home buying in the era of data-based judgement
The single biggest cause of home-buying regret is "insufficient information." MLIT's actual transaction data is public, freely accessible information — but the share of individual buyers actually using it remains low.
With Mekiki Research, professional-grade research takes 5–10 minutes:
- 📊 Know the market → grasp fair pricing through transaction data
- 🌊 Know the risk → confirm natural disaster risk via hazard data
- 🤖 Know the area → get a holistic area evaluation via the AI report
Before the multi-million-yen decision, take 30 seconds first and try entering an address.
Try Mekiki Research for free →
The real estate transaction price data referenced in this article is based on MLIT's public data. Transaction-price data is updated quarterly; please confirm the latest information on Mekiki Research.