Japan Construction Bankruptcies Hit 2,014, Topping 2,000 for First Time in 12 Years
- Tokyo Shoko Research: Construction industry bankruptcies hit 2,014 cases in 2025, up 4.6% from last year
- Four consecutive years of record-high figures since 2013
- Sharp contrast between struggling and profitable firms
If you are buying property in Japan, waiting on delivery, or eyeing a new development, this number matters more than any price index. Tokyo Shoko Research counts 2,014 construction-sector bankruptcies in Japan in 2025, up 4.6 percent on the year, a fourth straight annual rise and the first time the figure has topped 2,000 since 2,421 back in 2013.
For a buyer this is not distant industry news. It decides whether your building finishes on schedule, and whether anyone answers the phone for repairs. Construction is layered subcontracting: what usually fails is not the main contractor but the waterproofing or equipment specialist underneath, and the owner is the last to find out.
Set against 2013's 2,421, the current figure shows where we stand — not a record, but back at a level last seen twelve years ago. The four-year run is the real signal. One bad year is a cycle; four is structure. Material costs and labour shortages are set by the market, while contract prices are set before those costs arrive.
The report's framing — who earns and who cannot — is the useful one. What is being culled is bargaining power, not size. Buyers should read delay clauses closely, budget wider for renovation quotes, and assume repairs will take longer.
