Nishiazabu condominium to offer Mercedes Benz car sharing
On September 4, Mitsubishi Jisho Residence launched the sales gallery for The Parkhouse Nishiazabu Residence condominium. The developer is promoting, in collaboration with Mercedes Benz, a new service for residents of the building called "Premium Owner's Support." This includes car sharing and chauffeur services and is said to be a first in the industry.Read more
Tokyo Office Vacancy Rates for August
According to Miki Shoji, the commercial vacancy rates in Tokyo's central 5 wards (Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Shinjuku and Shibuya) in August dropped 0.13 points from the previous month to 9.17%. The vacancy rate on brand new buildings dropped 3.48 points to 30.16%.
In Shinjuku-ku, the vacancy rate dropped 1.05 points to 10.85%, as large foreign financial corporations began to consolidate their various offices into one space. In Minato-ku, the rate increased by 0.48% to 10.10%. This was partly due to the completion of Ark Hills Sengokuyama Mori Tower. The 47 storey tower has a total floorspace of 43,423 tsubo (143,296 sqm).Read more
Rare 90 year old house in Chiyoda-ku to be demolished
The 90 year old Kashiwayama Residence in Kanda-Sudacho, Chiyoda-ku, is going to be demolished soon due to deterioration and redevelopment. The sheet copper house dates from the Taisho era. It survived the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923 and the air raids during WWII.
The 3-storey wooden-frame house has a sheet copper facade and a European-style mansard roof. The 1st floor was a small shop, while the owner lived on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The 85 year old owner, Kazuko Kashiwayama, began living here in 1949. In those days, a 3-storey home was rare, and coupled with its modern exterior, it stood out in the neighborhood. When the war had ended, times were very difficult for many residents and quite often people would pinch a copper tile or two from the facade.Read more
Govt urges landowners in Fukushima evacuation zone not to sell
The government is requesting that residents from the evacuation zones near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant refrain from any real estate transactions within the area until evacuation orders are lifted.
The warning is to avoid any potential trouble arising after Tepco pays compensation to landowners and to ensure a smooth reorganization of the zones. The Yomiuri Shimbun gave a slightly different, and perhaps more honest reason for the request, which is to avoid the land being acquired by various yakuza organizations who, seeing an opportunity, may make it more difficult and more expensive for the government and Tepco to negotiate the storage of contaminated waste on such land. This is not an unfounded fear, as local real estate agents have reported receiving inquiries with very similar intentions.Read more
Thai property developer buys Hokkaido ski resort
Thai property developer Property Perfect has invested 770 million baht (approximately 1.9 billion Yen, or 24 million USD) in the takeover of the relatively unknown Kiroro Ski Resort, 43km west of Sapporo, from Mitsui Real Estate.Read more