Dentsu sells off estate including Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house
Advertising giant Dentsu Group is selling off two large estates in Tokyo and Kamakura for a combined 30 billion Yen (approx. US$271 million) to an undisclosed buyer. The Tokyo property includes one of just two surviving Frank Lloyd Wright-designed homes in Japan.
Business hotels performing the best in a bad situation
The onset of the pandemic and international travel bans in March 2020 saw occupancy rates in Japan’s hotels plummet. Resort hotels saw occupancy levels drop to just 3.3% during the State of Emergency in May 2020, while traditional ryokans weren’t far behind with 5.9% occupancy.
Tokyo Apartment Sales in March 2021
The following is a selection of apartments that were reported to have sold in central Tokyo during the month of March 2021:
Ginza to get its own High Line
One of the more well-known expressways in downtown Tokyo is about to be converted into an elevated pedestrian promenade and greenway, similar to the High Line park in New York City.
Quick real estate news summary for the week
Fire insurance policy terms reduced, Blackstone to acquire 8 hotels, and apartment asking prices in Tokyo increase for 8th month in a row. Below is a quick weekly summary of some of the recent goings-on in the Japanese real estate market.
Majority of wooden homes built before 2000 need earthquake-retrofitting
According to the Japan Wood-frame House Earthquake Reinforcement Business Cooperative, made up of contractors and architects that provide earthquake-retrofitting services, 93% of the 4,000 homes that have had earthquake-resistance inspections carried out over the past 15 years in Tokyo were at risk of collapse in an earthquake that produced a seismic-intensity (shindo) level of upper 6 or higher (*Note: The seismic intensity scale is difference to magnitude). The average age of a house surveyed by the Cooperative was 37 years.
Brutalist building in Tsukiji to be demolished
Demolition of the Kenzo Tange-designed Dentsu Tsukiji Building will start on April 18. The brutalist landmark building will be flattened to make way for a multi-block redevelopment by Sumitomo Realty & Development.