81-yr old building in Kamakura sold to sake brewery
The Kumazawa Brewing Company, a Chigasaki-based sake brewery established in 1873, has purchased the former Kamakura Pumping Station for 96.5 million Yen (approx. 860,000 USD). The seller was Kanagawa Prefecture.Read more
Shrine to demolish 53-yr old building by iconic architect
A 53-year old former Shrine Office building in Shimane Prefecture is at risk of demolition. The owner, Izumo-taisha (aka the Izumo Grand Shrine), is considering tearing down the building due to its deteriorating state.
Architects and local groups are petitioning the shrine to consider the cultural importance of the building and preserve it for future generations. The shrine office was designed by architect Kiyonori Kikutake (1928-2011) and completed in 1963. Kikutake, along with Kisho Kurokawa, was one of the founders of the metabolist movement and designed numerous buildings across Japan.Read more
Kyoto City auctions off historic villa
Kyoto City has auctioned off a 3,200 sqm site of city-owned land in Ukyo-ku. The ‘Narutaki-ryo’ was built in 1939 as the residence of Kozo Ohwatari of the Kyoto Dento Electric Power Company. After WWII, the property was acquired by Kyoto City and had been used as a wedding and function facility.
The property includes a large landscaped garden, and a traditional Japanese style main house with a western-style annex, both dating from the 1930s. The city carried out large renovations and repairs to the property over a 10 year period in the 1990s, but the interior and exterior remains largely original.Read more
One of Tokyo's oldest Ryokans to be demolished this year
One of Tokyo’s older ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) is set to close at the end of March, ending 112 years of operations. Choyokan-honke is located in Hongo, Bunkyo-ku - an area that was once bustling with ryokans and old bathhouses. During the 1920s there were over 120 ryokans in the neighbourhood, but by the 1960s the number had dropped to around 50.
The building is schedule to be demolished in the summertime. It will then be replaced with a high-rise condominium.Read more
Construction Co. to demolish 90-year old western-style house in Nagano
The historic Shinshu-Kaikan building in Nagano City will be demolished to make way for a 15-storey apartment building.
It was built as the residence of Kyushichi Kobayashi, the first president of the Nagano Jitsugyo Bank (which later merged to become the Shinano Bank). The actual year of construction is unknown, although it is estimated to be approximately 90 years old. The two-storey house included a fireplace, which was unusual for residences, as well as a slate roof.Read more
Temple to demolish 100+ yr old historic villa in Kyoto
The former holiday villa of the head priest of the Nishi Hongan-ji Temple is going to be demolished this month.
Sanya-so, located in Kyoto’s Fushimi Ward, is a 10,000 sqm estate dating back the the late 1800s. In 1876, 21st head priest / Abbot Koson Otani (1850 - 1903) built a single-storey wooden house to be used to host guests. It had seven rooms and a tea house, and was situated on an elevated block of land overlooking Uji River.
In 1900 a new wing was built with four rooms. The new house was also single storey and had a total floor area of 360 sqm. It also featured floor heating, with steam piped through pipes that were installed under the floors.
The villa hosted several notable guests throughout the years, including Tokugawa Yoshinobu (the last shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate), Prince Ito Hirobumi (samurai and four time Prime Minister), and Field Marshal Prince Yamagata Aritomo (two time Prime Minister).Read more
90-year old town hall to be demolished
The 90-year old former Kano Town Hall in Gifu City will be demolished this year as repairs have become too costly and the building is at risk of collapse.
The 2-storey, reinforced concrete building was built in 1926 as the town hall for Kano Town (now part of Gifu City). The modernist building was designed by architect Goichi Takeda (1872-1938). It managed to survive the Gifu Air Raid of July 9, 1945, which destroyed 5 square kilometres of the city and killed 800 residents. For a brief time after the war it was used by the occupying forces. Read more