Brutalist church in Kyoto to be demolished

The former Karasuma Church in Kyoto is facing imminent demolition. The 5-story concrete building is a local landmark for its unusual design. 

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Kyoto is losing its modern architecture

Recent demolitions. [LEFT] Doshisha Friendly Peace House; [CENTER] Wakabayashi Store; [RIGHT] Heirakuji Bookstore.

Kyoto’s modern architecture (buildings built from the Meiji period through to pre-war) is starting to disappear as developers grow increasingly keen on grabbing new sites for development. 

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280-yr old Inn to be demolished

[Left] The Tominagaya Inn in 1940; [Right] Today.

The owner of a 280-year old Inn in Muko City, Kyoto, has made an inevitable but unfortunate decision to demolish the historic property as maintenance becomes too costly. 

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Kyoto may have no surviving machiya townhouses by 2066

Kyoto’s traditional merchant townhouses (machiya, or kyo-machiya) form an integral part of the historic city’s charming streetscapes and culture, yet are being demolished at a shockingly fast pace. 

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New owner for long-abandoned temple in Kyoto

On December 7, 2018, the Shinshu Otani-ha Buddhist movement announced that they were acquiring the former Ryotoku-ji temple in Kyoto City free of charge, and looking to find a new use for the property with the cooperation of Kyoto Prefecture.

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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.

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15th century home in Kyoto demolished

A traditional townhouse dating back to the 1400s in Kyoto was demolished at the end of August. The Kawai Residence, located alongside the Tenjin River in Nakagyo Ward, was the oldest surviving townhouse in the city.

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