Apartment building about to be handed over to buyers demolished because it obstructs view of Mount Fuji

Major Japanese real estate developer Sekisui House Ltd said on June 10 it will demolish a nearly completed condominium in western Tokyo, just weeks before it is due to hand over units to buyers, after nearby residents complained that the building partially obscured views of Mount Fuji, according to a report. Kyodo.

Sekisui House, based in Osaka, confirmed it had decided to demolish the 10-storey, 18-unit apartment building in Kunitachi, built along a street famous for its views of Japan's iconic 3,776-metre peak, due to "insufficient consideration of the impact on the landscape".

The rare decision was made despite the developer holding meetings with residents about the incident and making structural changes to the original plan, such as reducing the number of floors from 11 and lowering the height of each floor.

“We are aware of the (local) culture that values ​​landscape, but we did not take it into account properly. We also apologize to the contracting parties,” a Sekisui House representative said, pledging to make efforts to prevent such an act from happening again.

Construction on the condominium, located about a 10-minute walk from JR Kunitachi Station, is set to begin in January 2023. Most units are priced at around 70-80 million yen.

Sekisui House reported its decision to cancel the project to the Kunitachi City Government on June 11. The company said it would treat the construction costs and demolition fees as extraordinary losses.