Tatekouji Street and Japanese Planning Permission

Tatekouji Street (Tatekouji Doori) is one of the few streets in Yamaguchi City in which there are some traditional Japanese buildings. Alas, due to the freedom, or laxity, of planning permission regulations the traditional townhouses are being covered in fake concrete boarding, or removed to make way for block-like buildings in bright and unharmonious colours, and Western style architecture.

I think it would help a lot of the electricty pilons and wires were buried too.

Should the Japanese tighten up their planning permission regulations? Have they left it too late? Are the benefits to be obtained by increases in tourism industry revenue, outweighed by the extra expense of maintaining traditional architecture? It is wooden, rather than build of brick and stone. I am not sure. But, if Japan really wants to become a tourism destination, then I think that stricter planning permission laws should be considered.

It may not be necessary. There is a chance that Japan can attract tourists that want to see only modern Japanese culture (consumer opportunities, production related tourism venues, modern Japnaese culture such as anime, gaming, fashion and music related venues) and Japanese nature (which remains surprisingly, that is to say *very*, unspoilt).

I think that there is a compromised to be reached. I think that the Japanese should keep their lax planning permission regulations in general but preserve, conserve, and renovate to traditional splendor, a street or two in each town. The small area of presevered buildings in the "Bikanchiku" (beautiful looking area) of Kurashiki, Oyakama Prefecture is an unmitigated success, imho.

By the way, this is the third time I have uploaded this video, or videos like it, because I did the editing in a hurry. It is still not perfect but at least the clips are in a meaningful order.

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• Yamaguchi-Shi
• Yamaguchi-ken
• Yamaguchi prefecture
• Yamaguchi City
• Tourism
• architecture
• traditional
• planning permission
• conservation

[dotsona07]

This is a offtopic question, but I was wondering if there is anything you miss about Britain, have you found any cons about living in Japan? Do you have a favorite?

[timtak1]

(pseudo) intellectual conversations, large english language bookstores, attractive towns with town planning, street entertainers, cyncism, bread with bite, women that are interested in men, flea markets and charity shops, being taken seriously at work, typhoo and pg tips tea, joggers, arty film cinemas, large scale DIY stores (do they have these in the UK? They do in the USA), lack of concern with precision and security, UK banks and credit cards companies that are not anal, name pronunciation

[acatinny]

Many of them you will find even in Japan if you move to big cities like Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto. Well, maybe besides "attractive towns with town planning" and "large scale DIY stores" I guess

[timtak1]

Thank you. Good point. It is probably not the UK, but a city, cities that I miss. Thanks again.

[tubamenotabi]

う～ん、屋根がとても現代的に見える。

明治以前の屋根は丸瓦だったような気がする。

[Prestonukbenny]

Domo Arigatou

[Jeanetteleuers]

The barrel might be an old miso vat?