Japanese modern architecture, Showa-Kan

Seen from afar, because of the lack of windows, the building from this photo may seem to be covered with scaffolding... It is one of the most somber buildings in Japan, but even so, sometimes when directly lit by the sun, it looks somehow friendly.

The building houses a very sad museum, covering the most difficult period of the history of Japan, the World War II and its aftermath. Opened in 1999 and officially named National Showa Memorial Museum, the construction is better known as Showa-Kan 「昭和館」 and was designed by a well-known architect, Kiyonori Kikutake, the founder of the Japanese Metabolist group.