An old Japanese fireproofing technique and its aesthetics

Walking around the Japanese residential neighborhoods, you may notice some distinctive buildings covered by green scales, like the one in this photo. The reason for this look is that the walls are covered with copper plates, a fireproofing technique which was frequently used at the beginning of the 20th century.

Of course, the aesthetics were not forgotten, so often the copper plates are sometimes decorated with patterns that even today are allowing the building to stand out.