Aberdeen Investments, a specialist asset manager, announced real estate acquisitions: WORVE Yokohama Isezakicho, a recently completed build-to-rent property, along with a portfolio of various residential properties across some of Tokyo’s districts. It now comes after the strategic acquisition of WORVE Isezakicho, “completed in Feb ’25; a building comprising 218 residential units and 4 retail units. ”
The new built to rent acquisition “in Yokohama’s central business district within Greater Tokyo is a residential mix of 184 studio units and 34 family-type units, catering to singles, couples, and families.”
The property offers excellent connectivity “via public transportation and sits in one of the city’s most vibrant commercial and residential areas.”
The second acquisition is a portfolio of “29 recently completed build-to-rent properties, featuring 671 residential units and 2 retail units with weighted average age of 4.3 years.”
The portfolio includes “580 studio units and 91 family-type units, all situated in Tokyo’s most sought-after residential districts across the Tokyo’s 23 Wards, including Centre, South, and West.”
These acquisitions follow Aberdeen’s strategic “expansion into Japan’s living sector.”
In October 2024, Aberdeen announced its “entry into the market after being awarded a mandate of a Japan residential portfolio.”
In May 2025, Aberdeen further “strengthened its presence with the acquisition of two high-grade residential rental properties.”
Jason Baggaley, Head of Living, Value Add, and APAC Direct Real Estate, Aberdeen Investments, said that they have a strong real estate team based in Tokyo that “was able to source and acquire the portfolio off-market and secured both investments at attractive prices.”
Baggaley added that they are looking “to grow their real estate business in Japan by building on the strong capabilities we already have.“
Globally, rented residential has become “one of the most transacted sectors in real estate and remains a top investment theme in 2026.”
Markets such as Germany and France face a chronic “housing shortage which has led to strong policy interventions that often increase the barriers to new supply, leading to the predicted ongoing shortfalls.”
This has created an opportunity to “source investments that can offer inflation-linked returns that are backed by factors driving demand and supported by financial incentives and deal structures that meet the needs of investors.”
In Japan, multifamily properties recorded a “350% year-on-year surge in investment volumes in Q2 , supported by post-Covid net migration into major cities, rising wages amid a tight labor market, and the end of deflation requiring a broader mix of properties to suit different needs.”
Tokyo’s 23 Wards saw average market rents “grow at a CAGR of 3.9% over the past three years, compared to 2.3% annually over the past decade .”
Greater Tokyo areas such as Yokohama and Kawasaki registered “3.4% CAGR over three years, versus 2.0% over ten years.”
Harumi Kadono, Head of Japan Real Estate, Aberdeen Investments, has commented that structural demand drivers—such “as sustained net migration, growth in single-person and DINK (Dual-Income, No Kids) households, and elevated development costs limiting new supply—will keep multifamily vacancy rates tight.”
Kadono added that jigh condominium prices are also now “pushing more households to rent.”
They further noted that while strong rental growth has been concentrated in Tokyo’s Central 5 Wards, they expect “this trend to extend to peripheral wards and Greater Tokyo areas like Yokohama and Kawasaki as households seek more affordable options.”
As a participant in the global real estate market, Aberdeen says that it has experience in “managing direct and indirect real estate investments, real estate multimanager services, listed real estate, and real estate debt solutions.”
As of 30 Sept ’25, Aberdeen has reportedly managed “£36 billion in real estate assets.”