Quote:
Originally Posted by Sangetsu
There aren't much in the way of building codes or standards in Japan. You can build anything you want, regardless of how ugly or poorly made, so long as the building has three or less floors. There are no regulations requiring that your new home be built to match the architecture of the surroundings, such as there are in America or Europe. Walk through a neighborhood in Tokyo and you'll see run-down shacks buried behind apartment buildings and newer homes. You can paint your home any color you want, from the vilest shade of mustard-yellow to the brightest blood red.
New Japanese houses are simply ugly. They are block-like, built with as much sense to style as machinegun pillboxes on the Normandy beaches. The windows are high and small, affording no views, the doors are metal, with a camera and intercom. In a country as safe as Japan is, people seem to prefer homes and apartments which are as secure as prisons, and even styled after such. My own apartment is concrete and steel, and the architecture seems inspired by a fire department building.
I much prefer the traditional Japanese houses, poorly insulated and fire-prone as they are. I see them come up for sale from time to time, at bargain prices.
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There are some towns though where they have put in some effort. In the area I used to live the town of Niseko had a building code for all buildings along the main street and they've put in nice wide paved sidewalks and the powerlines are underground. It has a pleasant aesthetic and is such a big contrast to most of the other towns in the area. They just had a mayor with a bit of vision who was willing to do something a little different. Of course such people are rare in Japan...