Oldest merchant house in Kanto region demolished
Demolition of the Mizumura Residence in Kawagoe, Saitama, started on April 24. Built in the 1700s, this is said to have been one of the oldest surviving machiya townhouses in the Kanto region.
First apartment building to be redeveloped in Saitama
Residents of a 34-year old condominium apartment building in Saitama City have decided to rebuild after an earthquake-resistant diagnosis showed the building was at risk of collapse in a major earthquake.
This will be the very first case of a resident-led condominium redevelopment in Saitama Prefecture. To date, Saitama only has two cases of apartment redevelopments - both were carried out for urban development and road widening, rather than building age.
The 7-storey building in Omiya-ku was built in 1980. The average age of a resident is over 60, yet the building was lacking in barrier-free facilities. Equipment was ageing and the elevator needed replacing. In 2009, a building inspection found that the structure was not earthquake-proof and posed a danger of collapse in a major earthquake.
Saitama to keep close watch on forestry purchases by foreigners
In order to better understand the scope of the purchase of forestry by foreign funds and to protect water sources, Saitama Prefecture is planning to introduce rules which will require land transactions to be reported in advance to authorities.
The proposal will target 18 cities and towns in the northern part of Saitama. It will be submitted to the prefectural assembly this month, and may be enacted as early as October of this year.
Similar legislation is also going to be presented to the Diet session later this month, but it does not specifically mention foreign capital.Read more