ABSTRACT
In Japan, the study and survey of modern built heritage began around the second half of the 1950s. At this time, a large number of modern architectures were demolished in the rush of high economic growth and, at the same time, attention was directed towards that period of Japan's history due to the approaching of the 100-year commemoration of the Meiji Restoration. The realization that most modern and contemporary architectures are built in an urban context led in 1975 to the revision of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties, introducing a new class of designation called "Preservation Districts for Groups of Historic Buildings". In 1993, due to financial difficulties, Kanagawa Prefecture withdrew a broad urban development project that would have involved the construction of a new concert hall instead. However, it is worth noting that not only architects, but also the general public, played an essential part in the movement against the demolition of the building.
