According to the Research Institute of Construction and Economy (Kensetsu Bukka Chosakai), an update published on 21 July 2026 links rising construction material prices and emerging supply concerns in Japan to escalating tensions in the Middle East. The institute's monthly publication, "Kensetsu Bukka" (Construction Prices), tracks the issue on a Tokyo-standard basis.
The report states that maritime transport risk in the Strait of Hormuz, combined with rising crude oil prices, has become visible in supply concerns and upward price pressure for construction materials with high dependence on petroleum-based feedstocks. Materials named in the report include paint thinner, asphalt mixtures, waterproofing materials and insulation.
The institute's own price indices, published on the same site, show the trend already feeding through into broader cost measures. The construction material price index for general construction in Tokyo rose 1,5% month-on-month in June. The construction cost index for reinforced-concrete condominiums in Tokyo rose 0,9% in June, after a 0,3% increase in May, while the civil engineering cost index for public works in Tokyo rose 0,3% in June.
The institute's underlying data series on materials affected by the Middle East situation tracks the highest and lowest values recorded for each material since the May 2021 issue of "Kensetsu Bukka", with the displayed edition corresponding to the month in which that price level was first recorded.