Iwate's largest kominka to be historically listed

One of Tohoku's finest and largest kominka's from the late Edo Period, Kyu-Honokidate Residence, will soon be listed as an important cultural property. The main house and traditional storehouse sit on an 10,000 sqm block of land in Ichinohe Town, Iwate Prefecture.

The thatched-roof house has a total interior size of 490 sqm (5272 sqft) and was constructed in 1862. It was the home of a very wealthy farmer who owned extensive forestry and farmland. A total of 20 family members and servants were thought to have lived in the house at one time. The large dirt floor (doma) area on one side of the house was used as a workshop as well as a barn for horses and cattle.Read more

by Zoe Ward

More Taiwanese buying Japanese real estate since 3-11?

According to Taiwanese media reports, the number of Taiwanese buying real estate in Japan is steadily increasing.

In 2010, one of Taiwan's largest real estate agencies, Sinyi Realty, established a branch in Japan. The China Times reported that in the 7 months following the Tohoku disaster, Sinyi sold 68 Japanese properties to Taiwanese buyers with a total value of 2.75 billion Yen (35 million USD).

The company president said that buyers were actually more fearful of a stockmarket crash than an earthquake, so they are seeing an increasing number of Taiwanese who view purchasing Japanese real estate as a way of managing their funds. Of the 68 properties, 39 were in brand new developments. This highlights the trend of Taiwanese buyers to prefer new over older apartments. The president also said that approximately 50 Taiwanese travel to Japan each month to view properties.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Damage to Cultural Properties in the Great East Japan Earthquake

The following is a list of Japan's designated cultural properties that suffered damage from the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. In the Tohoku region, a total of 250 cultural properties were damaged, while in the Kanto area, which includes Tokyo, a total of 435 cultural properties suffered damage.

Built in 1906, Izura-Rokkakudo in Kita-Ibaraki City was washed away by the March 11 tsunami.

Read more

by Zoe Ward

For Sale: 440sqm apartment in Motoazabu

Price: SOLD
Size: 441.47 sqm (4750 sqft) 

This 1st floor apartment in Domus Motoazabu has an interior space of 441.47 sqm as well as a private garden of 326.14 sqm, bringing the total usable space to 767.61 sqm (8259 sqft). Read more

by Zoe Ward

New apartment developments around Tokyo Sky Tree

The area surrounding the new Tokyo Sky Tree in Sumida-ku is seeing more and more new condominiums hit the market. Developers are promoting properties that are within walking distance to, or have views of the new tower.

In July, Sumitomo Corporation began selling apartments in "City House Narihirabashi Station Court" which is just a 4 minute walk to Sky Tree. The price of a 2-bedroom apartment in this building is around 40 million Yen (512,000 USD) which is comparatively higher than surrounding buildings. Although only a portion of the 35 apartments have views of the Sky Tree, most of the apartments offered for sale in the initial sales period have been sold.  Sumitomo's PR department said that the new retail development around the base of the Sky Tree will add to the convenience of the neighborhood, as will gradual improvements to the surrounding streets. Buyers are anticipating that the neighborhood's image will improve over time.Read more

by Zoe Ward

70 - 80 percent drop in rosenka land values in Tohoku

In order to account for changes in land values due to the March 11 Tohoku disaster, Japan's National Tax Agency (NTA) announced adjustment ratios, or scaling factors, for the 2011 rosenka (prices of land fronting major roads). Along with the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake, this is only the second time in history that adjustment ratios have been introduced.Read more

by Zoe Ward

Foreign visitors to Mt. Fuji area down 77%

Foreign visitors represent an important of the tourism industry in the areas surrounding Mt. Fuji. The Mt. Fuji Visitor Center in Yamanashi Prefecture reported that the number of foreign visitors to the center between April and September, 2011, fell 77% from a year earlier to 20,650.

Chinese tourists typically make up the majority of foreign visitors to the Mt. Fuji area, however, the number of Chinese visitors fell by 78% to 10,300. Fuji Kyuko, a tourism company that operates in conjunction with the Visitor Center, had opened a sales office in Shanghai in July, 2010, but the effects of the March disaster continue to have a negative effect on their business.Read more

by Zoe Ward