Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century. For early Japanese devotees, Buddhism offered the promise of salvation through faith in the Buddha of the Future, who would appear at the end of the world. The concept of eternal salvation held particular resonance with the Japanese aristocracy, who became the staunchest supporters of this new faith. Small sculptures like this one, with its gentle grace and powerful presence, were popular devotional objects.
View the original at Cleveland Museum of Art →Article 1 states the aim as a beautiful and dignified national land, and it covers not only cities but farming, mountain and fishing villages. Inside a landscape planning area, Article 16 requires advance notification of new building, extension, rebuilding, relocation, and any repair or alteration that changes the exterior. Landscape Districts go further and impose direct restrictions on the form and design of buildings.
The cool part. Read Article 16 to the end of the sentence. A change of colour is listed alongside new construction as an act you must notify. Repainting your building is, in law, the same category of event as putting up a new one. This is the machinery behind the muted shopfronts of Kyoto. The brown coffee-shop sign is not a marketing choice, it is compliance.
Verify at e-Gov 法令検索 →Use it Two-colour foil on uncoated stock gets you most of this at production cost.
Description source: museum curator text — not generated