Three Japanese hotels designed by an architect who has admitted to ignoring earthquake-resistance standards to keep construction costs low closed yesterday, the hotels' operators said.
Guests at the 11-story Meitetsu Inn Kariya Hotel in Nagoya, central Japan, have been accommodated elsewhere and the establishment will not reopen until its safety has been confirmed, said Hiromi Nomoto, a spokesman for the hotel's owner, Meitetsu Real Estate Co.
Business was also suspended at the Sanko Inn Kuwanaekimae and Sanko Inn Shizuoka in southwestern Japan, said Shigehisa Fujiwara, a spokesman for their operator, Mie Kotsu Co.
All three hotels were designed by architect Hidetsugu Aneha, who admitted last week that he had failed to follow quake-resistance requirements with some of the buildings he designed to cut construction costs, and had submitted false data to authorities to cover up structural faults.
Keio Presso Inn Kayabacho in Tokyo, another Aneha-designed building, stopped accepting guests on Friday citing safety concerns.
Nomoto said that Meitetsu's hotel was not among 21 buildings designed by Aneha that have been identified as unsafe, but that the company decided to close it after checks from another design firm that said it might be structurally weak.
Mie Kotsu was taking similar precautions.
"We are asking a third-party organization whether the hotels involved meet earthquake-resistance requirements," Fujiwara said.
At least 21 buildings designed by Aneha failed to meet the country's quake standards, according to surveys by the Ministry of Land, the Infrastructure and Transport Ministry, and Tokyo's Metropolitan government.
Aneha expressed confidence last week that his buildings would not be destroyed in a strong earthquake, but said "they might crumble."
Government officials were conducting safety checks on buildings designed by Aneha, while trying to secure temporary accommodation for residents.
The government has said it is considering bringing criminal charges against the architect.
Japan is one of the world's most earthquake-prone countries because it sits atop four tectonic plates. Since the late 1970s, the government has taken steps to strengthen its monitoring of seismic activity, while setting rather stricter building standards than other western countries.
Last October a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit northern Japan, killing 40 people and damaging more than 6,000 homes.
It was the deadliest to hit Japan since 1995, when a magnitude 7.2 quake killed 6,433 people in the western city of Kobe.
RETHINK? The defense ministry and Navy Command Headquarters could take over the indigenous submarine project and change its production timeline, a source said Admiral Huang Shu-kuang’s (黃曙光) resignation as head of the Indigenous Submarine Program and as a member of the National Security Council could affect the production of submarines, a source said yesterday. Huang in a statement last night said he had decided to resign due to national security concerns while expressing the hope that it would put a stop to political wrangling that only undermines the advancement of the nation’s defense capabilities. Taiwan People’s Party Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) yesterday said that the admiral, her older brother, felt it was time for him to step down and that he had completed what he
Taiwan has experienced its most significant improvement in the QS World University Rankings by Subject, data provided on Sunday by international higher education analyst Quacquarelli Symonds (QS) showed. Compared with last year’s edition of the rankings, which measure academic excellence and influence, Taiwanese universities made great improvements in the H Index metric, which evaluates research productivity and its impact, with a notable 30 percent increase overall, QS said. Taiwanese universities also made notable progress in the Citations per Paper metric, which measures the impact of research, achieving a 13 percent increase. Taiwanese universities gained 10 percent in Academic Reputation, but declined 18 percent
UNDER DISCUSSION: The combatant command would integrate fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups to defend waters closest to the coastline, a source said The military could establish a new combatant command as early as 2026, which would be tasked with defending Taiwan’s territorial waters 24 nautical miles (44.4km) from the nation’s coastline, a source familiar with the matter said yesterday. The new command, which would fall under the Naval Command Headquarters, would be led by a vice admiral and integrate existing fast attack boat and anti-ship missile groups, along with the Naval Maritime Surveillance and Reconnaissance Command, said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. It could be launched by 2026, but details are being discussed and no final timetable has been announced, the source
SHOT IN THE ARM: The new system can be integrated with Avenger and Stinger missiles to bolster regional air defense capabilities, a defense ministry report said Domestically developed Land Sword II (陸射劍二) missiles were successfully launched and hit target drones during a live-fire exercise at the Jiupeng Military Base in Pingtung County yesterday. The missiles, developed by the Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology (CSIST), were originally scheduled to launch on Tuesday last week, after the Tomb Sweeping Day holiday long weekend, but were postponed to yesterday due to weather conditions. Local residents and military enthusiasts gathered outside the base to watch the missile tests, with the first one launching at 9:10am. The Land Sword II system, which is derived from the Sky Sword II (天劍二) series, was turned