Tokyo — a Vibrant and Liveable Metropolis
Tokyo is a city of ceaseless transformation. Glass skyscrapers are appearing in place of old low-rise neighborhoods. Short travel time and pleasant trips to international airports are showing what tunnel engineering can do for a city. Underground parking for bikes, which moves down bikes and hides them away from the view, provides a great solution for the city short on pavement space. Even Tokyo’s taxi fleet is exemplary with its tidy and neat interiors, dark shades, doors automatically swinging open to welcome passengers, and, of course, politeness of drivers.
Contrasts are inevitable in a city of Tokyo. Tokyo is very predictable when it comes to public transport timetables, mail delivery, low crime rates. At the same time, the city is changing at a fast pace. One may see giant cranes almost everywhere. With such a rapid transformation, somehow the order still prevails.
The construction of high towers in Tokyo started in the early 2000s. The first powers appeared in the Marunouchi business district and Roppongi. Later, the construction expanded to other neighborhoods. Among the latest neighborhoods are Tonanomon, Ginza, and Hibiya. All new neighborhoods are well-planned, and their residents enjoy close proximity to green spaces, schools, hospitals, wellness centers, shops, restaurants, spacious office areas, upscale hotels. Successful engineering indeed stands out.
Commerce is usually concentrated around railway stations in Tokyo. Not surprisingly, the city is waiting for an important event — the planned opening of the Shibuya Station in 2027 after the 14-year makeover. Nearby the Shibuya Station, the project includes new skyscrapers, changed roads, and a path along a resuscitated river.
Even though Tokyo is a city of high-rise towers, the city residents may still enjoy the traditional shotengai — commercial street. In the city, there are many backlashes against disappearing traditional shops and numerous examples of building upwards. The examples below are just two successful projects among many others.
Tiny Specialty Rice Shop
The branding agency Owan, and Jo Nagasaka, of Schemata Architects, have enhanced the beauty of a diminishing shopping street — Miyakawa Shotengai — in the Togoshi neighborhood, starting with a new specialty rice shop named Okomeya.
Neighborhood Vegetable Shop
In the Nezu area, Masamichi Katayama has designed a new minimalist yaoya (neighborhood vegetable shop) named Vegeo Vegeco for Soichiro Hirabayashi. In the shop, one may enjoy the look of fresh vegetables from organic farms, antique lamps, and cedar display boxes.
Tokyo officials keep in mind the importance of maintaining traditional venues as they proceed with urban planning. One of the suitable examples: the relocation of the Tsukiji fish market to a former gas plant after the redevelopment of the property, with a new food theme part. In other words, Tokyo is a successful mix of tradition and high-tech.
