Diplomat's New York home 'waste of money'08/18/2007
BY KAYO MATSUSHITA, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN NEW YORK--Kenzo Oshima moved out of his 3.5-billion-yen New York home with some advice for its owner: Get rid of it.
This lavish building in Manhattan is the official residence of the Japanese ambassador to the United Nations.(KAYO MATSUSHITA/ THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)
Oshima, 64, who retired this month as Japan's ambassador to the United Nations, recommended that Tokyo sell the ambassador's official residence in Manhattan, The Asahi Shimbun has learned. Oshima, the second ambassador to live there, wrote in a memo to Deputy Vice Foreign Minister Kojiro Shiojiri in February that the historic building near Central Park, purchased in 1999 for $21 million (2.4 billion yen at the time), required last year $150,000 (about 17 million yen) in repairs and maintenance. Aside from the cost of upkeep, Oshima expressed concern about that fact the building is in an inconvenient location. Not only is it more than 2 kilometers from U.N. headquarters, there is no parking space--making it troublesome to invite delegates for meetings and receptions. Tokyo "should not exclude the option of selling the official residence," Oshima wrote. In June, Shiojiri replied to Oshima that it was "not appropriate to sell the residence right away," apparently referring to anticipated reaction from financial authorities and the media. For the time being, Shiojiri suggested that things remain as they are, according to sources. The exchange was made at a time of soaring real estate prices in New York. The five-story building, with 2,350 square meters of floor space, is located near upscale Fifth Avenue. It was built in 1900 by the Vanderbilt railroad tycoon family. In addition to the purchase price, about 1.1 billion yen in taxpayer money was spent in initial renovation costs. Officials at the time said Japan needed an official U.N. ambassador's residence that reflected the aspirations of a nation seeking permanent membership to the U.N. Security Council. The decision to purchase the building, which also has two basement levels, was made when Hisashi Owada, father of Crown Princess Masako, was ambassador to the United Nations. Only about 10 receptions and other functions that involve 100 or more guests are held annually at the residence, according to sources. In contrast, South Korea and Germany own buildings that include reception halls near U.N. headquarters. Oshima suggested buying a new building so that Japan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations could share it with the consul general in New York. The mission currently rents office space in a building near the U.N. headquarters for 400 million yen annually.(IHT/Asahi: August 18,2007)
BY KAYO MATSUSHITA, THE ASAHI SHIMBUN NEW YORK--Kenzo Oshima moved out of his 3.5-billion-yen New York home with some advice for its owner: Get rid of it.
This lavish building in Manhattan is the official residence of the Japanese ambassador to the United Nations.(KAYO MATSUSHITA/ THE ASAHI SHIMBUN)
Oshima, 64, who retired this month as Japan's ambassador to the United Nations, recommended that Tokyo sell the ambassador's official residence in Manhattan, The Asahi Shimbun has learned. Oshima, the second ambassador to live there, wrote in a memo to Deputy Vice Foreign Minister Kojiro Shiojiri in February that the historic building near Central Park, purchased in 1999 for $21 million (2.4 billion yen at the time), required last year $150,000 (about 17 million yen) in repairs and maintenance. Aside from the cost of upkeep, Oshima expressed concern about that fact the building is in an inconvenient location. Not only is it more than 2 kilometers from U.N. headquarters, there is no parking space--making it troublesome to invite delegates for meetings and receptions. Tokyo "should not exclude the option of selling the official residence," Oshima wrote. In June, Shiojiri replied to Oshima that it was "not appropriate to sell the residence right away," apparently referring to anticipated reaction from financial authorities and the media. For the time being, Shiojiri suggested that things remain as they are, according to sources. The exchange was made at a time of soaring real estate prices in New York. The five-story building, with 2,350 square meters of floor space, is located near upscale Fifth Avenue. It was built in 1900 by the Vanderbilt railroad tycoon family. In addition to the purchase price, about 1.1 billion yen in taxpayer money was spent in initial renovation costs. Officials at the time said Japan needed an official U.N. ambassador's residence that reflected the aspirations of a nation seeking permanent membership to the U.N. Security Council. The decision to purchase the building, which also has two basement levels, was made when Hisashi Owada, father of Crown Princess Masako, was ambassador to the United Nations. Only about 10 receptions and other functions that involve 100 or more guests are held annually at the residence, according to sources. In contrast, South Korea and Germany own buildings that include reception halls near U.N. headquarters. Oshima suggested buying a new building so that Japan's Permanent Mission to the United Nations could share it with the consul general in New York. The mission currently rents office space in a building near the U.N. headquarters for 400 million yen annually.(IHT/Asahi: August 18,2007)
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