Bland Brand? While I admire Tadao Ando and have taken pilgrimages to some of his sites in Japan, I can’t help thinking that this trend of dumbing down Japan’s urban areas is killing what personality might be left. Not long ago we saw the completion of Roppongi Hills – which to my amazement saw flocks of Japanese tourists arriving to stare in wonder at what looks and feels like a Western mall or one of the better Vegas hotels, without the thrill of gambling. The building itself is classic Ando late 21st century Japan - concrete, glass and steel with one major disappointing exception – scale. Usually Ando finds a way to be human, but this site is not. It’s a major lack of foresight on his and the planners part that Omotesando was an area many Tokyoites (and I) used to enjoy strolling, sometimes stopping for coffee with friends or some mindless shopping. Now, it feels like a place you drive to, shop and leave. Its cold. It is however proof of the theory that everyone around the world wants the same stuff (at least the developers that is) – this should be a depressing fact for designers, architects and creators of all kinds who want to think. By contrast I have been spending more time in the Ginza and Shimbashi area lately and had a chance to explore the architecture. While Ginza is an exclusive area it still maintains a personality of its own that still feels Japanese. The architecture there is a mixture of what looks like 50-60-70’s style (perhaps the imports of their day) until you reach the Shiodome development in Shimbashi which is pure 90’s shopping mall. If you happen to be in Tokyo and want to shop and feel like you are in Japan not an airport then I would encourage you to spend some time walking in these areas to enjoy a Japan of an era with more personality, before they too turn into another Bland Brand Hills development. David