All acts of creation start with an act of destruction. Even the creation of paper first starts with the destruction of a tree. We cannot stop progress, but it's critical to maintain pieces of history so we know who we use to be. These lovingly recreated Japanese buildings are mostly known as "signboard architecture". Built in the early 1900's these buildings were the start of a new trend at the time, local crafts people designing new buildings with a fusion of Japanese and Western aesthetics. They are sadly disappearing across Japan as cities grow and need to redevelop to keep up with the community's needs, but the ones that remain still house shops and businesses that you can visit before they disappear.