Original Nikko Kanaya Hotel and Samurai House Foreclosed
*Update: The property sold to a private buyer for 33,000,000 Yen. They were the only bidder. It was then carefully restored, and registered as a Tangible Cultural Property in 2014. From 2015 onwards it has been open to the public.
The original 350+ year old Nikko Kanaya Hotel has been foreclosed on and is up for auction with a minimum bid set at 25 million Yen (320,000 USD). The house was originally built as a samurai residence in the Kan'ei era (1624-1644). At the beginning of the Meiji era, James Curtis Hepburn, a Christian missionary who created the Hepburn romanization system for Japanese, stayed at the home, which was then the residence of Zenichiro Kanaya. Mr. Hepburn suggested that the owner use his home as an inn for foreigners. The house soon became a popular spot for foreign guests and became known as "Kanaya Cottage Inn" and was later re-named "Kanaya Hotel."Read more
Foreclosed Aomori shrine for just 1 million Yen
The Hirosaki Toshogu Shinto Shrine in Hirosaki City, Aomori, is being put up sale as the shrine owners undergo bankruptcy proceedings.
The administrators announced that they are in negotiations with a Tokyo-based real estate company to sell the main shrine for just 1 million Yen (12,700 USD).Read more
Murky details about foreclosed illegal casino in Nishiazabu
On March 6th the Tokyo Police Department issued arrest warrants for Daisuke Shioda, the former president of ABC Home, and four associates for interfering with the public auction of a foreclosed property owned by ABC Home. However, Shioda has so far evaded capture and his whereabouts are unknown.
Shioda is accused of falsifying the ownership details on the real estate register of the property in order to prevent the property from selling at auction. He also lied and said that his mother and sister had 18 ~ 20 year leases on some of the floors in the building.Read more
[Foreclosed] Ruins of Kobe Ijinkan
Auction estimate: 65,000,000 Yen
The ruins of a former ijinkan (western-style foreign residence) in Kobe's Kitano area are up for public auction.
Built in the Taisho period (1912 ~ 1926), the home was originally called the Bajaj Residence. During the pre-war days it was the official residence of the Iranian Consul General.Read more
[Foreclosed] Japanese Castle in Hokkaido
*NO LONGER AVAILABLE*
Bidding started from 16,663,000 Yen
This foreclosed property in Akabira City is a replica of a traditional Japanese castle. The 6-storey reinforced concrete structure was originally called 'Tokugawa Castle" and was a doll museum. It was owned by the only festival doll manufacturer and supplier in Hokkaido, and the company used the space to display and sell their wares. The doll company still seems to be operating, but they have not used this building for the past five years. It has not been maintained during recent years and has some broken windows and roof damage.Read more
Foreclosures set to increase as more borrowers report difficulty making mortgage payments
The number of home-owners in Japan who are falling behind in mortgage payments and relinquishing their homes are increasing. According to the Fudosan Keibai Ryutsu Association (FKR), the number of foreclosed properties in 2010 was 51,746. This was a decrease of 7,000 from 2009, but is still at a high level.Read more
[Foreclosed] 13 Apartments in Gotenyama Trust Court
Court Evaluation: 543,200,000 Yen (7.05 million USD)
*Update: The winning bid was 548,000,888 Yen. Only 1 bid was made on the property and it was by a corporate entity.*
A group of 13 apartments have been foreclosed in Gotenyama Trust Court, near Shinagawa Station. The apartments range in size from 63.24 ~ 317.24 sqm (680 ~ 3413 sqft) and the total floor size is 1,552.83 sqm (16,708 sqft). The Court's evaluation of the value of the apartments is approximately 379,000 Yen/sqm.Read more