Physically, planning in Japan seemed to be a calamity of
buildings, alley ways and mixed densities. My first impression on the train
from the airport to Shin-Osaka was that the areas we were travelling through
seemed to lack any real land use planning strategy. The densities seemed to
vary from village to village while gradually intensifying until we reached our
destination. Fortunately Shin-Osaka
itself was loosely based on a grid system with intertwining railways and
overpasses which assisted our navigation. The buildings themselves were
generally of an unattractive aesthetic based on concrete exteriors, limited
permeability and few windows. It was difficult to tell whether buildings were
constructed for residential or commercial purposes as they generally looked the
same.
Socially, there was an obvious disparity in wealth that became more
apparent when travelling between Osaka and Shin-Osaka. Interestingly there
appeared to be very few homeless people despite the wealth disparity, although
it became increasingly obvious that there was a homeless population due to the
occasional sighting of a makeshift shelter. It seemed as though there had been
a conscious effort to minimise the appearance of the homeless population.
Whether this diminishment had occurred purposely at the hands of a governing
power, the police or social etiquette was unclear, however I got the feeling
that the issue was larger than the cities were letting on.
Economically it was
apparent that Japan was thriving. Tokyo and Osaka were obviously developing at
a rapid rate. Everywhere you looked there were cranes indicating the
commencement of several looming high rises, a phenomenon that citizens appeared
to be embracing enthusiastically. Tokyo seemed to be controlling their
development in a much more deliberate way, a point which our guide Kit made
quite clear. Tokyo had embraced big business which had effected the development
of its inner city, making it a vibrant mix of boroughs each of which had its
own distinct identity. The Imperial Palace had claimed a very large area of
prime metropolitan real estate, leaving the area undeveloped and green. This
seemed a strange contrast to the high density development which occurred
throughout the rest of the city. This gesture highlighted the respect that the
Japanese people have for their monarchy, a value which is worth more to them
than any financial incentive.There were a specific set of people that the
districts in Tokyo were designed to appeal to such as business men and ‘tea
ladies’, a concept that most of the people in our group found somewhat
offensive and out-dated.
Sendai was
developing at an astonishing rate despite the destruction it had endured.
Citizens, local leaders and construction workers had been making the most of
the time and resources at their disposal to reconstruct the demolished towns
and infrastructure. Overall those involved seemed to be quite positive and
hopeful, a disposition which will assist the rapid reconstruction of the area
and the healing of those effected by the disaster. I was astounded by the level
of responsibility the government had taken for the tragedy. Not only had they funded
the construction of the sea wall, but also funded a lot of temporary housing
and devoted a lot of emergency services to the clean up efforts. I found this
to be an amazing contrast to how the government in Australia has responded to
natural disasters like Black Saturday. In that example no one took
responsibility for the shortcomings of the system or the loss of life and
infrastructure. This has given me a great appreciation for the respect that the
Japanese government has for its citizens, it has also helped me to understand
why the country has such high standards of living and innovation.
Harriet Noall
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