113-year old house in Setagaya may be demolished
Unless a last-minute deal can be struck, the historic former home of Yukio Ozaki (1858-1954), a revered politician nicknamed the ‘father of the Japanese Constitution’, is likely to be demolished very soon.
83-yr old bathhouse in Osaka closes its doors
A historic and elaborately designed bathhouse in Osaka’s Ikuno Ward has closed its doors for good, ending 80+ years of operations. Gengabashi Onsen is thought to have been built in 1937 by a local landowner.
100-yr old post office listed for sale for 1 million Yen
A former post office in Kagoshima Prefecture has drawn a lot of buzz online for its charming appearance and low price, with buyer inspections already fully booked for the rest of July.
Heritage listed shop in Nagasaki to be demolished
A 122-year old jewelry store in Nagasaki will be demolished this month after the owner has decided to sell off the land. The Ezaki Bekko Store was founded in 1709 and, until this month, was Japan’s oldest tortoiseshell specialty store.
Heritage-listed ryokan in Chiba to close and be demolished
The latest coronavirus-related closure in Japan’s hotel industry is the heritage-listed Kappo Ryokan Tamagawa in Funabashi, Chiba. On May 19, the operator announced that the ryokan had closed permanently at the end of April. No time will be wasted, with demolition of the 92-year old ryokan to start as early as June.
Hakodate City looking to sell former Russian Consulate
Hakodate City in Hokkaido is looking to sell the 112-year old former Russian Consulate within the year but has met strong opposition from local historians. The building has been sitting vacant for the past 24 years.
Oldest merchant house in Kanto region demolished
Demolition of the Mizumura Residence in Kawagoe, Saitama, started on April 24. Built in the 1700s, this is said to have been one of the oldest surviving machiya townhouses in the Kanto region.