Kawasaki apartment block to be rebuilt after construction defects discovered
A 7-storey apartment building in Kawasaki City is due to be demolished and rebuilt after construction flaws were recently discovered that compromize the integrity of the structure.
A routine building inspection in 2009 uncovered gaps inside the beams and pillars of the building, as well as styrofoam and wood mixed in with the concrete pillars and walls. There were also fewer reinforced bars in the concrete than the construction blueprints indicated.Read more
The leaning tower of Sendai
Sunny Heights Takasago, a 14-storey, 189 unit apartment building in Sendai City, suffered serious damage during the March 11 Earthquake which left it tilting on an angle.
Following the earthquake, 400 residents evacuated their apartments and stayed in the 1st floor meeting area or at the nearby school hall. The pillars in Sunny Heights had developed cracks and the reinforcing steel was poking out of the concrete. From a distance it was easy to see how much the building was leaning.Read more
Hiroshima's Kyobashi Kaikan residence to be demolished
Kyobashi Kaikan was constructed by the Hiroshima Prefectural Housing Corporation during the restoration period following the nuclear bombing. The building is now 57 years old and due to aging and its dilapidated condition it will be torn down and replaced by a 21 story building. Demolition is scheduled to begin in September, 2011.Read more
Historic lodging house "Hongokan" to be demolished in August
Built in 1905, Hongokan is Japan's oldest 3-storey wooden lodging house. The L-shaped building has approximately 70 rooms and a total floorspace of 1500 sqm which is very large in scale for a wooden structure.
It was built by an aristocratic family from Gifu Prefecture and was initially used as a boarding house for the Tokyo Girl's Highschool (now known as Ochanomizu Women's College), but soon became a high-grade lodging house that provided luxury accommodation.Read more