Comparative study of factors influencing used housing prices in Osaka and Fukuoka using geographically weighted regression

Japan's rapid depopulation is creating a rising need to desterilize empty condominium units. However, the lack of a market for used housing, as well as a lack of transparency in the price structure, are making this prob-lematic. This study intends to investigate spatial non-stationarity in the used housing market based on trends in Osaka and the smaller urban center Fukuoka. Specifically, it seeks to understand what kind of factors may mo-tivate buyers in what kind of areas through Geographically Weighted Re-gression (GWR). Our choice of GWR is based on the fact that it enables analysis of local attributes. We found that floor space and the age of the building were the most important factors both in Osaka and Fukuoka, albe-it in different types of areas. Such data may be useful for urban planning and infrastructural investment.