Hyogo-based company starts boutique historic hotel brand
In early October a Japanese association called NOTE opened up a series of historic hotels in the Sasayama Castle Town in Hyogo Prefecture. The boutique hotels are located in traditional and historic Japanese homes that have been carefully restored. NOTE currently has 11 hotel suites in four buildings in the town, and operates them under their NIPPONIA Sasayama Castle Town Hotel brand. They have also converted a former bank (c1934) in Toyooka into a hotel, restaurant and cafe.
NOTE is a Sasayama-based association that was established in 2009 with the purpose of reinvigorating rural areas through restoring old and vacant houses, promoting tourism and supporting local businesses. The food served in the hotel restaurants, for example, is sourced locally to support the town’s farmers, while staff are hired locally where possible.
NOTE is aiming to have 10 hotels in operation by the 2020 Olympics.Read more
Tokyo City to demolish Kunio Maekawa-designed clubhouse
The Tokyo metropolitan government plans to demolish the Fujimigaoka Clubhouse in Suginami-ku within this financial year.
The 200 sqm, 2-storey wooden structure was built in 1954 as the clubhouse for the former NHK sports grounds. It was designed by Kunio Maekawa - one of Japan’s great modernist architects.
Suginami-ku had leased the grounds from NHK from 2007 until May 2015, and used the clubhouse as the management office. Tokyo City acquired the 10.9 hectare property from NHK between 2012 ~ 2014, and are preparing to turn it into a public park. Unfortunately the city has decided that the clubhouse must be demolished to make way for the new park.Read more
Tsukiji makes World Monuments Watch List
Tokyo’s Tsukiji district was listed by the World Monuments Fund on their 2016 World Monuments Watch List. The district’s early 20th century architecture, which includes small two- and three-story wooden shophouses, is considered to be at risk due to the urban redevelopment that will occur after the relocation of the Tsukiji Fish Market.
The Tsukiji area is located just south of Ginza. It was largely reduced to rubble and burnt fields following the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, and the area’s neighbourhoods underwent a large re-shuffle. The fish market from Nihonbashi was relocated to Tsukiji and opened in 1935.Read more
Kobe to restore 82-year old town hall
Kobe City will soon carry out earthquake-retrofitting work on the historic Kobe Municipal Mikage Town Hall. The hall will close in early 2016 and will reopen in 2017. Although it survived the 1995 Hanshin Earthquake, a building inspection in 2008 found that it did not meet current earthquake codes.
With the urging of local residents, the city plans to retain as much of the historic exterior and interior as possible. Retrofitting and repairs are expected to cost 1.597 billion Yen (13.2 million USD).Read more
Renewal of modernist theatre in Kyoto reaches completion
Construction and refurbishment of the 55-year old Kyoto Kaikan building finished earlier this month. The original hall was designed by leading modernist architect Kunio Maekawa (1905-1986) and built in 1960. However, theatre stages were too small and the building was not equipped for operas or ballet performances. The building’s condition was also starting to deteriorate.
Kyoto City spent 11 billion Yen refurbishing the South Hall which included preserving the Maekawa-designed exterior, while the Main Hall was completely rebuilt into a 6-storey hall with 2,005 seats.Read more
Historic residence in Wakayama donated to city
The owner of a historic home in Shingu City in Wakayama Prefecture, donated a 89-year old western-style house to the City.
Although the house was donated for free, the city agreed to pay approximately 18 million Yen (152,000 USD) for the 730 sqm block of land. The city plans to repair the home and open it to visitors. The total cost of the project, including the purchase price, was estimated at around 100 million Yen (843,000 USD).
The former Chapman Residence was built in 1926 for American missionary E.N. Chapman and his family. It was designed by architect Isaku Nishimura (1884-1963), the founder of the Bunka Gakuin School in Sumida-ku, Tokyo. Nishimura was born into a wealthy merchant family in Shingu City. His father, Yohei Oishi, was and elder of the Presbyterian Church and named Isaku after Isaac from the Old Testament. Read more
Iga City’s modernist government building may be saved from demolition
The 50-year old City Hall building in Iga City, Mie Prefecture, might just be saved from demolition after a building report suggested that repairing the structure may be cheaper than rebuilding it.
The city mayor has proposed restoring the south building and using it as a multi-purpose centre with library facilities. At a council meeting, however, concerns were raised about whether the building could be earthquake-retrofitted and how much it would cost to renovate it rather than destroy it.
Early estimates suggested that large-scale repairs and maintenance to the building could cost around 5.5 billion Yen (44.5 million USD).Read more