I started filming thins in March, where I did a walk around tour of the neighbourhood on the X channel ukposts.info/have/v-deo/m56Fk6drcKGnoqc.html Some other related videos touring neighbourhoods that you might like are: Tokyo by Bike ukposts.info/have/v-deo/rWCpbHt4nWp4tJs.html Tokyo by Train ukposts.info/have/v-deo/pZyGoJB_fq6UwqM.html Tokyo by Boat ukposts.info/have/v-deo/aZFimpqxsG2JmWg.html I already got most of the footage for the zoning and how Japan keeps clean videos, so those will be out sooner than later. Hope you enjoy!

It's almost as if they design their neighbourhoods for human beings to live in, rather than automobiles to travel through... how radical.

that bicycle escalator is genius

What a lovely video. I am a 73 year old American lady and I am always so lonely with few friends and nothing to do. Our culture has always emphasized privacy and isolation As you age and don't have family, this can be very unfortunate. After watching your video, I can understand more why so many young Americans are drawn to Japan. Thanks for a very interesting insight into such a vast cultural difference.

I'm American, but when I was a kid I lived in japan due to my parents being in the military. It was a perfect childhood, playing with friends everyday until the bell rang.

Among the reasons why living in Japan makes you thin: lots of walking. Which honestly, personally, I don’t mind. The less car makes for a dream neighborhood, frankly. You have no idea how a quiet neighborhood can do to your sleep’s quality and probably on an overall, everyday livelihood.

Love how the neighborhoods just kind of flow together. Even though Tokyo has millions of people they seem so safe, peaceful, and quiet.

“Tokyo” makes me nostalgic for a childhood that I never had

The thing I love the most about Japan is how clean and safe it is. It always impresses me. Of course it's not perfect but it's really amazing compared to others.

Mixed zoning is honestly genius, of course with some moderation. Having essentials being walking distance to most people will easily highlight a neighborhood. The benefits of enticing people to actually walk or ride bikes in small streets/non car crowded streets adds to the overall health of people living in that neighborhood too.

I'm currently living in Japan (Not Tokyo, I live the next prefecture over, but It's only a 15 minute train ride to get to Tokyo), and even here I can access everything I need within a 5 minute walk. I actually love how the neighborhoods are set up with the multiple zones in one area. I live in an apartment building that has a grocery store on the first (it also covers second) floor, and a gym on the third (and fourth) floor. Next door is a house and next to that is a Dentist Office. on the other side of the building is a Bank. Across the street is a Drug Store, the Train Station is a 5 minute walk and in that 5 minutes I pass a Temple, 3 Convenience stores, a post office, some specialty stores, two Pachinko Places, another Drug Store, a few specialty shops and restaurants, a couple Izakaya, a couple smaller apartment buildings and several houses. There is also a Koban right outside of the Train Station and a Fire Station, another dentist, and a clinic in the area. I love how easily accessible everything is without the use of a bike or car, compared to where I grew up in the USA. In the USA I lived in a Residential Area (two story family houses), so the nearest grocery store was a 10 minute walk (2 minute drive) from my parents' house in the Commercial Area. Also, I love how much safer Japan is as well! I'm an Elementary School ALT, and I always see my students walking around with their friends freely outside of school (BTW I LOVE running into my students outside of school it makes me happy). I also enjoy being able to run to the Conbini at 10 at night when I run out of toilet paper without worrying about someone mugging me.

The “silver jinzai” brought tears to my eyes. I’ve never heard of them before but it’s so wholesome. I live in the US and it’s just terrifying how unsafe it is for young children and women to be anywhere by themselves. It is heartwarming to know that the elderly in Japan do this kind of volunteer work to keep their communities safe. I’m moving to Tokyo in a few weeks to attend university and I’m so happy that I’ll be able to travel and enjoy things by myself without fear of being hurt. And now I know that there’s always someone looking out for me. :,)

Tokyo just feels like a completely different world. The buildings take up most of the city, so the streets are narrow and people-based.. the tiny specialty shops are such a nice thing to see as well.

This was an exceptional summary of life in Tokyo! Japan really takes walkability to the next level, and I'm definitely looking forward to the future video about zoning, as Japanese zoning is fascinating. I've been to Japan (usually Tokyo) about a dozen times, but always for business trips. I'm planning my first vacation to Tokyo next year because I want my kids to experience what life is like there, because they do so many things so well.

I'm always amazed as to how SPOTLESS the streets are - absolutely clean. It's amazing to see.

Even as a tourist, Tokyo definitely felt safer late at night than my home neighbourhood. I often reminisce about growing up in Canada and feeling that same level of security.

I got lost in Tokyo Metropolis once. In Kashiwa in Chiba Prefecture while I was residing in Abiko. It was the most amazing experience even though my Japanese was very limited. I could order coffee reasonably well and that calmed my nerves somewhat until I re-oriented to the train station. This video brought back some amazing memories of small alleys where I had the best curry I've ever tasted and I had always wondered about the residential areas with the small shops and businesses interspersed throughout. I thought that was neat. And now I know why.

This is so much more interesting to me than than seeing landmarks or flashy shopping districts. It’s just a totally different feeling than the rural part of Japan I live in. (Overall, I think I prefer living in “Inaka”, but I do crave urban stimulation now and then.) Anyway, thanks for the high-quality upload, as usual. Kp! 🍻

I find Tokyo similar to how I grew up in Madrid, Spain, just much cleaner and safer in spots. I love visiting and spending my time in less central neighborhoods :)

Mixed used zoning is way better than what is in most American suburbs, single family housing zoning. SFH zoning is a scourge that led to all this urban sprawl, congested freeways, soul crushing suburbs with cookie cutter houses and boring strip malls with corporate owned stores.

One thing that is noticeable is that while it is very dense, it's not loud. Most of the noise in cities is from cars. Less cars means less noise. So that's why even these very narrow dense areas with apartments, businesses and everything are so quiet.

"Why do I keep asking questions that need a dedicated video..." - I think that's called 'planning content', and I'm looking forward to them :D Also, I really like how you did the bits of text to hilight structures etc. It blended in so well and felt so natural I was barely aware of how I was getting extra information. Very smooth. And an upcoming 'day in the life of'! I cannot wait, I _love_ those!

I've recently become obsessed over UKposts channels that talk about urban planning and walkable cities. Which is why I am sooooo glad you made this video! Those channels talk about European cities almost all the time, so it's very refreshing to see a video all about Japan. It might not be what the whole video is about but I'm still glad.

One thing I have noticed is how clean the streets are. No litter anywhere!

I lived in Japan for three years and I absolutely loved it… I’d go back in a heartbeat

This to me was one of the most surprising/interesting parts about living in Japan. Everything in your little neighborhood felt so homey and it all revolved around the local station. Just walk to the station, and boom, you can to go anywhere in Tokyo. I miss it.

Haha, the talk about the walkability, zoning and everyday living accessibility makes me think you might have found the various channels showing how terrible some cities are designed (in particular in the US and Canada) or how nice some places with decent bike and subway infrastructure are to live in, and also gotten obsessed with it just like me

When people ask me what I like about living in Tokyo, I often answer that I like the relaxed and orderly way of living. To think of a metropolis of 40 million as a relaxing place always gets a surprised look, but that’s how Tokyo feels to me.

Despite how congested and packed in everything is, everything looks so neat and clean and aesthetic. The west needs to up its game. Wish we had cleanliness and manners like that

Tokyo neighborhoods looks so cozy, they have really figured things out. This is urban life perfection.❤️

I know no country is perfect and each has flaws/negatives, but I would love to experience life in Japan, even just for a little while! Thanks for your amazing videos and content.

Not only it explains what it explains, The video and the narrator really does shine light on exactly what one may require to live a happy and peaceful life. In simple terms.

I like that you can reach anything you need by foot, bicycle, or train. It produces less green house gases and gives a sense of community I wish the US was more like Japan in this way

The 'Silver Jinzai' concept is incredible.

I love your videos. The calm voice, the realism, the unvarnished look at things ... You are amazing and the content you produced over the years is too. I still remember the "What Owning a Ramen Restaurant in Japan is Like"from back then!

The security/safety aspect is so foreign to almost everyone who hasn't lived in Japan. Also, never been so impressed by the cleanliness and orderly nature of everything and everyone, but its about the Japanese culture. Truly a remarkable place with remarkable people.

I think it's really sweet that they play music for the kids to go home. 😊

Everyone in Los Angeles, Phoenix and Houston needs to see this. Those cities are starved of good urban planning. Sad to say, they voted for the policies that have shaped their cities the way they are for decades.

I cried watching this video because it makes me miss Japan so much. I hope things will get better soon so we'll be able to travel freely again.

They walk and ride bikes so much more than we do in the US. It is no wonder why they live longer than us.

Being from the US, and unfortunately never been outside of, this is a complete cultural shock. I’ve never wanted to visit a place more than Tokyo. The way of life is completely different and I’d love nothing more than to experience this. I hope one day I’ll be able to have an extended stay there to really be able and take it all in.

I just love how efficient everything and the layout makes sense. If you take a bike there is a biking parking garage/spot, if you use said bike there is a bike escalator assist, it all makes sense and works great at accommodating a variety of transportation for the employees.

When working bad shifts makes you wonder "why I am even doing this?", these kind of videos show up to remind me where I want to go and to keep fighting. Thank you lots, and great video! looks like an AD for Tokyo hahaha :)

Japan one of the most beautiful country

Japan it's just so unique. I visited Japan for about a month couple years ago(film audio gig) and I fell in love by it's beauty and unique (to me at least) lifestyle. Amazing beautiful country!

I love how the mixed-use zoning means you'll always stumble across something interesting while walking through a local neighbourhood. I've seen izakayas mixed in among houses and apartments, with a park and warehouse just around the corner, and a patisserie a block further along. It's strange and wonderful at the same time.

The neighbourhoods look so vibrant and lively, there are so many things going on in such a small area, I love it. I wish i could live here :D

The nice thing about Tokyo City is you really never need to leave your ward. Everything is there.

Perhaps it's the zoning and transportation set up I like about Japan. One thing I notice in North America is that you have to drive everywhere. We have satellite cities/suburbs with space in between destinations. You want to go to the mall-get into your car and go. Then, it's off to a restaurant-get in the car again. In Japan, you can walk outside of your apt. and the world is at your fingertips. Each block is a universe in itself with shops, restaurants, small parks, etc.

I was born and raised near Shin-Koiwa. The city has everything you need and great access to downtown Tokyo. Thank you for featuring the city!

This looks amazing! Sadly it will be the closet I’ll be to Japan in a while 🥲

Wonderful country, build by wonderful people. Love from 🇺🇸🇬🇪

Man Tokyo looks absolutely stunning. It looks so peaceful and relaxing. It is interesting to see cities where it is more convenient to walk then drive everywhere. Very different from where I live

Wow, Greg, your cinematography skills just keep getting better and better! Your videos are so *beautiful* that time just flies by. I feel almost hypnotized, lol. Congrats!

PS If you’re a coffee drinker, Shin-Koiwa has a little shop where you can choose your beans and have them roasted to your liking. It was excellent!’

Thanks for making such a nice video. Enjoyed the same and felt relaxed seeing children running on roads, old people supporting the neighborhood and generally a peaceful environments.

I loved Tokyo's mixed zoning, but I did live too close to a cardboard box manufacturer when it caught fire a burnt to the ground. Much to my surprise, the fire department contained it from spreading to the neighbouring homes. My mind was blown by that. The fire department was just that good.

So nice having these videos back! Looking forward to even more!

Love learning more about livable cities. Love the biking and walking culture. Looking forward to you going into more depth on some of those topics.

I did a foodie tour of Japan in 2018; I frequented three excellent restaurant chains: Lawson, Family Mart, and 7 Eleven.

His videos are so clear and smooth and very relaxing!

I'd love to see a video on cars in japan: as it relates to their popularity, brand perceptions, cultural differences in ownership/shopping/maintenance/etc! The real-estate/property management/ laws or system of governance are maybe good topics too! Love the way you explain things.

About the safety section, I really love it. Even if the US is not as safe as Japan, I think it's really obnoxious how neighbors and random people keep policing other people's children like Karens without the need to. You can live in the safest American neighborhood, but god forbid you let your kids play outside for 5 minutes without adult supervision, the cops will be all over your house. Ridiculous

This is so peaceful to watch

Love everything your channel does, especially the Urban Planning and Development coverage, it's my major and hope to study in Japan once I get my bachelors degree!! I take the Japanese language course offered by my university and videos like this constantly reignite my passion for learning the language keep up the great work!!

oh, i really love this type of the videos. They are so calm and informative in the same time. and you can see a true parts of Tokyo, not only popular areas. Can't wait to see upcoming videos! Thanks Greg!

The most advanced country is also the most healthy and safest. Japanese, absolutely show loyalty to honor and respect their own culture! This is a very well done video, bravo to the youtuber!

I have had this video on my watch-list for a while now. I was excited to watch it and I'm so satisfied that I did. The title and video "cover" gave off the impression that it would feel fairly real and explain everything well and make it cohesive and structured. I loved the video. Felt like a introduction to class as I were taking some huge course. [Kept it simple but touched on every aspect]

Hey, I'm really happy to see more content based around Tokyo's walkability and zoning structure. Great work! I wish I was in Japan to get this kind of footage.

This is just so beautiful to me. My heart rate goes down when watching these type of videos, it's so relaxing.

This video was so informative, thank you! You answered a lot of questions I’ve had when watching other videos of people taking walks around Tokyo or other places in Japan. The neighborhoods are so different from what I’m familiar with in small town America, but now I have a name for those shopping streets, and now I know why all the buildings look so different in residential areas. How neat!

What’s really amazing is that although not everything is brand new it is always well-maintained and I see no trash of any kind. I don’t know why it is so hard and so many city say it is dates for people to do something so simple as pick up their trash or not throw things on the street.

it's soo clean! From NYC here ... weird seeing it

Been there last 2019, and seeing Ueno made me miss Japan (stayed there and got 'lost' around the neighborhood). For someone who loves to walk (like me), it's heaven. I can walk by myself until midnight and I still feel safe.

Tokyo seems like my idea of the perfect city. Thanks for showing us this beautiful and vibrant city!

Love how peaceful it is!

Love these types of short documentaries. Looking forward for the upcoming stuff.

Yes, if you're from the states this will give you a culture shock. I suppose this is what freedom is all about in the truest sense. This is possible only in societies where discipline is ingrained in the minds of the people and you see yourself as part of the community thereby eliminating discord. You've done a great job in showing the different aspects of the way that the neighbourhood functions.

7:51 that restroom is so unbelievably clean that I thought it was fake

I find these videos and the way you narrate them calming and blissful. Keep up the good work.

I've lived both in Tokyo and Nagasaki, so there's no new information for me in this video. Nevertheless it's so enjoyable and so nostalgic that it is an absolute pleasure to watch. Great work as always!

The secret to such amazing development: *MIXED USE ZONING* The same thing goes to European cities. They all have mixed use on their streets. Houses at the top, stores at the bottom. Hospitals occupy nearby buildings, same for police stations, trains what have you. When you visit a developing nation you'll see everything is wrongfully divided, broke apart or isolated. Mostly because the laws there don't allow for such structures to exists. While I live in a developing nation myself, I look at Japan's simplicity of living and see that you don't have to spend billions in tax payer revenue to build a developed neighborhood. All you need is good zoning laws, good public workers that are not corrupt, and a functioning public transport infrastructure. The rest the citizens will almost always produce. The stability, the cleanliness, the organization. All will sprout out of simple planning and a little bit of public investing.

With over 13 mil people, this is a paradise if compared to other busy cities. A leaned, safe, organized, no shouting, yelling, many more things to love than there is only 1 thing to hate is houses are so expensive. lol

Hands down the best every day Japan content you got here on UKposts, Love your videos! Cheers from Europe

Mixed use buildings and zones, especially in the suburbs: that’s how other countries should solve problems such elderly people loneliness and lack of safety. There are too many new neighborhoods that are only residential. It’s sad because neighborhoods are built following just lucrative reasons. Great video, cheers from Italy!

I used to live in Ealing common London. Where lots of Japanise live, I noticed how clean the roads are, how neat the recycling stuff is clean, folded and well arranged, it looks like Items for sale in regular shops, they do wash their spent food containers and cans before putting it outside. in the morning when crossing paths with the Ladies you could smell their Soap essence. Even during the coldest day in winter, they manage to Shower

This is such a wonderful video! It’s so in depth while also showing clips of daily life, which I love! Japan is so beautiful to me 💗

Great series. Thankful.

For me it's always so strange to hear people being surprised over not needing a car in certain countries XD a lot of Europe is like that as well. I lived in Belgium for 29 years where I was born and raised, and afterwards move to the UK where i've now lived for 3 years, and not ONCE have I actually really needed a car. Belgium is also rather big on bikes, and trains will bring you to most cities if you need to go farther away. Living in the UK now I mostly take a bus to work, and most things, including groceries, you can just have delivered to your home.

I'm really happy that you are back at your usual UKposts-business. Love it

So different here in the US…particularly here in Vermont. Not having access to a car here can make life quite difficult, unless you live in Burlington (Vermont’s biggest City), or downtown in a bigger village or town. My family has to travel five minutes by car to get groceries or Medicine or see our General care Doctor…with out a car a simple trip like this could take several hours. And if you need to see a specialist, by a video game, see a movie…or really ANYTHING, We need to take the 30-45 minute car ride north to Burlington. Having everything withing walking distance sounds GREAT.

This is a very well constructed video with English subs too. I loved it. Many lessons other cities could learn. Kind regards (UK)

Such sweet memories with this video. In 2008/2009 had been living two stations from Shin-Koiwa (Ichikawa though Konodai on the Keisei line was much closer) and never felt the need for a car all that year I lived in Japan. Got me a mama-chari after a month though.

I so remember this when I was stationed there in Yokosuka back in the 90's; we used to always find our way to the Roppongi district by way of train...and lots of walking not so soberly most of the time. I want to go back again. Japanese people are great.

Beautiful format, inspiring content!

wonderful video .I was so amazed at how clean and safe the neighborhoods are

I live in Thailand and there are huge similarities in the diversity apparent in the cities here and there and there are diametric oppositions as Tokyo is so clean where cities here, not so much. I loved the ride along and personally appreciate the time and effort involved in the videography, editing and uploading, bows to you in appreciation.

Excellent description and I agree with everything you said. It’s safe, is loaded with small parks, and the zoning is certainly different. When I first moved to Asagaya, I was somewhat taken aback by what thought was its bizarre zoning. Coming from suburban Florida, Asagaya’s zoning seemed irrational. But as slowly weened myself off automobiles and learn to rely more on bicycling and walking, the zoning rules started to make perfect sense. Thanks again.

Amazing series! Please continue them!

am amazed by the quality of your videos