City steps in to preserve historic building in Amagasaki
A 120-year-old building in Amagasaki City has been saved from demolition with the owner donating the building for free to the city. The city will be acquiring the 3,000 sqm of land it sits on within the year.
Osaka to demolish 99-yr old official residence
The Osaka Prefectural government is considering demolishing the 99-year old official prefectural governor's residence. The historic home had been occupied by many governors over the past century but there have been growing concerns over its safety in the event of an earthquake.
Historic school building in Ueno to be demolished
The 94-year-old former Shitaya Elementary School in Ueno will be demolished by Taito ward sometime in 2023. This was one of the ‘revival elementary schools’ built after the devastating 1923 Great Kanto earthquake.
Shrine to convert akiya into tourist lodgings
Hikosan Jingu Shrine in Fukuoka Prefecture is embarking on a plan to convert 10 vacant ‘akiya’ homes into lodgings for tourists. It is hoped this will revitalize the historic streets and help out local souvenir shops and businesses.
Brutalist gymnasium’s future still unclear
The Kenzo Tange-designed Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium may be tumbling closer to demolition as earthquake-retrofitting seems to be more challenging and costly than anticipated.
Heritage-listed house in Hokkaido hits the market
An historic merchant house in Hokkaido has apparently been listed for sale for just 30 million Yen (US$210,000). The heritage-listed Yokoyama Residence was built in the 1860s and later.
For Sale: House next door to historic Iseya Pawnshop
An old townhouse located right next door to the historic Iseya Pawnshop in Hongo, Tokyo, was listed for sale recently. The two-story wooden house fronts onto Kikuzaka Street.
Shirokane road widening plan to start this year
Bad news for this stretch of historic shophouses alongside Kitasato Street in Shirokane. On July 25, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced that a road widening plan will start sometime this year that will see the road widened from its current 11 meters to 20 meters. Doing so will probably require some buildings to be partially or entirely demolished.
Historic home in Kagoshima to be demolished
A historic and heritage-listed home in Kagoshima City will be demolished by the end of this year after a six-year attempt to save it.