"Save the Shimokita"

Shimokitazawa was one of the reasons I became interested in carfree communities. It is one of the best places in all of Japan. But it will likely be destroyed....

When I first visited Japan in 1996 to visit my girlfriend (current wife and carfree babe), I first exited the station and entered the streets of Gotokuji, near Shimokitzawa, in Tokyo's Setagaya. I was shocked. I never imagined a modern city with such narraw streets. The street seemed liked a hall, yet I was outside. It was full of shops and people. (I later would move to Gotokuji a year later.) Because of the narrow streets, the shops nearby, and the train network, few people drove. Therefore, the streets were peaceful - not what I imagined a neighborhood would be like in the biggest city in the world. I thought this could be a model for cities across the world. Because of that first scene, I have always had a special image of urban Japan.

Shimokitazawa is a few stops away and was our favorite hangout. "Shimokita" has a similar network of streets like Gotokukuji, but it is a destination rather than a local community. It is full of funky shops, bars, and young quasi-bohemian types. It is not carfree, but pedestrians outnumber cars 100-1. I thought Japan was full of places like this. But now I know, these areas are few and far between, and increasingly threatened....

I was stunned when I heard they were planning to destroy this amazingly successful and vibrant area to build a needless wide road and redevelopment. It is sad they do this to any place in Japan, but it is sickenig that they would do it to such a thriving area. The situation was even covered in the New York Times.

There is a movement to stop this called "Save the Shimokita": Japanese link / English link. Be sure to support the movement and join the local events if you live in the area!