Japan's cities have been criticized for lacking the harmony and consistence felt in other countries, especially in Europe. But that's not a result of poor city planning; the disarray of structures in Tokyo and Osaka simply mirror the country's postwar obsession with material wealth, according to architect Tadao Ando.
"The cityscape embodies the value system of the country, and in the case of Japan, it's money," Ando, 60, said during a recent interview with The Japan Times.
"People often say the Japanese don't have individuality, but when it comes to buildings, they show a very strong individuality," he observed. The apparent paradox in this phenomena, he explained, is due to the absence of a shared sense of community.