Mount Fuji behind a bunch of stuff. (Tien Nguyen/Pexels)
Disclaimer: While this article is constructed on a mountain of facts, it has also been demolished with satire.
The following news story might be stunning to American sensibilities, particularly New York City residents, so any such readers should proceed with caution: A real estate development firm in Japan has decided to raze a new condominium building that was about to open, and will reimburse would-be tenants, after neighbors complained that the building was blocking their view of Mount Fuji. That’s right, a real estate company acted humanely – hopefully you were sitting down for that.
The new building, in Kunitachi, Tokyo Prefecture, has 10 stories and 18 units, which in Manhattan would be considered a quaint shack. The developer made previous compromises based on neighbors’ concerns, changing the building from 11 floors to 10 and making each flight of the building shorter. But complaints from neighbors persisted, and for some reason, the firm acted honorably.
Sure, Mt. Fuji is beautiful and majestic, but buildings have heating and air conditioning. (Mocchy/Wikimedia Commons)
In a statement by the development firm that was thoughtful and thus seemingly out of a “Twilight Zone” episode, the company said it decided to raze the building because of “insufficient consideration for the impact on the scenery.” Real estate insiders everywhere responded with a resounding, “Yeah, and?”
The firm’s statement also said, “We were aware of the culture that values scenery, but we failed to consider it adequately. We also apologize to the contracting parties.” New York real estate executives reacted with both confusion and anger.
“Apology?” asked one realtor in New York City. “I think I’ve heard the word before, but what is that exactly?”
“Hold on, they gave the would-be tenants compensation and also apologized for not being considerate of people’s wants? I think I’m going to be sick… excuse me, I need to run to the bathroom.”
– New York City real estate executive
Other real estate leaders in America, both from New York and other large cities, released a joint statement asking, “Why would someone apologize for making as much money as they possibly can, without regard for people’s quality of life or other basic considerations of human decency? In short, this is an outrage.”
“Let me get this straight,” said another real estate insider. “Those condo units sold for nearly half a million dollars, but now the firm is giving them financial compensation and apologizing, all because of a tall mound of land?” The insider added, “Sure, Mount Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan, but it’s just a bunch of rocks going up. Does it have WiFi capability? Central air? Access to a state-of-the-art gym and health spa? Is it near subways and good schools? What’s the square footage? These are the important things in life. This whole story is shameful.”
