Real Estate Japan | Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya Properties For Rent & Sale

Temporary housing for tsunami evacuees in Shichigahama, Miyagi Prefecture.

Today marks eight months since the earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disasters of March 11th. The team at RealEstateJapan.co.jp extends our thoughts to the victims as they are rebuilding their lives; and as the country pulls together for the recovery of the Tohoku region.

Here are some recent real estate-related developments that we have seen:

Special Economic Zones to be Created within the Fiscal Year

On October 28th, the Cabinet approved a bill for the creation of special economic zones which will enjoy regulatory, tax, and other financial relief. Two hundred twenty-two towns and villages in eleven prefectures, including Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Kanto will be eligible to establish these special zones. Local governments will receive approval for zones  if they meet one of the following conditions: 1) the creation of a recovery promotion plan that provides for wide-ranging deregulation and tax relief, 2) the establishment of a reconstruction plan that seeks to simplify procedures for land use, or 3) a plan for the distribution of reconstruction funds allowing for a high-degree of flexibility in how the funds are used. As reported by Ryukyushimpo.jp (in Japanese).

Disaster Victims Begin Moving into First Three-Story Temporary Housing Units in Miyagi Prefecture

On November 6th, families started moving into the first three-story temporary housing units (totaling 144 individual units in 6 buildings) completed in Onagawa Town in Miyagi Prefecture. These units represent the final set of temporary units planned for Miyagi. The only temporary units which remain un-built are all to be located in Fukushima Prefecture.

Onagawa Town is surrounded by mountains and has little land suitable for the construction of temporary housing, so the local government made the decision to build on the town’s baseball field. In October, three two-story buildings (45 individual units) were completed, and are already being occupied.

From a construction standpoint, multi-story units are viewed as being safer in the event of a tsunami. In addition, cargo containers were used as building materials, and are thought to provide extra earthquake resistance.

As reported by Ryukyushimpo.jp (in Japanese)

Number of Refugees from Fukushima to Okinawa Continues to Increase Eight Months Following the Tohoku Disaster

As reported by Ryukyushimpo.jp via Yahoo Japan News headlines (in Japanese) today, the number of people evacuating to Okinawa from Fukushima is averaging about fifty people per month. The article quotes a local disaster management officer as saying that this number includes people who live outside the thirty kilometer exclusion zone around Fukushima. He said that people continue to fear the danger of radioactive contamination.

The Okinawa government is looking to set up a system that will help evacuees find private rental accommodation and to provide information on employment opportunities through Hello Work.

Photo credit: Daisuke Tsuda via Wikimedia Commons

Tokyo Apartments For Sale | Tokyo Apartments For Rent | Real Estate Japan