3 ms·

I think the low-key, unique, quirky and tranquil aesthetic is what people find stunning about urban Japan.

by tus666 4y ago

ajmurmann 4y ago
I think some of it also the absence of cars in places you'd see them in the west. In particular absence of parked cars. I didn't realize that that was part of it till I learned that street parking is highly restricted in Japan and now I cannot unsee it. Similarly the tiny backstreets are super charming and also not car friendly. It's human friendly though. Edit: another thing that really sticks out as adding to the charm is the more diverse usage of building space. You might find businesses on floors other than the ground floor and many of them are much smaller than you'd ever find a similar business in Europe and especially not the US. It gives a feeling that there are always things to discover.
- SECProto 4y ago
  The no-street-parking thing goes hand in hand with another restriction: you have to prove you have an off-street parking space within a short distance (I seem to recall 800m when I was registering, but internet suggests 2km) of your residence. If you don't, you can't buy a white plate vehicle. Ownership of vehicles is much more regulated than north america
- presentation 4y ago
  Agreed on the smaller businesses - I love that aspect and always wondered if a faked version of that in NYC or something (subdivide a typical restaurant space into a number of 6-10 seater counter bars like you'd find in Japan) would take off.
  - ajmurmann 4y ago
    I wonder if the overhead in the US somehow makes small businesses like that not viable. Maybe there is something here about minimum needed profit to even live? I don't see any good reason why it's so rare to have businesses on more floors. I wonder if it's a zoning or simply a cultural thing.
    - adam_arthur 4y ago
      NYC has some retail shops on upper levels of buildings. I'd guess foot traffic is significantly lower, but rent should account for that

I think the low-key, unique, quirky and tranquil aesthetic is what people find stunning about urban Japan.

by tus666 4y ago

I think the low-key, unique, quirky and tranquil aesthetic is what people find stunning about urban Japan.

I think some of it also the absence of cars in places you'd see them in the west. In particular absence of parked cars. I didn't realize that that was part of it till I learned that street parking is highly restricted in Japan and now I cannot unsee it. Similarly the tiny backstreets are super charming and also not car friendly. It's human friendly though. Edit: another thing that really sticks out as adding to the charm is the more diverse usage of building space. You might find businesses on floors other than the ground floor and many of them are much smaller than you'd ever find a similar business in Europe and especially not the US. It gives a feeling that there are always things to discover.

SECProto 4y ago
The no-street-parking thing goes hand in hand with another restriction: you have to prove you have an off-street parking space within a short distance (I seem to recall 800m when I was registering, but internet suggests 2km) of your residence. If you don't, you can't buy a white plate vehicle. Ownership of vehicles is much more regulated than north america
presentation 4y ago
Agreed on the smaller businesses - I love that aspect and always wondered if a faked version of that in NYC or something (subdivide a typical restaurant space into a number of 6-10 seater counter bars like you'd find in Japan) would take off.
- ajmurmann 4y ago
  I wonder if the overhead in the US somehow makes small businesses like that not viable. Maybe there is something here about minimum needed profit to even live? I don't see any good reason why it's so rare to have businesses on more floors. I wonder if it's a zoning or simply a cultural thing.
  - adam_arthur 4y ago
    NYC has some retail shops on upper levels of buildings. I'd guess foot traffic is significantly lower, but rent should account for that