This is in very stark contrast to what I've heard that Tokyo is a city where children maintain a lot more freedom than western countries (especially the US) hav

This is in very stark contrast to what I've heard that Tokyo is a city where children maintain a lot more freedom than western countries (especially the US) have moved away from[1]. When I visited it seemed true: lots of rather young kids walking around the streets on their own, tons of tiny mixed use roads for kids to freely and safely walk around in, etc. Heck, culturally they even have that Kid Tasks[1] show. It seemed a lot better for kids than NYC (where I live now), Silicon Valley (where I used to live), or small suburban towns in the south (where I grew up). I'm also surprised you lived in a lived in a high-rise, famously uncharacteristic of Tokyo housing, which may imply you lived in a less family friendly district than the typical Tokyo resident. [1] http://www.cbsnews.com/news/japanese-young-children-solo-commute-subway-school/ http://www.cbsnews.com/news/japanese-young-children-solo-com... [2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5k5XTZy0rA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5k5XTZy0rA