The projects have turned Japan into the world's ugliest country, according to Alex Kerr, author of Dogs and Demons, which chronicles the destruction of Japan's natural beauty.

NPR: Public Works Endanger Japan's Environment

But the model version makes the simple beauty of the design, by Japan's Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, eminently clear.

WSJ: The Charge of the Satellite Brigade | Geek Chic

Former capital Kyoto, in particular, is known worldwide as one of the most beautiful places in Japan, and it's the place to absorb the maximum amount of architectural beauty, culture and history in the shortest amount of time.

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