First Cabin to open ryokan-style accommodation in Kyoto machiya
First Cabin, a Tokyo-based developer and operator of capsule-style accommodation across Japan, announced plans to open a cabin-style hotel in a traditional machiya-style townhouse in Kyoto. The new hotel will open on March 28, 2019.
HULIC to flip Odaiba Hilton for 2 billion Yen profit
Real estate company HULIC has agreed to sell the Hilton Tokyo Odaiba hotel for 62.4 billion Yen (approx. 573 million USD) to the Japan Hotel REIT. The sale will take place in April 2019 and will represent the highest valued hotel held by a REIT within Japan.
Yaesu 2-Chome redevelopment project to have minor but curious residential component
Construction of the Yaesu 2-Chome North District Category-I Urban Redevelopment Project officially started on December 3. Completion is scheduled for August 2022.
Imperial Hotel sets its sights on Kyoto
On November 28 it was reported that Imperial Hotel, Ltd. is looking to open an Imperial Hotel in Kyoto City. A major contender for the new hotel is the historic 82-year old Yasaka Kaikan building in the Gion district.
New minpaku laws decidedly unpopular in Kyoto City
As at the end of August 2018, Kyoto City had only received 129 applications for short-term letting under the new minpaku laws that were introduced in June. Of those, 33 are located in exclusive residential zones where properties can only be rented out to guests for a maximum of 60 nights between January 15 and March 15, with some exceptions allowed for traditional machiya townhouses and homes where the host also lives on the premises. This pales in comparison to the total number of 7,028 applications made nationwide. In Kyoto Prefecture, excluding Kyoto City, only 18 applications have been received as at September 14.
Hulic opens small luxury resort in Lake Kawaguchi
On October 1, real estate corporation HULIC opened their latest small luxury resort near Lake Kawaguchi. ‘Fufu Kawaguchiko’ is part of HULIC’s Fufu brand of luxury ryokans.
Chiba’s Namegawa Island to be redeveloped into hotel
There are plans to redevelop the former Namegawa Island zoo and garden in Chiba Prefecture into a 228-room resort hotel. Construction on the tentatively-named Katsuura Seaside Park Resort is scheduled to start in 2020 with completion by 2024.Read more