Japan is the home of concretology. This form of architecture started in the 1960s as a way to use molds, iron bars and rendering to form structures that make people say, "Whoa!"
In other parts of the world, this art form is known as "reinforced concrete." With the onset of concretology, what Japan lacked in land mass, it could now make up for in mammoth structures.
Take, for example, the Kyoto International Conference Center (Kokusai Kaikan). Built in 1966, this monstrosity sits on 156,000 sq. meters of land, has 70 meeting rooms and a giant swan (we'll get back to the swan later). With at least one conference hall with a 19-meter ceiling, the ICC Kyoto must have been aiming to have the first conference center in the world where they can hold meetings for giraffes.