[Lessons on Japanese Urbanism from French Slow TV]
At 0:27 Note the very well marked scramble crossing (c.f. the arrogance of space).
Lesson 1: zebra stripes can never be too wide.
From 1:00 to 1:59 Note the total absence of vehicular traffic. The numerous parked cars and bikes make clear that this is not a depopulated area.
Lesson 2: its possible to build an urban street free from noise and pollution, even in the densest of cities.
At 2:04 Note the sidewalk width. Despite the scarcity of land, Tokyo manages to provide sidewalks so wide that collisions and confrontations are easy to avoid.
Lesson 3: there’s no excuse for narrow sidewalks.
At 4:31 Note the absence of vehicles on a major boulevard. This is Akihabara, and its closed to cars every Sunday. See also: Shinjuku (新宿ホコ天), Ginza (銀座中央通りホコ天), Kagurazaka (神楽坂下), and New York’s Nassau Street.
Lesson 4: everybody loves car-free days.
janejacobsjapan 
You forgot the most important part: no street parking. Cars are forced off the street into parking lots, out of sight and out of mind, to keep the street for human beings, not vehicles.
LikeLike