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
Heir donates historic villa to Chigasaki City
The owner of a 116-year old former hospital ward in Chigasaki, Kanagawa, has donated the property to the city in accordance with his late father's wishes.
‘Nanko-in’ was founded by Doctor Koan Takata (1861-1945) in 1899 as a tuberculosis sanatorium. The 18,000 sqm beachfront site in the Shonan area was chosen because of its clean air and environment. A 2-storey, wooden building with a total floor area of 230 sqm (2,475 sq.ft) was built in 1899 as the first hospital ward.
The hospital started with just ten rooms and three patients. One of those was the widow of Kaishu Katsu, a samurai and politician. Author Doppo Kunikida was hospitalised here before his death in 1908. His illness was reported in the Yomiuri Newspaper at the time and elevated the reputation of both the hospital and the Chigasaki vacation villa area.Read more
Yokohama school to demolish 87-year old building
The Kanto Gakuin Junior High School has decided to tear down their 87-year old former main building due to age and deterioration.
Built in 1929, the Norman-style building was designed by American architect J.H. Morgan (1868-1937). It was built from reinforced concrete and is 3 storeys with 1 basement. The interior has classrooms and a chapel. It was in use until 2009.
The school principal said that the school and wanted to preserve the historic building but a structural inspection found that the concrete and steel reinforcing was showing significant deterioration. In accordance with guidance from Yokohama City, the school has no choice but to move ahead with demolition.
The building did not appear to show any significant damage from the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. Read more
City in Hokkaido to buy mid-century bank building
Kushiro City in Hokkaido is moving ahead with plans to buy the former Bank of Japan Kushiro Branch in an effort to preserve the 63-year old building.
The city had earlier considered to converting the building for public use, but the estimated 1.5 billion Yen (12.4 million USD) repair bill proved too costly for the city's budget. However, if the city did not purchase the building there was a chance that it could be demolished. Ever since the Bank of Japan moved to a new location in 2013, local residents have petitioned for the preservation of the old building and had collected 10,000 signatures.Read more
290,000 USD will get you Fukuoka Prefecture’s oldest bank building
Fukuoka’s oldest bank building to be demolished if buyer is not found
The owner of a 118-year old former bank building in Kitakyushu City plans to demolish the historic property in the new year in order to sell the vacant block of land.
The former Sumitomo Bank Wakamatsu Branch Building was built in 1897 and is the oldest surviving bank building in Fukuoka Prefecture. The bank closed its doors in 1967, just as the region's coal mining industry was reaching an end.
The two-storey, wood and brick building fronts onto a covered shopping arcade and adjoins an open plaza that was once the site of the branch office for Sumitomo’s coal mining operations.
Sumitomo’s archival department do not know who the original architect was, although some experts suggest it may have been Magoichi Noguchi (1869-1915), an architect who designed many of Sumitomo Bank’s branches during that period, and who had also designed the Osaka Prefectural Nakanoshima Library.Read more
Historic Rokkosan Hotel to close
Hankyu Hanshin Hotels, part of Hankyu Hanshin Holdings, will close the historic 86-year old Rokkosan Hotel in Kobe on December 20. Hotel operations will continue in the newer 45-room main building located next door.
The original hotel was opened in 1929 as an annex to the Takarazuka Hotel, before later operating as an independent hotel. It was designed by architect Masaharu Furuzuka, one of the Osaka-Kobe area’s leading modernist architects. Furuzuka also designed the Takarazuka Hotel in 1926.Read more
Historic villa in Beppu at risk of demolition
A historic home and art gallery in Beppu City is at risk of demolition, leading local residents and art aficionados scrambling to find a solution to protect the 86-year old property. The gallery and cafe is due to close by the end of this month.
Chochokaku was built in 1929 and is registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property. It was built by Kinya Takahashi (1866-1937), a politician, businessman and first president of the Beppu Chamber of Commerce, as his personal residence and guest house. The 2-storey wooden residence has a total floor area of 270 sqm (2,905 sq.ft). It includes both the traditional Japanese-style residence with tatami rooms, as well as an art-deco western-style wing.Read more