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So Tokyo isn't affordable and livable because it's dense? I lived in Japan so I understand where you're coming from...but the fact that "fleeters" are even a t

So Tokyo isn't affordable and livable because it's dense? I lived in Japan so I understand where you're coming from...but the fact that "fleeters" are even a thing should tell you they are doing something right with housing prices. Can you imagine an American person in Seattle deciding to just work 30 hours at a conbini and being able to rent a studio? A couple things: 1. Sure, Tokyo is dense and can be kinda soul crushing...but the option of having a roof even at incredibly low income is better than none. 2. Zoning to allow residential to be on top of business, and allowing smaller apartments and 2 very obvious things that make it literally "easier to build" in Japan than the US. This isn't even just a Tokyo thing. When I lived in a pretty nice suburb in Okinawa a lot of my friends were paying like 300-400$ usd for rent, and I rarely ever saw homeless people. I live in Honolulu now and there's homeless everywhere and good luck finding any studio under $1300. There's a pretty obvious difference.

kurthr 4y ago
I agree that there's gotta be a place to live (that doesn't require a 1hr car drive or a multi-hour commute) to support city living at reasonable working wage and that is not possible in most rapidly urbanizing/gentrifying areas of the US (it is possible in Detroit or even NY to some extent). That probably means something of a couple hundred ft2, not 1000. However, the reasons for homelessness in Hawaii vs Tokyo (I've actually seen some in the last 5 years!) has a lot to do with weather, social acceptance, and income from panhandling (which doesn't happen in Tokyo). Also, a lot of the homeless I see outside (not the hidden homeless who have one or more jobs) in the US have problems that would lead to incarceration in Japan (drug use, untreated mental illness). At the same time I've known older people in Japan who would be in memory care in the US who were helped by the community to remain living in their houses in Japan. It is much safer in Japan, but at the same time any activity that makes it feel less safe is much more likely to be "policed".

kurthr 4y ago

I agree that there's gotta be a place to live (that doesn't require a 1hr car drive or a multi-hour commute) to support city living at reasonable working wage and that is not possible in most rapidly urbanizing/gentrifying areas of the US (it is possible in Detroit or even NY to some extent). That probably means something of a couple hundred ft2, not 1000. However, the reasons for homelessness in Hawaii vs Tokyo (I've actually seen some in the last 5 years!) has a lot to do with weather, social acceptance, and income from panhandling (which doesn't happen in Tokyo). Also, a lot of the homeless I see outside (not the hidden homeless who have one or more jobs) in the US have problems that would lead to incarceration in Japan (drug use, untreated mental illness). At the same time I've known older people in Japan who would be in memory care in the US who were helped by the community to remain living in their houses in Japan. It is much safer in Japan, but at the same time any activity that makes it feel less safe is much more likely to be "policed".