Foreign fund in talks to buy Huis Ten Bosch theme park
On July 21, the Nikkei Shimbun newspaper reported that Travel giant H.I.S. is in talks to sell its Huis Ten Bosch (HTB) theme park in Sasebo, Nagasaki, to a Hong Kong-based fund. The same day that the news broke, H.I.S. issued a press release stating that this information was not announced by the travel company and that there was no official decision on selling their shares in the park.
Heritage listed shop in Nagasaki to be demolished
A 122-year old jewelry store in Nagasaki will be demolished this month after the owner has decided to sell off the land. The Ezaki Bekko Store was founded in 1709 and, until this month, was Japan’s oldest tortoiseshell specialty store.
International dispute sees Nagasaki property sit idle for a century
In Nagasaki’s former foreign settlement sits an overgrown lot filled with as many as 30 buildings, many of them abandoned and falling down. While vacant ‘akiya’ properties are not an unusual sight, this particular one is part of an ongoing international dispute between Russia and Ukraine over former Soviet property.
Historic brick warehouse in Nagasaki under demolition
Nagasaki City is pushing ahead with the demolition of a historic brick warehouse in Matsugaemachi. According to city archives, the Lake & Co. Warehouse was built sometime in the mid-Meiji period (1868-1912) by merchant brothers George and Edward Lake to store goods for their general store.
100+ year old convent to be converted into luxury hotel
On July 31, Mori Trust announced that they have acquired the historic former Maria-en Catholic nursery school in Nagasaki. Mori will restore the 119-year old building and convert it into an internationally-branded luxury hotel targeting wealthy foreign tourists with an opening scheduled for around 2022. Mori Trust operates 21 hotels across Japan, and this will be their first venture in the Kyushu region. The seller was the Minami Yamate-kai social welfare corporation.
Historic restaurant in Nagasaki looking for buyer
The owner and operator of the 150-year old Fukiro Restaurant in Nagasaki City will be temporarily closing the restaurant later in the year while they search for a buyer of the historic property.
The owner, who is the 6th generation of the founder, made the difficult decision due to a shortage of staff and not having a successor. Annual revenues have also fallen to about 10% of what they were during the bubble years. The large building and traditional Japanese gardens are costly to maintain, which is putting a further strain on operations.Read more
Nagasaki to protect and preserve old buildings on Gunkanjima
Nagasaki City has announced a proposed plan that would provide priority repairs and maintenance to several buildings on Hashima Island (aka. Gunkanjima), including former mineworkers’ housing and school buildings.
The five buildings that were selected are considered to be in a condition where they can still be maintained to some extent. The plans include rust-proofing and adding additional reinforcing to the structures, although exact details have yet to be decided. Two other islands, which also have traces of coal mining activities, may also be included in the final plan which is expected to be submitted to the Nagasaki Mayor in May.
The buildings include:
- Building 16 (c1918, 9-storey, RC, 66-unit apartment building)
- Building 17 (c1918, 9-storey, RC, 54-unit apartment building)
- Building 65 (c1945, 9-storey, RC, 317-unit apartment building)
- Building 3 (c1959, 4-storey, RC, 20-unit apartment building)
- Elementary and middle school building (c1958, 7-storey)