Recent demolitions. [LEFT] Doshisha Friendly Peace House; [CENTER] Wakabayashi Store; [RIGHT] Heirakuji Bookstore.

Kyoto’s modern architecture (buildings built from the Meiji period through to pre-war) is starting to disappear as developers grow increasingly keen on grabbing new sites for development. 

There are more than a few cases of national heritage listed properties being delisted to make way for new construction. 

A survey carried out by Kyoto City between 2005 and 2006 found 1,749 examples of surviving modern architecture, exceeding the number found in cities such as Yokohama and Kobe. Kyoto’s old buildings have survived thanks to the city escaping calamities such as WWII air raids and natural disasters that caused great damage to other cities. The city also didn’t go through a massive post-war redevelopment boom.

Registered tangible cultural properties topped 425 listings as of November 2018, but there have been several losses over the previous year. In 2017, the city saw its first heritage de-listing with the owner of the 90-year old Heirakuji Bookstore de-listing the building in order to demolish it. It has since been replaced with an apartment building. This was followed by the decision of the Wakabayashi buddhist altar store to demolish their 91-year old traditional two-storey merchant shop alongside Shichi-jo Street. 

The latest in the list of demolitions is Doshisha University’s decision to tear down their heritage-listed Friend Peace House on the eastern side of the Kyoto Imperial Palace. The western-style wood-clad building was built in 1877 as the residence of missionary doctor John C. Perry. 

The city council’s cultural property division has reported several other recent inquiries about demolition and is expecting the pace of loss to quicken in the coming years. 

Under the heritage listing system, the owner of a registered tangible cultural property has few limitations compared to a designated important cultural property or national treasure. While the building’s exterior should be preserved, the owner is free to alter the interior as they please. The owner can submit notification to cancel the heritage listing and demolish the building if they choose. 

Source: The Kyoto Shimbun, January 21, 2019.

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