JAPAN THE BEAUTIFUL: Veto over eyesore buildings in works
The Asahi Shimbun (IHT/Asahi: December 9, 2003)
The wall was a gaudy pink, so ugly that people living near the new condominium couldn't stand to look at it any more. So the residents of a Yokohama community pressed the builders to change the wall color to something a little more subdued-to no avail... What ever happened to this country's much-admired sense of design?
We may never know. But things may look better soon.
Regulations planned by the land ministry aimed at helping municipalities preserve beautiful townscapes would place limits on roof styles, wall colors, building heights and other elements of new buildings in designated areas...
