Kyotown » Kyoto News http://kyotown.com Kyoto community website Tue, 09 Oct 2007 01:17:41 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 en Kyoto enforces ad ban, building height changes http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/kyoto-enforces-ad-ban-building-height-changes/ http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/kyoto-enforces-ad-ban-building-height-changes/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 02:03:38 +0000 nils http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/kyoto-enforces-ad-ban-building-height-changes/ KYOTO (Kyodo) The Kyoto city government on Sept. 1 began enforcing a set of ordinances that lower building height limits and ban all rooftop and blinking advertisements to preserve the historic scenery of the ancient capital.

In mid-March, the city passed a series of ordinances limiting the height of new or renovated commercial buildings in the downtown area to 31 meters, or roughly 10 stories. The current height limit is 45 meters.

Buildings in other parts of the city that are designated mixed commercial-residential areas will have to lower their heights from the current maximum of 31 meters to 15 meters, or roughly five stories.

Rooftop advertising and flashing neon signs will also be banned, and restrictions placed on the color, shape and architectural design of new or renovated buildings to create a less flashy, more subdued urban atmosphere that looks, according to a City Hall bureaucrat, less like modern Tokyo or Osaka and more like traditional Kyoto.

(Continue to Japan Times)

]]> http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/kyoto-enforces-ad-ban-building-height-changes/feed/ Nintendo DS used in English lessons in Kyoto schools http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/nintendo-ds-used-in-english-lessons-in-kyoto-schools/ http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/nintendo-ds-used-in-english-lessons-in-kyoto-schools/#comments Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:50:33 +0000 nils http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/nintendo-ds-used-in-english-lessons-in-kyoto-schools/ YAWATA, Kyoto (Mainichi Daily News) — The Yawata Municipal Board of Education has introduced Nintendo DS game consoles in English lessons at junior high schools following tests showing that the devices helped boost students’ English vocabulary.

The education board introduced the consoles in second-year English classes in all four of the city’s municipal junior high schools on Monday.
(more…)

]]> http://kyotown.com/2007/09/19/nintendo-ds-used-in-english-lessons-in-kyoto-schools/feed/ Test posting to set up categories http://kyotown.com/2007/09/18/test-posting-to-set-up-categories/ http://kyotown.com/2007/09/18/test-posting-to-set-up-categories/#comments Tue, 18 Sep 2007 08:05:18 +0000 nils http://kyotown.com/?p=4 This is a test posting on the reconfigured Kyotown.com. I’m hoping the categories will line up nicely on the right after making this post.

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