Yeah that's definitely an issue. A way Tokyo has solved this is by building buildings underneath roadway/train lines. Things like cheap restaurants, cafes (and

Yeah that's definitely an issue. A way Tokyo has solved this is by building buildings underneath roadway/train lines. Things like cheap restaurants, cafes (and of course the train stations themselves). This works pretty well because you're usually close to a station so people wanting to use these facilities don't often require parking. EDIT: A particularly clean example of this is 2k540 in Okachimachi. A bunch of kinda artsy stores, lots of lighting... kinda feels like a small mall except it's outside. Some pics : https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=2k540&tbm=isch https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=2k540&tbm=isch