Japan has an impressive combination of structures which manifest several structural designs from modest farmhouses to great imperial mansions. Architectural styles have developed from pre-historic to contemporary times. Early indigenous designs were exhibited to influential attractions from the Asian continent, introduced styles were finally accommodated to satisfy local tastes, and contemporary history observed the initiation of Western construction into Japan. Buildings were traditionally carved in wood - in part because of the profusion of timberland and because of the material's moderately good resistance to tremors. Unfortunately, several buildings have succumbed through the years to accustomed disasters, the sticky climate, fires, and battles.