Yokohama Mitsui Bussan Warehouse 2

Despite the best efforts of architects and historians from across the country, the owner of the Former Mitsui Bussan Yokohama Warehouse in downtown Yokohama is pushing ahead with demolition.

On November 5, a notice was posted outside the 104-year old building indicating the start of demolition. The building will be completely razed by mid-February 2015. The owner, Tokyo-based real estate and expat leasing company Ken Corporation, has ignored pleas from various preservation groups.

The Former Mitsui Bussan Yokohama Warehouse was designed by Oto Endo and built in 1910. Endo was a pioneer in designing reinforced-concrete buildings and this was one of the earliest structures in Japan to incorporate RC in the construction. He also designed the adjoining Mitsui Bussan Yokohama Office Building in 1911, which was the first building in the country to be built entirely out of reinforced concrete. The two buildings formed an important part of Yokohama’s silk trade, and the warehouse was used for the storage of silk.

According to emeritus professor Koichi Yoshida of the Yokohama National University, the warehouse was transferred to Nitto Soko, a subsidiary of Mitsui Bussan, in 1952 and was used for general storage.

The building is a rare surviving example of mixed construction including RC, brick and wood-frame. It is also one of the few buildings to have survived both the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake and its resulting fires. Since the building, with its steel shutters, was fireproof, the silk stored inside was not damaged by the widespread fires following the earthquake. The revival of the silk trade following the disaster was due in part to this building.

Yokohama Mitsui Bussan Warehouse 1

In August 2013, Ken Corporation acquired the warehouse and neighbouring office building from the previous owner. In May, they announced their plans to demolish the warehouse.

In June, Yokohama City issued a notice to Ken seeking the protection of the warehouse. Between July and August, the Architectural Institute of Japan and the Japan Institute of Architects also contacted Ken and the city with similar requests.

Heritage listing?

In order to designate a property as a cultural asset, the consent of the owner is required. In this case the owner is a private company, more specifically a real estate company with plans to redevelop the site. Obtaining consent would be a difficult task as a heritage listing would limit the financial gain to be made from a new development. Yokohama City requested a heritage listing for the property, but the owner would not agree.

Ken have not announced any future plans for the site after demolition.

Mitsui Bussan Warehouse Yokohama demolition November 19 2014
Scaffolding being installed around the building on November 19, 2014. Via the “Save Silk Warehouse, The Soul of Yokohama” Facebook page (https://ja-jp.facebook.com/mituiyokohamaWarehouse)

Sources:
The Nikkei Shimbun, November 6, 2014.
The Sankei Shimbun, October 25, 2014.

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