New plan requiring land risks to be explained before sale

The Japan Association of Home Suppliers has announced plans to require a site geography and history report to be presented to the buyer prior to the sale of a home.

There are approximately 100 home builders who are members of the Association. The committee chairman, also company president of Mita Housing, said that following the Tohoku disaster they had received an increasing number of inquiries from clients concerned about the liquefaction risk and strength of the ground. He believes that providing a geography and history report for each property would provide help to ease the concerns of buyers. Mita Housing is about to introduce this new reporting system into their own business, and many other real estate companies also have plans to do so.Read more


Kengo Kuma designs Starbucks store

Japanese modern architect, Kengo Kuma, has designed a Starbucks Coffee store for Dazaifu City, Fukuoka Prefecture. The new store is located along the road that leads to the Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine and is scheduled to open on December 16, 2011.Read more