For generations, Japan relied on wood to build the vast majority of its buildings, but the material’s inability to withstand fire – most dramatically demonstrated during the firebomb raids on major cities during World War II – has always been its biggest drawback. Today they are building the world's tallest wooden building in central Tokyo that will leave all previous wooden structures in its shade, as brought by The Telegraph. The ultimate aim is to create an environmental friendly city of high-rise buildings made of wood that also helps to "transform the town into a forest", said the company which builds the skyscraper.  The tower will require more than 6.5 million cubic feet of wood and the cost of the project has been estimated at £4.2 billion. The completed tower will house shops, offices, a hotel and residential units, while the designers’ sketches show broad balconies covered with greenery, a garden roof, soaring internal open spaces and water features. More...