Abstract
In recent years, many local governments in Japan have introduced height restrictions for buildings in order to prevent conflicts about tall buildings and develop good urban and rural landscapes. This study investigates the height restrictions for buildings as per the landscape plan of the Landscape Act in Japan. The focus is on the aim of height restrictions, height criteria, and pre-application consultation system. The results show that although the height restrictions for buildings as per the landscape plan are not legally binding, many local governments recognize their significance as a means of manifesting the city heights policy. In addition, the height criteria are not only quantitative but also qualitative. Local governments that use qualitative criteria tend to require pre-application consultation by applicants, because most qualitative criteria lack detail.
