This adds to the drama of the spectacle and increases the
impact of the advertising signs.
High buildings in Japan are normally clustered into
tight groups around railway stations. A good example is
Shenjuku in Tokyo where many of Japan’s big companies
have their headquarters. The competition for space and
architectural impact is enormous, yet there are hints at
the top of the towers of traditional Shinto or Buddhist
temple imagery. This combination of high tech and
tradition makes the silhouette of Japanese cities
exceptional in their respect for cultural continuity.
The final observation that drawing such scenes reveals
is the close proximity between architecture and
landscape. Even in cities of several million people, parks
close at hand and distant mountains set the architecture
into a wider, more natural frame of reference. This is
evident particularly in the studies of Hiroshima, where the
sea and countless mountainous offshore islands soften
the rectangular outlines of recent urban building. In a city
that has suffered so much, nature provides an important
source of reflection.
Using drawing to analyse an urban area 195