Did you know: Atami City has a special tax on holiday homes
The popular beachside resort area of Atami in Shizuoka levies a special tax on owners of holiday homes and resort apartments within the city. Called a "besso" tax (besso = holiday house), it is very similar to a municipal tax. This tax is only charged on properties in Atami City, and is not found anywhere else in Shizuoka Prefecture.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
Shizuoka's expanded nuclear disaster preparedness zone
On October 20, 2011, Japan's Nuclear Safety Commission has proposed an expansion of the recommended emergency planning zones (EPZ) around nuclear plants from 10 km to 30 km , as well as a proposed 50 km radius called a Plume Protection Planning Area (PPA) in which residents must stay indoors and towns must be prepared to distribute iodine tablets in an emergency situation.
The newly proposed 30 km Urgent Protective Action Planning Zone (UPZ) has increased the number of targeted cities and towns from 44 to 130 and the number of residents living in the expanded area is 7.93 million, or 6% of Japan's population. It would also include parts of prefectural capitals such as Shizuoka, Mito, Fukui, Kyoto and Kagoshima. There has been criticism that, similar to what has been observed in Fukushima, the radiation does not travel in concentric circles and may spread to towns that fall just outside of the UPZ.
Shizuoka Prefecture created a special research group to investigate disaster-preparedness measures for the area surrounding the controversial Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant in Omaezaki City.Read more
No one wants to live near the Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant
The coastal city of Omaezaki in Shizuoka Prefecture suffered a big fall in land prices and is seeing vacancy rates soar as property transactions and prices plummet.
The tsunami in northern Japan and the Fukushima nuclear disaster have had a big effect on this coastal town which is also home to the controversial Hamaoka Nuclear Power Plant. Vacancy rates are climbing and property transactions are down.Read more
Atami Izusan Step House
*Update: SOLD
In the quiet residential Izusan neighborhood, this contemporary 1-bedroom designer home is for sale. Designed by Tezuka Architects office and the house was featured in Shinchiku magazine. The house was designed to maximize the views with each space facing the ocean.Read more