Newly built Tokyo condominium to be torn down for blocking view of Mount Fuji

Buyers about to get the keys to a new condominium in west Tokyo will have to look for other housing options, as it is set for demolition after nearby residents complained that the structure affected their view of Mount Fuji.

The 10-storey Grand Maison Kunitachi Fujimi Dori houses 18 units, most of which fetched about 70 million yen (S$602,400) to 80 million yen, reported Japanese news outlet Kyodo News on June 10.

Construction on the project – a 10-minute walk from Kunitachi railway station – began in January 2023.

Developer Sekisui House made blueprint concessions after meeting residents in the neighbourhood on several occasions.

These included reducing the height of each storey and going for a 10-storey structure, instead of an 11-storey one.

Despite the changes, Sekisui House said it will tear down the condominium, citing “insufficient consideration for the impact on the scenery”.

A spokesperson added: “We were aware of the (local) culture that values scenery but we failed to consider it adequately.”

The company will book the costs of construction and demolition as extraordinary losses.

Buyers will be offered compensation or alternative forms of redress.

Issues related to the view of the 3,776m-tall Mount Fuji have been highly contested by Japanese residents in recent months.

In May, Fujikawaguchiko town put up

a large mesh barrier at a popular viewing spot for Mount Fuji

to deter photo-taking by tourists, whose littering and breaking of traffic rules upset local residents.

Barely a week later,

multiple holes were found

in the barrier, with the town considering one made of a different material.