I can’t count the number of times I have heard foreign nationals
complaining about the tragic loss of traditional Kyoto. It was
one of the few major cities in Japan to be spared bombing of any
sort at the end of World War II, and the fact that the old
wooden buildings and roadways are mostly gone is due to the
demands of modernization. But I don’t think Kyoto is the great
tragedy of Kansai. I don’t even think it has really been lost,
as most of its culture and traditions are still intact, its arts
are still practiced, and it is respected as the cultural center
of Japan by almost all, despite the considerable legacies of
places such as Edo and Osaka. And regardless of its considerable
size and the laws that make preservation of wooden structures
difficult, Kyoto has still managed to maintain a significant
amount of its architectural legacy. The real tragedy of Kansai
is the city of Sakai, which has become a dreary southern-Osaka
suburb and a manufacturing center. Urbanization and
modernization have not only cr