Tag: tokyo

narrow streets, Photo Tour, tokyo

The Shibuya You Don’t Know

Stock photos and televised clips of Shibuya usually depict only the iconic scramble intersection, but there is a lot more to this central Tokyo neighborhood. In fact, in Shibuya’s liveliest commercial districts, you never have to wait to cross the street (these are the “Nightlife Alleys” described in The Hierarchy of Japanese Streets). The following screenshots from Walking in Shibuya at night by Rambalac reveal a true pedestrian … Continue reading The Shibuya You Don’t Know

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tokyo

Explosive Ridership Growth on Tokyo Metro

While the population of Tokyo as a whole is growing quite slowly, some parts of the city are experiencing change at a dizzying pace.  This phenomenon is most visible in the massive construction projects at Shibuya, Shinagawa, and Tokyo Station. In contrast to Tokyo’s slow and steady population growth, the following numbers (for stations on Tokyo Metro) are really quite massive. Station Name:  2012 Ridership  ->  2015 … Continue reading Explosive Ridership Growth on Tokyo Metro

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tokyo, urban complexity

How Busy Are Tokyo Rail Hubs?

(Daily boardings in 2015 unless otherwise stated) Shinjuku 総合駅: ~1.67 million  JR: 760,043 Keio: ~379,000 (757,823 on & off) Odakyu: ~246,000 (492,234 on & off) Toei Shinjuku Line: 140,967 Tokyo Metro: ~ 116,000  (231,340 on & off) Toei Oedo Line: 30,466 Ikebukuro 総合駅: ~1.31 million  “1966年に新宿駅に抜かれるまで、当駅が1日平均乗車人員数で日本一だった” JR: 556,780 Tokyo Metro: ~274,000  (548,839 on & off) Seibu: ~242,000 (483,407 on & off) Tobu: ~239,000 (477,834 on & off) Shibuya 総合駅: ~1.22 million … Continue reading How Busy Are Tokyo Rail Hubs?

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Photo Tour, Super-Aged, tokyo

Directions to IHJ (International House of Japan)

I have two recommendations for walking to the International House of Japan (IHJ): A 10 minute scenic tour. A 10 minute mole tour (if you want to minimize your time outdoors). The scenic option offers a complete crash course in walkable urbanism, hidden in the most mundane details. As I have written elsewhere, most of our knowledge about how to build a walkable city has yet … Continue reading Directions to IHJ (International House of Japan)

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sky level, tokyo, urban complexity

Major Sky-Level Decks #デッキ論

This list is not comprehensive, but here are some of the largest Deck Level developments in Japan: Senri-Chuo shopping center in Osaka (on airport monorail line): huge deck level.  Surrounding park areas are connected by pedestrian bridges, creating near total grade separation of vehicles and pedestrians.  Very much like Tama Center. See also: http://senri50.com/c4489.html Tama Center: Wide deck level stretching 1100′ NW from Keio Tama Center … Continue reading Major Sky-Level Decks #デッキ論

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urban complexity

Jiyugaoka – Shop Distribution

How many shops are within walking distance?  While Jiyugaoka.net lists 1,937 shops*, not all of them are close to Jiyugaoka Station.  It appears that roughly 3/4 of these are within 6 minutes of the station, but the distribution varies; super markets are more evenly spread, while restaurants are highly clustered. *This includes public facilities, service businesses, parks, and over a thousand listings under “gourmet“.  This allows a … Continue reading Jiyugaoka – Shop Distribution

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featured, woonerf

Walkable City – Jiyugaoka (自由が丘)

  Jiyugaoka is one of five major town centers in Tokyo’s Meguro ward (目黒区), which is one of the city’s most densely populated wards, with 49,000 people per square mile. The two train stations which intersect here boast combined daily boardings of approximately 150,000 passengers (CBRE data). This commercial nucleus features a tremendous number of storefronts, all within a 6 minute walk of Jiyugaoka Station:     … Continue reading Walkable City – Jiyugaoka (自由が丘)

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sky level

デッキ論： deck levels vs pedestrian overpasses

What is the difference between a deck level (デッキ) and a pedestrian overpass (歩道橋)?  How can we classify the pedestrian infrastructure at JR Ueno Station, pictured above? The common characteristic: grade separation of motor vehicles and pedestrians. I propose that deck levels have one primary characteristic which distinguishes them from pedestrian overpasses: direct connectivity to adjacent buildings. In pedestrian overpasses, on the other hand, the connectivity is broken … Continue reading デッキ論： deck levels vs pedestrian overpasses

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