An update on building damage from the Tohoku earthquake
Just after the March 11 Tohoku earthquake it was announced that zero buildings had collapsed, which everyone naturally assumed was a testament to the strict building codes in Japan.
However, it has now been acknowledged that 100 apartment buildings in Sendai city have been completely destroyed.
Foreign fund sells Sendai hotel
A business hotel developer and operator called Shogetsu Sangyo announced that they have purchased Hotel Hokke Club Sendai from a foreign fund.Read more
100 condominiums in Sendai City need rebuilding
In Sendai City, a condominium that was seriously damaged by the March 11 Tohoku Earthquake is scheduled to be demolished. Sunny Heights Takasago is a 14-storey apartment building with 189 units. The earthquake damaged the foundations and the building began to lean at a dangerous angle, threatening neighboring buildings. Demolition is scheduled to begin by the end of December and should be completed within 6 months. This is the first case in Sendai City of an apartment building of this size being demolished due to the effects of the Tohoku earthquake, but it won't be the last.Read more
Sendai's hillside houses still at risk of landslides
The hillside residential areas in Sendai City suffered from serious landslides during the March 11 Tohoku earthquake and a recent survey by Kyoto University's Disaster Prevention Research Institute has shown that landslides are continuing in these neighborhoods.
While aftershocks and heavy rains were thought to be the main cause, the Institute said that it is unusual for landslides to continue for such a long period of time.Read more
Sendai City planning to ban construction on coastal areas, 2400 homes to be affected
Sendai City announced on September 16th that they plan to prohibit any new construction or additions to existing homes in the coastal areas that are at risk of being inundated in a Tsunami over 2 meters high. The City plans to present the proposed reforms to the Diet by the end of this year.
The City said that a 2-meter or higher tsunami poses a very high risk of washing away homes. As such, approximately 1500 hectares of the city's coastal areas including Miyagino-ku and Wakabayashi-ku has been designated as a disaster risk area. Up to 2,400 homes will be affected by the planned ban on construction or additions, and plans to move residents 1 to 2 kilometers further inland are progressing.Read more