Postcards from Japan: Cool Buildings

The immediate impression I got when traveling around Japan is that the architecture is dominated by ugly, concrete block-shaped buildings. While the post-war communist concrete legos look is less than inspiring (yes, I know the Japanese weren't communist, but it looks like they were), there are many gems in the Japanese built landscape. As you would expect, many of the gems are beautiful shrines, temples and castles with their traditional Japanese architecture, but there are also some awe-inspiring high rises and some simply cool buildings. Here are some photos of what I wandered across.

Tokyo

Tokyo

Tokyo

Tokyo

Tokyo

Tokyo International Forum - I loved the inside of this building with its open atrium and glass bridges and wall of windows.

Tokyo International Forum - ceiling view

Tokyo International Forum - ceiling view

Traditional homes on Miyajima Island

Pagoda on Miyajima Island

Pagoda on Miyajima Island

Fukuoka

Dazaifu with Jessica Liu-Hada and Marty

Shrine in Fukuoka

Nara

Oasis 21 - a very fun bus station in Nagoya

Nagoya Castle

Nara

Nara

For your amusement

Nagoya Train Station

Nagoya

Nagoya

Spiral Tower in Nagoya - coolest highrise I've ever seen

(I loved this building)

Spiral Tower - Nagoya

Spiral Tower - Nagoya

I only saw two slummy looking buildings in Japan - this was one of them. (I don't know if this says something about Japan or about where I walked.)

Karaoke building - Nagoya

One of the many spectacular shrines in Kyoto

Kyoto

Kyoto

Building with plants growing out of it - Tokyo

Under construction in Tokyo

Gold's Gym - Tokyo

Tokyo

Tokyo

Tokyo

Prada Building - Tokyo (You can find much better photos of this building on the web.)

Stairway in the Prada Building - Tokyo

Inside the Prada Building - Tokyo