Data center opens in abandoned school building
A Tokyo-based cloud service provider has opened a GPU data center inside a former elementary school building in Saga, Kyushu. This is the first school building to data center conversion in Japan. With approximately 450 schools closing across Japan each year, there is a pressing need to find innovative uses for them.Read more
Group seeks temporary court injunction to stop demolition of brutalist gymnasium
On August 26, a group aiming to restore and revitalize the Kenzo Tange-designed Kagawa Prefectural Gymnasium in Takamatsu City announced plans to file a provisional injunction with the court seeking a temporary halt to the prefecture’s demolition plans. Constructed in 1964, the boat-shaped brutalist concrete structure is one of Tange’s iconic designs.Read more
Niseko land fraud claim puts town’s water supply at risk
The town of Niseko has found itself in a court battle after a former landowner claimed that a large parcel of land had been sold fraudulently and is now seeking its return. The disputed land covers 16 hectares of forest at the base of Mount Yotei and includes a water source that supplies 80% of the town’s residents. Niseko fears that if the protected land is returned it could then be resold and developed.Read more
Next-gen logistics hub planned for former US Naval facility
Mitsubishi Estate, Tokyu Land, and CRE are jointly developing a 700,000 square meter next-generation logistics facility on a former U.S. Naval facility in Yokohama. The multi-tenant property will be designed to accommodate self-driving trucks.Read more
Apartment rents reach record high in Tokyo, decline elsewhere
The average asking rent of an apartment in Tokyo’s 23 wards reached a record high of 4,851 Yen per square meter in July. This is the sixth consecutive month to set a new price record. Rents were up 1.0% from the previous month and 12.2% from last year. Meanwhile, Yokohama, Saitama, Chiba, Osaka, and Kobe city all saw a drop in year-on-year rents. Read more
Co-living property in Osaka 80% pre-leased before opening
Global Agents, the operator of ‘social apartments’ or co-living housing, opened its first property in Osaka City on August 9 in collaboration with the West Japan Railway Company and West Japan Food Service Net Company. The building was 80% leased up prior to opening.Read more
Mizuho launches fund targeting older buildings
Mizuho Financial Group announced the establishment of a new value-add fund to acquire aging buildings over 20 years old and improve their environmental performance. The group is planning to invest around 200 billion Yen (US$1.36 billion) over the next five years, starting with the 50 billion Yen acquisition of a 35-year old office tower in central Osaka.Read more