Buildings in Minato-ku to be designated as tsunami-evacuation points
Selected buildings in Tokyo's Minato ward will be soon be designated as tsunami-evacuation points. Negotiations are underway between the local city council and 16 companies who own buildings of 10-storeys or higher. Approximately 36.5 million Yen has been set aside in the City's budget.
Several commercial and residential buildings in Arakawa-ku and Koto-ku have already received designations. While Arakawa-ku provided some assistance with the purchase of emergency supplies and rations, Minato-ku will provide all necessary supplies to the co-operating buildings. They are also considering providing assistance with any upgrades to building security so that they may be accessible to evacuees in an emergency situation.Read more
Mitsubishi Jisho is bringing luxury back with new 'Grand' series
Mitsubishi Jisho Residence announced on February 18 that they will be introducing a new series of condominiums targeting the high-end of the market. Called "The Parkhouse Grand" series, they will provide an additional level of luxury to their existing "The Parkhouse" series. Read more
Tokyo company offers cat-rental along with apartment
One association in Tokyo has taken the concept of pet-friendly apartments to the next level by offering rental apartments that include a cat as part of their lease terms.Read more
Redevelopment planned for Shibuya city office
Moves are underway to rebuild the Shibuya City Office buildings after it was discovered that they would be at risk of falling over in an earthquake that produced a shindo level of upper-6 (read about the Japanese seismic intensity scale here).
At a press conference held on February 12, Shibuya ward mayor, Toshitake Kuwahara, announced that they hope to decide on a budget for the project during the 2014 financial year. The buildings are currently below the maximum allowable building size for the site, so the local council hopes that the availability of additional space will help to reduce their own redevelopment costs.Read more
Customised rental properties provide answer to vacancy rate problem
An increasing number of landlords are offering to renovate their properties in accordance with their tenants' wishes in order to attract and retain long-term occupants.
Typical renovations can amount to two year's rent, but in an effort to retain the tenants in the long term, the landlord of one building spent approximately three year's rent on renovating an apartment to the client's specifications. The rent on this particular apartment is 160,000 Yen a month, approximately 10,000 Yen higher than it was prior to the renovation.Read more