KOBE -- Hyogo Prefecture, with the largest number of golf courses on Honshu, has a reputation as the country's golf heaven.
But with golf courses nationwide going bankrupt and residents in nearby Osaka angry about environmental damage caused by Hyogo courses, golf heaven is fast turning into golf hell.
Back during the bubble economy days of the 1980s, laws regarding land development in Japan were changed to make it easier to develop resorts, theme parks and golf courses.