An office conversion is planned for a long-shuttered spa and onsen building in downtown Shibuya. Shiespa, located 600 meters from Shibuya Station, opened in 2006 as a women-only spa and onsen. It closed its doors in August 2007 and has sat vacant ever since.

In June 2007, a methane gas explosion in the spa’s nearby annex building, containing locker rooms and an employee break room, killed three employees. The damaged annex building was finally demolished in 2016.

Hot spring water was sourced from a 1,200 meter deep well. The Shibuya district is located within the South Kanto Gas Field, where methane gas can be found approximately 1,500 meters below ground.

Source: Nikkei Business Publications, October 15, 2019. 

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