Policy Decided for Redevelopment of Former Tokyo Central Post Office

On March 13, Japan Post announced that it had reached an agreement with the Agency for Cultural Affairs regarding the redevelopment of the former Tokyo Central Post Office to double the size of the preserved area compared to the original plan. Construction, which had been suspended amid debates over the preservation of the old building, would resume, with the goal of completing the renovation by the end of fiscal year 2011. While the plan to replace the building with a 38-story skyscraper remained unchanged, the preserved portion of the low-rise section would be approximately twice the size of the original plan. About 30 percent of the current building would be retained, and nearly the entire section facing the Marunouchi side of JR Tokyo Station would be preserved. (Japanese)