Despite the ancient status of
Japan, the nation is certainly not stuck in time. Efficiency appears to be the
primary ideal of the national psyche. This is especially evident in Japan’s
ability to support a large population with dense housing options and an
extensive public transport network. These successes portray an incredibly
liveable city. However, many other factors which appear to drive liveability in
Australia, are perhaps less important in Japan. The quality of urban design in
many landscapes is one example.
A week in Japan presented a
series of cities characterised by heavily engineered infrastructure and
excessive signage displays despite an otherwise monotone colour scheme. In
endeavouring to achieve efficiency on all fronts, the amenity of many public
places seems to have been compromised. Heavily pruned street trees strongly
exemplify this notion. Australian cities may plant trees to improve street
aesthetics, however they also serve a practical function through the provision
of shade. Conversely, the pruned form of street trees in Japan did not enable
this luxury. Many Japanese cities also demonstrated a strong presence of
exposed powerlines. Even in a newly built, post tsunami suburb, unsightly,
overhead powerlines remained the norm.
A humble built environment did
not only reflect an ambitious drive toward efficiency, furthermore, it also
reflected the modesty of the Japanese people and their disciplined society.
Japan’s efficiency may provide an environment where liveability is high,
however the extent to which such modest environments can enable happiness is
questionable. A complete lack of graffiti in Japan is one of the most prominent
demonstrations of the nation’s cleanliness. First impressions of this
cleanliness provide a sense of security. However, this can also be considered a
demonstration of a lack diversity and vibrancy. This is in strong contrast to
the street art scene in Melbourne, for instance. The ability for Melbourne
residents to leave their mark on the city and explore streets as a centre of
art, rather than a simple thoroughfare is much more evident in Melbourne as
opposed to many of the cities which were explored in Japan.
Other centres visited throughout
the tour, such as Nishi Shinjuku and Otemachi represented efforts to parallel
the style of western cities. This was evident in tree canopies being allowed to
grow less interrupted, powerlines being positioned below ground level, roadways
being wide and car-dominated and buildings being much taller and sophisticated
in their design. In these precincts, Kit explained the lack of compassion held
toward heritage buildings. Intentions to implement high quality
urban design measures were obvious in these precincts. However, a lack of
vibrancy continued to prevail. Although these districts strongly resembled an
American built form, even a short time in the United States has demonstrated
that the way a space is used, is a strong reflection of culture. And the purity
of the Japanese culture has barely surrendered to western uses of space. This
is especially evident in a national lack of bins and street seating which could
hold even the smallest possibility of encouraging lingering and fowl-play. Bob
Hastings, of Portland’s public transport agency, TriMet, says that above all,
it is important to have fun. It is questionable what place fun has in the
Japanese context. A very stressed, Japanese train conductor did certainly not
appear to be having fun as she rushed 35 Australians onto the Shinkansen, most
likely terrified of destroying the national’s optimal average delay times.
Harry Bell
Great Article
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