The following is a list of Japan’s designated cultural properties that suffered damage from the earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. In the Tohoku region, a total of 250 cultural properties were damaged, while in the Kanto area, which includes Tokyo, a total of 435 cultural properties suffered damage.
This is a translation of an article that appeared in Japanese tabloid Nikkan Cyzo, so take it for what it is.
The March 11 Tohoku Disaster changed the mindset of many Japanese. The real estate market was no exception, with many a shift in the mentality of buyers.
The Japanese Government’s Earthquake Research Committee announced on July 11, 2011, that the March 11 Tohoku earthquake has increased the chance of an earthquake occurring along the Miura-hanto fault group.
It has been predicted that there is a 11% chance that the Miura-hanto fault group will produce an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7 within the next 30 years. This fault group is classified among the most active faults in Japan.
Experts warn that a large earthquake caused by the Miura-hanto fault group could produce a
The 2011 rosenka land valuations released by the National Tax Agency on July 1st showed a decline in land prices across Japan for the third continuous year. Concern is rising, however, over a large scale crash in prices in areas of Northern Japan that were affected by the Tsunami and Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant where real estate transactions have almost ceased.
Sendai City, on the other hand, is experiencing a hike in emergency demand from displaced residents.
Real estate transaction prices on properties in North Japan’s tsunami affected coastline have seen recent increases since the March 11 earthquake. The buyers include residents who have lost their homes as well as property developers anticipating future redevelopment.
The total value of real estate transactions made by publicly listed companies between April and June, 2011, fell 40% to 246.4 billion Yen. This is the lowest level for this quater since 2003. Following the March 11 Tohoku Disaster, many sales were postponed and the property market quickly descended into chaos. With the supply of properties also falling, the market is expected to take a while before bottoming out.
*If you own an apartment in Japan, you can take out optional earthquake insurance. This insurance only covers your apartment and does not cover the common areas of the building or the structure itself. The management association for the building can take out earthquake insurance on the common areas, but as it turns out, less than a third of all buildings are covered.
Owners of apartments in uninsured buildings are facing great repair bills as a result of the March 11 Tohoku Earthquake.
One month has passed since the March 11 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. With strong aftershocks continuing and a nuclear disaster that was just upgraded to the maximum level, uncertainty remains over what will happen to the Japanese economy in the short and medium term.
On April 5, 2011, Minato City released the following bulletin:
Minato-ku experienced a Shindo level (seismic intensity scale) of lower 5 on March 11. The whole of Tokyo was reported to have a Shindo level of upper 5, but exact levels within Tokyo varied. Click here to read about the Japanese seismic scales.
The effects of March 11’s earthquake were felt in Tokyo’s bayside area which is mostly reclaimed land. There were cases of liquefaction, broken water pipes, gas outages and leaning buildings.
“The north side of our house has sunk about 20cm due to liquefaction and is leaning. Watery sand covered the garden.” – reported one resident.
