Former British Embassy Villa in Nikko to be open to public
Tochigi Prefecture is making plans to restore and open up the former villa of the British Embassy on Lake Chuzenji to the public as a way to promote tourism in the Nikko area.
The prefecture has allocated 6 million Yen in their 2012 budget to start work on analyzing the foundations and earthquake-resistance of the villa. After carrying out any necessary repairs, the villa is scheduled to be open to the public from 2014.Read more
Any buyers? Minato Mirai's deficit difficulties lead to last minute sales tactics
Commission for anyone who can sell the remaining land in Minato Mirai.
Minato Mirai 21 (MM) is a 186 hectare waterfront business district in Yokohama, and is home to the Yokohama Landmark Tower. The land reclamation (40% of the area) and urban renewal project began in 1983, but there are still some large parcels of undeveloped land that the city is desperately trying to sell.Read more
Hotel Suigo in Ibaraki to be demolished due to earthquake damage
The Suigo hotel in Tsuchiura City, Ibaraki, will be demolished after it sustained damage in the March 11 Tohoku earthquake. Suigo is a local government operated hotel which offers low-cost accommodation. These type of lodgings are called "kokumin shukusha".Read more
Foreign fund sells Sendai hotel
A business hotel developer and operator called Shogetsu Sangyo announced that they have purchased Hotel Hokke Club Sendai from a foreign fund.Read more
Motoazabu Grand Mansion to be demolished in February
Taisei Corporation announced that they will begin the demolition of expat apartment "Motoazabu Grand Mansion" in February. The demolition work is scheduled to be completed by the end of November.Read more
Tsunami-hit homeowners to receive 80% of former land values
The town of Shinchi in Fukushima Prefecture will soon begin the process of buying up land in coastal areas from residents who have been displaced from the March 11 tsunami. This is the first town to announce official plans and set purchase values.
The land will be purchased at 80% of the government assessed land values (koji-chika) that were valued prior to the disaster.
There are five towns and cities along the tsunami-hit coastline, incuding Minamisoma, Soma, Iwaki, Hirano and Shinchi, that plan to relocate residents to higher ground. In Shinchi, 500 homes were fully or partially destroyed by the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.Read more