News On Japan

Nintendo heirs eye Kyoto revitalization project around HQ-turned-hotel

Late president's grandson envisions art and gathering spaces in decadeslong rebuild

May 13 (Nikkei) - Nintendo's founding Yamauchi family will redevelop the neighborhood around the company's former headquarters in Kyoto, eyeing restaurants, an art gallery and more.

The family has acquired land and buildings for renovation over an area spanning 3,000 sq. meters in the city's Shimogyo Ward. The headquarters itself has already been turned into the Marufukuro hotel, which just opened this April.

Many details of the project, which is slated to begin in 2025, remain undecided. "We want to contribute to [the area's] revitalization, in dialogue with local residents," said Banjo Yamauchi, grandson of late Nintendo President Hiroshi Yamauchi.

Possibilities under consideration include a space next to Marufukuro for both guests and others to mingle, and a place next to the nearby Umeyu sauna where customers can linger. A salon is also envisioned as a gathering place for artists and entrepreneurs.

No time frame has been set for any particular facilities. Banjo Yamauchi's time horizon for the project extends out to 2050.

"Like Spain's Sagrada Familia, we want to move toward completion little by little, in accordance with people's needs," he said, referring to the famed unfinished basilica in Barcelona.

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

A road collapse in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, has entered its 78th hour, with rescue crews battling persistent water inflows. Snow and rain expected on Sunday could further complicate efforts.

Hokkaido is taking steps to address overtourism issues as large numbers of foreign visitors arrive during the Lunar New Year holiday.

The hydrogen fuel cell ship "Mahoroba," designed to connect central Osaka with the Expo venue in Yumeshima in approximately 60 minutes, was unveiled to the media ahead of its commercial launch during the Expo period.

From sudden severe pain during a gourmet-filled trip to chronic illness attacks that medication cannot treat, what kinds of symptoms bring foreign tourists to clinics?

Starting January 27, Osaka City has implemented a citywide ban on smoking in public areas, including heated tobacco products, as part of preparations for the Osaka-Kansai Expo set to open in April.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Society NEWS

The Japanese government is set to nominate the "Asuka-Fujiwara Palaces" in Nara Prefecture for UNESCO World Heritage status, aiming for registration next summer.

Shinji Aoba, the defendant sentenced to death in the first trial for the Kyoto Animation arson-murder case that claimed 36 lives, has withdrawn his appeal, finalizing the death sentence.

The annual 'Midwinter Endurance Tournament' was held at Tsurumi Mountain, standing 1,300 meters above sea level in Beppu City, Oita Prefecture.

Gifu Police have announced that what was initially reported as a stabbing incident in Gifu City was, in fact, an act of self-harm by the victim.

Tokyo police are investigating a shocking case involving the disposal of a woman’s remains on the shores of Izu Oshima. The arrested suspect, 45-year-old Sōtatsu Yanase, who operates a tatami shop, has admitted to dismembering the body of his partner, Shizuka Takase, 37, using farm tools before disposing of her bones on the beach.

We got Exclusive access inside a Japanese female prison to show you first hand how life is like for these inmates and what they are doing on the inside to rehabilitate themselves for when they leave. (Japanese Food Craftsman)

A Chinese court has handed down a death sentence for a man charged with the killing of a Japanese boy in southern China in September of last year. (NHK)

An abandoned hotel in Tokyo's Kabukicho district has become a source of public concern due to the large amounts of trash accumulating in front of the building.