Japan to promote active tourism use of traditional buildings

September 6, 2017

TOKYO- Japan's tourism ministry plans to urge local governments to set ordinances to exempt historic buildings, such as "kominka" traditional folk houses, from the building standards law, to better promote the use of such structures for tourism.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will compile guidelines, including know-how for making such ordinances, within this year, hoping to help local governments carry out renovation work for old buildings, officials said.

The Japanese government has set a goal of starting projects to attract more tourists through better use of historic buildings at 200 locations across the country by 2020.

By utilizing old buildings as lodging facilities or restaurants, the ministry aims to create local jobs and increase the number of visitors, according to the officials.

Many historic buildings are made of wood or brick by traditional methods.

The building standards law obliges such buildings to be quake-resistant. Other strict regulations on renovation and use for lodging facilities are imposed as well.

Some local municipalities have no other choice but to demolish old buildings, chiefly in the face of high repair and renovation costs.

The ministry hopes the guidelines will help local governments create ordinances to get around such problems. The guidelines will explain the ministry's basic stance on exempting historic buildings from the law, set out safety measures, including quake resistance and fire control, and give technical advice on using such buildings while maintaining their cultural value.

Ordinances related to historic structures have been established in Hyogo Prefecture, western Japan, and eight cities, including Kyoto, western Japan, and Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan.

But exemptions to the law have been granted in only 11 cases in three cities, mainly due to a lack of technical know-how regarding safety. Jiji Press