Owner ignores heritage listing, plans to demolish significant Kyoto machiya

On February 1, Kyoto City issued a warning to the owner of a city-designed historic home after learning about plans for its sale and demolition or relocation. This is the first time the city has had to issue a warning to a property owner. 

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Hotel Okura to replace South Wing annex with high-rise apartments and office

The last vestige of Hotel Okura’s modernist presence is in line to be demolished as redevelopment plans surface for the Hotel Okura Tokyo’s annex (South Wing). 

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39-yr old apartment building near Hamamatsucho to be redeveloped

The home owners association of an old apartment block in Tokyo’s bay front area have voted in favor of redevelopment, with the former 14-storey building to be replaced by a 32-storey apartment tower. The former Itohpia Hamarikyu apartment building was built in 1979 and is a 5 minute walk east of Hamamatsucho Station in Tokyo’s Minato Ward. The 14-story building contains 328 apartments and sits on a 2,820 sqm block of land fronting onto an expressway.

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15th century home in Kyoto demolished

A traditional townhouse dating back to the 1400s in Kyoto was demolished at the end of August. The Kawai Residence, located alongside the Tenjin River in Nakagyo Ward, was the oldest surviving townhouse in the city.

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Historic home in Bunkyo-ku to be demolished next month

An 81-year old house in Tokyo’s Bunkyo ward will be demolished next month. A farewell open-house event was held on November 16 and 17 by a Bunkyo historical preservation society, with over 280 visitors lining up to visit the home for the last time.

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Historic brick warehouse in Nagasaki under demolition

Nagasaki City is pushing ahead with the demolition of a historic brick warehouse in Matsugaemachi. According to city archives, the Lake & Co. Warehouse was built sometime in the mid-Meiji period (1868-1912) by merchant brothers George and Edward Lake to store goods for their general store.

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Daikanyama retail to be replaced with residential building

La fuente Daikanyama, a low-rise retail complex in the heard of the Daikanyama district, will soon be demolished to make way for an apartment building. The retail mall will close in July 2018.Read more