The historic Shibaura Kenban building in Tokyo will re-open in April after undergoing a full restoration. Built in the 1930s, this is said to be the only surviving pre-war, wood-frame ‘kenban’ in Tokyo. A kenban was traditionally an office that oversaw the operations of the geisha in the district.
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Musashino City is currently in discussions to acquire a modernist home designed by a renowned Czech architect.
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Three public housing blocks in Tokyo’s Kita ward have been registered as tangible cultural properties by Japan’s Council for Cultural Affairs. The historic building registration was formalized in December 2019. These are the first public housing blocks in the country to receive a national heritage listing.
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Hiroshima Prefecture plans to demolish two of four historic warehouses in Hiroshima City. The 100+-year-old buildings survived the 1945 atomic bombing and are of significant importance to the city’s history.
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The 90-year old former headquarters of Nintendo will be converted into a boutique hotel. The conversion project will see the historic building refurbished into a 20-room hotel with a restaurant, and guest gym and baths.
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Ushiku City in Ibaraki has agreed to lease a historic winery for 4,620,000 Yen (approx. 42,000 USD) per month. Ushiku Chateau (formerly Chateau Kamiya) was opened in 1903 by Denbe Kamiya (1856-1922) and was Japan’s first winery. In more recent years the winery was receiving as many as 400,000 visitors a year when it was open to the public. It closed last year, prompting locals to lobby the city to find a public use for the property.
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On November 19, JR-East announced that they will be demolishing the historic Harajuku Station building after the 2020 Summer Olympics. Built in 1924, this is the oldest surviving wooden station building in Tokyo.
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Heiwa Real Estate is in the process of converting a 100-year old office building in Nihonbashi into a small luxury hotel. The new hotel is scheduled to open next February.
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On October 9, the Kanagawa Shimbun newspaper reported that the former residence of author Jiro Osaragi (1897-1973) in Kamakura is for sale. The 100-year old traditional thatched roof house is designated by the city as an important scenic structure. The owners are hoping to find a buyer that will continue to preserve the culturally significant and historic home.
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The owner of a home near Lake Biwa is donating the property to Nagahama City. The Shimosaka Residence was built in the mid-1800s, while the earthen embankments and canals within the property are thought to date from the 1400 ~ 1500s. The property also includes a family Buddhist temple dating from the 1700s.
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