Nagasaki Harbour from Glover Garden
Photo: Nagasaki Harbour from Glover Garden · Zion C / Unsplash

Shimabara City Housing Market Report 2026

Data updated 2026-11-11 · Source: MLIT transaction price survey, 2005 Q3–2026 Q2 · Transactions in 2025: 73

In short

  1. 1
    A long, slow decline

    House prices per m² have been falling for a decade, by about 2.4% a year recently.

  2. 2
    Lagging Nagasaki

    Per m², houses here are 52% below the Nagasaki average.

  3. 3
    Sales are thinning out

    Transactions are down about 17% on the previous three years.

  4. 4
    What a typical purchase costs

    Half of all house sales last year were between ¥3.4M and ¥10.0M.

The answers, compared

What does a home cost?

¥5.8M

median house · ¥50k/m²

43% below the Nagasaki median

5 of 8 areas in Nagasaki, highest first

Are prices rising?

+33.3%

over 5 years

Faster than Nagasaki (+21.3%)

2 of 9 areas in Nagasaki, highest first

Can local earners afford it?

2.0× income

median price ÷ average taxable income

Easier than Nagasaki (7.3×)

7 of 10 areas in Nagasaki, highest first

Rent or buy?

12years of rent

median price ÷ a year of median rent

Shorter than Nagasaki (44)

9 of 10 areas in Nagasaki, highest first

Are people moving in?

-6.7%

population, 2020–25

Shrinking faster than Nagasaki (-6.1%)

5 of 11 areas in Nagasaki, highest first

How risky is it?

14%

chance of strong shaking (6-lower+) in 30 years

Higher than Nagasaki (6%)

1 of 11 areas in Nagasaki, highest first

Rent in Shimabara City

The average private rental costs ¥45k a month (2023), +0.9% since 2018. Nagasaki: ¥51k

Floor areaAverage rent / month
under 30 m²
studio / 1K
¥36k
vs 2018 +2.8% · Nagasaki: ¥42k
30–49 m²
1LDK / 2DK
¥40k
vs 2018 +2.0% · Nagasaki: ¥49k
50–69 m²
2LDK / 3DK
¥49k
vs 2018 +2.5% · Nagasaki: ¥56k
70–99 m²
3LDK / family
¥54k
vs 2018 +5.6% · Nagasaki: ¥62k
Rent per m²
¥914
median, per month · Nagasaki: ¥1,267

Source: Statistics Bureau of Japan, Housing and Land Survey 2023. Privately owned rentals (excluding rent-free homes), monthly rent without management fees. These averages include older homes, so they run below asking rents for newly listed units. 3,760 rented homes.

What the data says

A long, slow decline

House prices per m² have been falling for a decade, by about 2.4% a year recently. Prices are low, but resale values are likely to keep easing, so buy here to live, not as an investment.

Lagging Nagasaki

Per m², houses here are 52% below the Nagasaki average. Ten years ago the gap was 35%, so Shimabara City has been falling behind the rest of Nagasaki.

Sales are thinning out

Transactions are down about 17% on the previous three years. Fewer sales mean less choice and slower resale, so allow more time to sell later.

What a typical purchase costs

Half of all house sales last year were between ¥3.4M and ¥10.0M. Listings outside that range are either unusual properties or worth a closer look.

A shrinking population

The population fell 6.7% between 2020 and 2025 (−6.1% for the wider area). More people moved out than in during 2025 (about 6.8 per 1,000 residents), which weakens long-term housing demand.

Many abandoned homes

18.3% of homes were empty in 2023 (17.3% for the wider area), and 11.7% were empty without being for rent, for sale or used as second homes. That is a high share of truly abandoned homes (akiya), a sign of weak demand. Cheap houses are easy to find, but resale can be slow.

Lower earthquake risk

The government's seismic model gives a 14% chance of shaking of intensity 6-lower or stronger in the next 30 years (6% for the wider area). This is low by Japanese standards, although no part of Japan is free of earthquake risk.

Local incomes are close to average

Taxpayers here reported an average taxable income of ¥2.9m in 2023 (¥3.2m for the wider area). That is +19% since 2014. Averages are pulled up by a few very high earners, so a typical household earns less than this.

Living in Shimabara City: people, homes and risks

Population 2025
40,445
-6.7% since 2020
Nagasaki: -6.1%
Net moves in 2025
-277
-6.85 per 1,000 residents
Nagasaki: -4.55
Vacant homes (2023)
18.3%
11.7% empty and not for rent or sale
Nagasaki: 17.3%
Median rent (2023)
¥41k
per month, all rented homes
Nagasaki: ¥45k
Strong earthquake risk
13.8%
chance of shaking of intensity 6-lower or more within 30 years
Nagasaki: 5.8%
Average income per taxpayer
¥2.9M
taxable income in 2023
Nagasaki: ¥3.2M
Daytime population
104
people here by day per 100 residents (2020 census)
Foreign residents
1.8%
771 registered residents in 2024
Nagasaki: 1.2%
Clinics
9.9
per 10,000 residents; 9 hospitals, 29 dental clinics (2020)
Nagasaki: 11.1
Official land price 2026
¥29k/m²
-0.7% in a year · – in 5 years
Nagasaki: ¥38k/m²
Flood exposure
0.0%
of 4 benchmark sites in a worst-case flood zone (0.0% 3 m or deeper)
Nagasaki: 23.5%
Landslide exposure
0.0%
of 4 benchmark sites in a landslide warning area
Nagasaki: 23.0%

Check flood, landslide and tsunami zones for a specific address on the government hazard map ↗

Sources: 2025 Census (preliminary), 2025 Internal Migration Report, 2023 Housing and Land Survey (Statistics Bureau of Japan); J-SHIS seismic hazard model (NIED, 2024); Land Price Publication (MLIT); recorded crime: Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department (Tokyo only); incomes: Ministry of Internal Affairs taxation survey via the Statistics Bureau's municipal indicators; foreign residents: Basic Resident Register; medical facilities and station passengers: MLIT National Land Numerical Information. Earthquake probability is measured at the municipal center.

Example sales in Shimabara City

Real transactions from the last four quarters, picked near the lower (20th percentile), middle and upper (80th percentile) price points. Locations are shown at district level, as published by MLIT.

House

Lower-priced2025 Q4

¥5.3M

¥35k/m²

  • Shin-yama
  • Shimabara Ko · 13 min walk
  • Land 390 m² · floor 150 m²
  • Built 1978 (47 yrs) · Wood
Typical2025 Q4

¥6.9M

¥53k/m²

  • Shimbabamachi
  • Shimabara · 11 min walk
  • Land 200 m² · floor 130 m²
  • Built 1989 (36 yrs) · Wood
Higher-priced2025 Q4

¥10.0M

¥200k/m²

  • Shimbabamachi
  • Shimabara · 10 min walk
  • Land 230 m² · floor 50 m²
  • Built 2003 (22 yrs) · Wood
Median transaction price by year
¥0¥5.0M¥10.0M¥15.0M200820102012201420162018202020222024
Show data table
YearHouse
2008–
2009¥12.0M
2010¥10.4M
2011¥11.0M
2012¥8.0M
2013¥7.7M
2014¥7.0M
2015¥10.0M
2016¥5.8M
2017¥10.0M
2018¥7.3M
2019¥6.6M
2020¥8.5M
2021¥7.5M
2022¥5.2M
2023¥9.0M
2024¥5.3M
2025¥5.8M
Median price per m² by year
¥0¥50k¥100k200820102012201420162018202020222024
Show data table
YearHouseLand
2008–¥21k/m²
2009¥78k/m²¥24k/m²
2010¥88k/m²¥18k/m²
2011¥69k/m²¥21k/m²
2012¥51k/m²¥20k/m²
2013¥61k/m²¥24k/m²
2014¥46k/m²¥22k/m²
2015¥86k/m²¥16k/m²
2016¥40k/m²¥26k/m²
2017¥63k/m²¥19k/m²
2018¥63k/m²¥18k/m²
2019¥44k/m²¥14k/m²
2020¥61k/m²¥15k/m²
2021¥45k/m²¥19k/m²
2022¥56k/m²¥21k/m²
2023¥75k/m²¥21k/m²
2024¥42k/m²¥16k/m²
2025¥50k/m²¥20k/m²

Prices near train stations in Shimabara City

Sales from 2023–2025, grouped by nearest station.

StationMedian used condo priceCondo price per m²Median house price (land + building)Walk (min)SalesDaily passengers (2023)
Shimabara (島原)––¥6.9M1641763-10% vs 2019
Soul Hill Park Gymnasium (霊丘公園体育館)––¥7.2M81430-67% vs 2019
Mie (三会)––¥3.0M91362-3% vs 2019
Shimabara Ko (島原港)––¥5.3M1611135-12% vs 2019

How much does a house cost in Shimabara City?

The median house sale, including the land, was ¥5.8M in 2025 across 34 sales.

Are property prices in Shimabara City going up?

Over the five years to 2025, residential land prices changed +33.3%.

About this data

Figures are medians of real transactions reported to Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) through its quarterly price survey. House prices per m² divide the total price (land and building) by the floor area. Medians based on fewer than 20 sales are not shown. The latest quarters are preliminary and are revised as more survey responses arrive.

Information only, not investment advice.