"Tokyo Midtown"

[Mulboyne]

[GuyJean]

[Mulboyne]

On an unrelated note...

Bloomberg: Tokyo Fault Closer to Surface Than Scientists Thought

The fault that lies beneath Tokyo is closer to the surface than seismologists had thought, meaning that earthquakes that strike the city of 33 million people may shake more than expected, according to a study to appear in the journal Science. The research revealed that the plate boundary, once believed to be as deep as 40 kilometers (25 miles) below Tokyo, sits at a level as shallow as 4 kilometers to 26 kilometers beneath the city. Ground motion severity measurements, used to assess damage done by a temblor, are based in part on how deep the fault is. "The shallow point is the source where seismic waves are titillated," Hiroshi Sato, lead author of the study, said in an interview. "This is not good news for people in the metropolitan area"...more...

I thought I'd kee this off the FG front page to avoid causing a panic.

[Taro Toporific]

I was going to puke my natto-&-raw-egg hospital breakfast when I read this puff piece.

<--: Issei Mikyake Tower of Fashion

Top architect, designer come together for Tokyo's latest mega-complex
July 15, 2005, TOKYO (AFP) -Two of Japan's top architects and designers said they were coming together to build Tokyo's latest mega-complex of shops, offices and residences in a bid to boost the capital's global profile...
...The 380 billion-yen (3.4 billion-dollar) complex slated to open in spring 2007 will mark the first collaboration between renowned architect Tadao Ando and top fashion designer Issey Miyake.
...."Japanese people have a great consciousness of beauty because the Japanese have nurtured their sense of beauty through things such as Kabuki (theater) and Japanese gardening," said Ando....

[Mulboyne]

Also from Taro's link:

Masato Hisatake, a senior fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, said complexes such as Tokyo Midtown highlight strengths by showing off Japanese cultural assets alongside commercial space..."To me, it looks like Tokyo is moving ahead to find new charm," he said.

[Captain Japan]

Also from Taro's link:

Masato Hisatake, a senior fellow at the Research Institute of Economy, Trade and Industry, said complexes such as Tokyo Midtown highlight strengths by showing off Japanese cultural assets alongside commercial space..."To me, it looks like Tokyo is moving ahead to find new charm," he said.

Mid-town Web page says: Creating a town that represents the Japan of the 21st century - that's the starting point of Tokyo Mid Town. Infused with the unique values and sensitivity of the Japanese culture this unprecedented town will burst upon the world scene.

There you go. The the shows that Japanese culture truly is one of a kind.

[DrBru]

Japanese people have a great consciousness of beauty because the Japanese have nurtured their sense of beauty ...

This is true with indoor design, packaging etc. but... How come they don't get rid of the butt-ugly power/phone lines, or at least don't put them up for new projects? They are building a new shopping center near where I live (north of Nagoya) and already they put up lots of naked poles around it. This might be bothering me more than others, since I used to live in Germany and there are just about none of these to be seen.

Is it really that expensive to bury lines? Besides, I can't believe the earthquake argument. It must be possible to bury cable so that even when the earth moves, they don't rip all over the place...

[Big Booger]

Japanese people have a great consciousness of beauty because the Japanese have nurtured their sense of beauty ...

This is true with indoor design, packaging etc. but... How come they don't get rid of the butt-ugly power/phone lines, or at least don't put them up for new projects? They are building a new shopping center near where I live (north of Nagoya) and already they put up lots of naked poles around it. This might be bothering me more than others, since I used to live in Germany and there are just about none of these to be seen.

Is it really that expensive to bury lines? Besides, I can't believe the earthquake argument. It must be possible to bury cable so that even when the earth moves, they don't rip all over the place...

I think with enough slack, they'd never rip. Perhaps using a copper and elastic blend might do the trick as well?? LOL

[dingosatemybaby]

Anybody remember Roppongi Hills? It seems to take only about 10 years for Japanese buildings to fall into seedy disrepair. RH isn't there yet, but the bloom is already off that rose.

Just curious, why haven't Japanese developers joined in the phallic phun of building supertall buildings, like the one recently completed in Taipei, not to mention the projects in Brunei, China, and the "Freedom Tower." Is it earthquake considerations? Taipei is also earthquake-prone.