An update on building damage from the Tohoku earthquake
Just after the March 11 Tohoku earthquake it was announced that zero buildings had collapsed, which everyone naturally assumed was a testament to the strict building codes in Japan.
However, it has now been acknowledged that 100 apartment buildings in Sendai city have been completely destroyed.
Fukuoka's Island City land not selling
In a similar fashion to Yokohama's Minato Mirai district, Fukuoka City's manmade island is also running at a huge loss.
According to the city, the deficit at the time of the project completion was 18 billion Yen (23.4 million USD). In 2009, the city had forecast land sales to result in a 12.5 billion Yen positive balance. However, poor economic conditions meant that land values fell from 13,000 to 10,000 Yen/sqm, plunging the project into the red.Read more
Osaka to become Japan's Manhattan?
Osaka City is planning to increase the building height restrictions alongside their landmark Misouji avenue, in the hope to create a cityscape similar to Manhattan.
The current maximum building height alongside Midosuji is 50 meters, but the city is considering lifting the limit to 200 meters by as early as 2013. The new height limit would include office buildings, apartments, education and research institutions. The city is also considering a plan to completely ban cars from the street and turn it into a park, although that is not planned for another 40 years.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
Six hotels demand compensation from TEPCO
Six hotels in Akita Prefecture are seeking a total of 12.8 million Yen (166,000 USD) in compensation from TEPCO. The hotels claim that the nuclear power plant disaster has led to cancellations from foreign visitors, which has reduced their operating revenue.
The hotels are part of the Akita Prefecture Ryokan Association. The Association submitted the claim for compensation to TEPCO on their behalf. The claim by each hotel ranges from 120,000 to 5,200,000 Yen.Read more
PM companies leaving Hokkaido amid Sapporo office market slump
Several real estate property management companies have begun to close down their offices in Sapporo, Hokkaido, as the local commercial market continues to decline.Read more
Gunma also targeting foreign buyers of forestry
On February 8, the Gunma prefectural governor held a press conference to announce that they are considering introducing regulations to help preserve the forestry and natural water sources in the area.
This follows on from similar movements by other prefectural governments, including Hokkaido and Saitama, who are starting to monitor the purchase of large tracts of forest by foreign buyers.Read more