Landscapes of Japan in the globalization era

Abstract

In our everyday city life we constantly come across numerous elements that are typical of globalization. Popular hotel chains like Hilton or Holiday-Inn encircle all large cities of the world, or branch systems of brand-name stores such as Chanel and Nina Ricci decorate the central streets of New-York, Shanghai, Moscow, and Tokyo. Appealing bright red symbols of American McDonald's, Burger King and KFC became familiar attributes of contemporary urban landscapes. Fairy Santa Clauses surrounded by deer and Christmas trees topped with stars and angels are welcoming us today in Paris, Beijing, Tokyo and even on the tropical Cook Islands. Landscape architecture has contributed to unification of modern cites. Japan is one of the few countries of the current world that is demonstrating the feasibility of preserving ancient traditions of national culture with their creative rethinking under conditions of a modern global society.