Shizuoka's expanded nuclear disaster preparedness zone
On October 20, 2011, Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission has proposed an expansion of the recommended emergency planning zones (EPZ) around nuclear plants from 10 km to 30 km , as well as a proposed 50 km radius called a Plume Protection Planning Area (PPA) in which residents must stay indoors and towns must be prepared to distribute iodine tablets in an emergency situation.
The newly proposed 30 km Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone (UPZ) has increased the number of targeted cities and towns from 44 to 130 and the number of residents living in the expanded area is 7.93 million, or 6% of Japan's population. It would also include parts of prefectural capitals such as Shizuoka, Mito, Fukui, Kyoto and Kagoshima. There has been criticism that, similar to what has been observed in Fukushima, the radiation does not travel in concentric circles and may spread to towns that fall just outside of the UPZ.
Shizuoka Prefecture created a special research group to investigate disaster-preparedness measures for the area surrounding the controversial Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Omaezaki City.Read more
Mod home for sale in Nishiazabu
Price: 278,000,000 Yen No longer on the market
This is a stand-out home in central Tokyo that is just a short stroll from Roppongi Hills, Arisugawa Park and the popular Hiroo/Azabu expat area. In October, 2009, the house was fully renovated. The renovations included installing new water pipes, new bathrooms, flooring, wallpaper, new rooftop terrace and exterior re-painting.
The home has been cleverly designed to maximize natural light and airflow. There are 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 storerooms, and a loft/family room on the top floor which has access to the rooftop terrace. From the top floor there are views towards Roppongi and Roppongi Hills.Read more
Danchi reconstruction cancelled due to liquefaction
Reconstruction plans for the Sodegaura Danchi public housing project in Chiba's Narashino City have been put on hold as the recent liquefaction in the area caused by the March 11 Tohoku earthquake has deterred potential buyers for apartments in the new project.
The Sodegaura Danchi was built in 1967 and has 250 units. It is built on reclaimed land on Tokyo Bay and is a 45 minute drive from central Tokyo. A 3-bedroom apartment in the complex can be rented for as low as 60,000 Yen/month (780 USD).Read more
Vacant home owners at risk of punishment
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, there were 7,570,000 empty homes across Japan in 2008. Poorly maintained properties pose fire and crime risks and can also be a hazard in a natural disaster. However, there are currently no yet nation-wide laws to deal with such potentially dangerous properties.
Instead, individual cities and prefectures are starting to introduce their own "Vacant House Regulations" to combat this problem. Last year, a total of nine cities and/or prefectures including Tokorozawa (Saitama), Matsui (Shimane) and Wakayama Prefecture introduced such regulations. A further 9 areas ranging from Tohoku to Kyushu also have plans to enact similar ordinances. Read more
On Sale: Park Court Roppongi Hilltop
The first round of sales for Mitsui Fudosan Residential's "Park Court Roppongi Hilltop" begins on November 26. The 27-storey tower will have a total of 270 apartments, of which 213 will be made available for purchase. Apartments range in size from 45 to 152 sqm (484 ~ 1635 sqft) and are priced from 57.8 to 420 million Yen (750,000 ~ 5.45 million USD). The average apartment price is 1,400,000 Yen/sqm, which is slightly lower than the average price of other nearby modern apartments, while the penthouse apartments are priced at 2,685,000 Yen/sqm.
This is officially the first condominium building in Tokyo to be recognized as a "long term superior housing" development.Read more