> This is a universal human thing I find.

From everything I've read, building (and rebuilding) in Japan is much more straightforward than in the states, or other Western countries.

We've invented many processes and regulations that were well-intended, meant to reduce abuse or exploitation (e.g. pollution, destroying local environment, etc) but also made it hard to build even things that are good, that we broadly want, like new infrastructure or more housing as housing prices rise.