An 88-year old heritage-listed building in Shimbashi is being converted by construction giant Takenaka Corporation into a share office for start-ups.
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100+ year old home in Shibuya saved from demolition
The historic former home of Tamanosuke Kume (1861-1931, a politician and civil engineer, will be relocated to a city-center location in Kume’s hometown of Numata, Gunma Prefecture. Demolition was initially scheduled to start on September 1, but the home has been spared thanks to the efforts of local preservationists.
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Historic villa in Hayama to open as holiday rental
A historic 1920s villa in Hayama has been restored and will open up as a short-term holiday rental next month.
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Historic ryokan sells for ¥212 million
The city of Fuchu in Hiroshima Prefecture will be purchasing a historic ryokan for an estimated 212.5 million Yen (approx. US$2 million).
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91-yr old building in Jimbocho to be demolished
The 91-year old former Sogo Mutual Loan building in Tokyo’s Jimbocho neighborhood will be demolished in September. The 5-story concrete building with brick-tile facade was built in 1929. It has a total floor area of 453 sqm (4,874 sq.ft) and sits on a 106 sqm block of land.
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113-yr old ryokan in Sendai closes its doors
The 113-year old Chitoseya Ryokan in Sendai City closed its doors on May 31. It was originally scheduled to close in 2021 as the current operators, now in their 70s, have no successor. But, the recent decimation of the tourism industry caused by the coronavirus pandemic hastened the closure.
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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.
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Tsukiji machiya demolished
The traditional machiya-style townhouse in Tsukiji we featured back in February 2019 when it was listed for sale, has, sadly, been demolished. It will be replaced with a 5-story hotel covering the adjoining vacant lots. Completion is scheduled for February 2021.
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Jiro Osaragi’s former residence in Kamakura on the market
On October 9, the Kanagawa Shimbun newspaper reported that the former residence of author Jiro Osaragi (1897-1973) in Kamakura is for sale. The 100-year old traditional thatched roof house is designated by the city as an important scenic structure. The owners are hoping to find a buyer that will continue to preserve the culturally significant and historic home.
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120-yr old Mitsui Besso in Karuizawa at risk of demolition
The recent sale of the original Karuizawa holiday home of Saburosuke Mitsui (1850-1912) to a buyer from an offshore tax haven has locals worried the historic house may soon be demolished.
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