Historic Niigata ryokan declares bankruptcy
The Kihachiya Ryokan in Sado City, Niigata, has entered into bankruptcy proceedings and may be forced to sell their hotel. According to Teikoku Databank, Kihachiya Ryokan has debts of 560 million Yen.Read more
Historical Ijinkan in Kobe burns down
The Grande Maison Graciani French restaurant in Kobe's Kitanocho neighborhood caught fire early this morning and was completely destroyed.
A neighbor alerted the fire department after noticing flames from the 1st floor on the north-west side of the building. Fifteen neighboring residents were evacuated as the fire posed a risk of spreading. The restaurant was closed on February 13th and had been locked up since the evening of the 12th. On February 7th, a small fire was reported at the front of the property, but was extinguished. Authorities are currently investigating the cause of the fire, and suspect arson.Read more
Brick warehouse in Gunma at risk of demolition
A 90 year old red-brick warehouse built during the Taisho period in Ora Town, Gunma, is at risk of being demolished in the near future.
The building was once used in the production of "nakanogasuri" - a style of cloth-weaving dyed with wooden patterns, and is now owned by the JA Oura Tatebayashi Agricultural Cooperative (JA). The warehouse suffered structural damage during the Tohoku earthquake and the owner has expressed intent to demolish the structure.Read more
Former British Embassy Villa in Nikko to be open to public
Tochigi Prefecture is making plans to restore and open up the former villa of the British Embassy on Lake Chuzenji to the public as a way to promote tourism in the Nikko area.
The prefecture has allocated 6 million Yen in their 2012 budget to start work on analyzing the foundations and earthquake-resistance of the villa. After carrying out any necessary repairs, the villa is scheduled to be open to the public from 2014.Read more
Modernist House in Kobe demolished
The former Matsuhashi Ryuzo Residence is a 2-storey home in Ashiya City that was built in 1935 for a businessman from Tennoji in Osaka. It was one of the few remaining examples of modernist architecture in the Hanshin area. It was designed by architect, Kikuji Ishimoto, who also designed the Shirokiya Department Store in Nihonbashi.Read more
Former village office in Yamagata to be demolished
The former Kogane Village Office in Tsuruoka City, Yamagata Prefecture, is going to be demolished as the historical property has become too difficult to maintain. Tsuruoka City owns the property and does not have the financial ability to preserve and maintain the building.Read more
Bankrupt Matsubishi Dept Store to be demolished
Demolition preparation work has started on the Matsubishi Department Store in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture. The building is expected to be completely demolished by the end of July, 2012.
The total cost is expected to reach 500 ~ 600 million Yen and will be shared amongst the landholders, which include Asahi Corporation.
The main building of the Matsubishi Department Store was completed in 1936. It suffered damage but miraculously survived the bombing of Hamamatsu in WWII which destroyed 60 percent of the city. Later, in 1956, the store was home to the first escalator in Shizuoka Prefecture.Read more