Kyoto Rejects Bladerunner Skyline

[Mulboyne]

IHT: Japan's ancient capital Kyoto to ban rooftop billboards, blinking neon signs
Japan's ancient capital of Kyoto plans to ban billboards on top of buildings and blinking neon signs to improve the city's landscape, news reports said Saturday. Kyoto, dotted with old temples, shrines and other historical sites, is known for its beauty and is a popular tourist destination. But just like many other big cities in Japan, Kyoto's streets are not free of eyesores such as gaudy billboards and glaring neon signs. Critics often blame Japan's lax regulations. Kyoto plans to ban all rooftop billboards as well as neon signs that flicker...The city plans to revise its regulations on outdoor advertisements by March and rooftop billboards and blinking signboards are expected to be removed completely in six years...more...

[Tsuru]

Too little too late... and I fear nothing will be done to stop the ongoing concretization of Kyoto which seems to be in its final stages anyway.

They should have started preserving Kyoto a long long time ago, like right after WWII.

[AssKissinger]

Too little too late

I don't agree. In time, Kyoto could take on a more traditional and finally a very traditional appearance if appropriate regulations are enforced. Personally, I like Kyoto Eki though.

[akatsuka]

Whats wrong with modern living alongside old anyway?

(says a girl who doesnt like kyoto.. "temple overdose")

Isnt that one of the niceties of Japan as a whole? In Kyoto there is the old which is nicely preserved (would be better if they rid the 'touristy' feel of it all), and then the new - Kyoto station.

Blinking neon signs are annoying and can ruin the view sometimes, and in these cases, they should be removed, but removing them everywhere is pointless.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Originally Posted by Tsuru

Too little too late

Word up. Kyoto's an ugly concrete dump like the rest of Japan's cities.

[Tsuru]

Originally Posted by Samurai_Jerk

Word up. Kyoto's an ugly concrete dump like the rest of Japan's cities.

Well, Kyoto's rich in bright spots, I'll give it that much... it's just the complete lack of authenticity of the other 99% of the city like you get in many classic European cities because they only focused their preservation efforts on the attractions. The rest of the city got the same treatment as all the other Japanese cities... in some places you could be forgiven for mistaking it for the outskirts of Osaka.

Needless to say I don't like it. It's a collection of temples and shrines with nothing special left to hold it together as a city. And even then most of the auxiliary buildings of places like Toji are in a sorry state.

[AssKissinger]

All I know is I had a great time and was very impressed when I was there.

[Samurai_Jerk]

Originally Posted by Tsuru

And even then most of the auxiliary buildings of places like Toji are in a sorry state.

Not to mention the ugly-ass guidance signs, advertisements, and loud speakers that pollute the beauty and serenity of the temple and shrine grounds.

AK, I love Tokyo and Osaka too but I can't deny that they're ugly cities. Kyoto looks pretty much the same with just a few more traditional sites per square kilometer.

[Tsuru]

What's more, is when we visited Kyoto we got lost very frequently because our usual technique of navigating by big landmarks or shops and stores didn't work... it's pretty hard to tell one douri from the next.

[dimwit]

Kyoto is worse than the rest. Most other cities can blame the WWII bombing and the immediate need to rebuild any kind of housing for their ugliness, Kyoto doesn't have that excuse -they did it to themselves.