East Japan Railway says it will tear down Harajuku Station, the oldest wooden station building in Tokyo, after the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics in the metropolis.
JR East announced on Tuesday that it reached the decision after consulting with Shibuya Ward, where the station is located, and local retail associations.
The aging structure will be replaced with a new one now being built adjacent to it. The new station is expected to be completed on March 21 of next year.
The current station building was built in 1924.
The railway operator says the old structure is not sufficiently fire resistant.
The company says it will use materials that comply with fire resistance standards to re-create the European-style station after pulling it down.
It says that despite calls to retain the historic landmark, it decided on the demolition for safety reasons.
Source: ANNnewsCH
