Why Japan Looks the Way it Does: Zoning

If you've seen my videos about Japan, you may have wondered why it looks the way it does. Today I'm going to explain it through zoning.

Special Thanks to Lisa for her guidance on the topic.

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[whynotanyting]

Honestly, not being able to dictate what your neighbor does with their land sound so much more free than the HOA and city restrictions in the US.

[nkgeorge]

I find Japanese neighborhoods and towns much more pedestrian (and bike) friendly. While it may look like a overly dense mish-mash in so many ways, It builds a real sense of a close-knit community that I find so lacking in suburban US.

[eclipse]

I'm Japanese, and I know an interesting story about floor-area ratio (FAR).

The building with the highest FAR in Japan is the Shin-Marunouchi Building (新丸の内ビルディング). Its FAR is 1760%.
However, this video (7:27) shows that it is at most 1300%. So why was it possible to build such a building?

The answer is that the Shin-Marunouchi Building uses the air rights of the nearby Tokyo Station.
Air rights mean that the excess FAR of one building can be transferred to another building.

Tokyo Station was once destroyed by an air raid in World War II, and was simply repaired and continued to operate.
A large amount of money was needed to restore it. (The cost was said to be about 50 billion JPY ≈ 439 million USD)

Therefore, East Japan Railway Company (JR East), the administrator of Tokyo Station, sold the FAR of it to Mitsubishi Estate, the owner of the land.
The FAR of Tokyo Station was left over because it's the historical building and it wasn't necessary to replace it with a skyscraper.
As a result, JR East was able to restore Tokyo Station and Mitsubishi Estate was able to build the further taller building in a prime location.

This case is known as "the station that was restored by selling air".

[solthas]

This explains why I enjoyed my time in the suburbs outside Tokyo so much more than the suburbs I've lived in in the US. Little businesses on the bottom floors, and interesting stores all over instead of being forced into single use commercial zones. It felt so much more alive.

[Voyagerch]

Switzerland has a similar approach to zoning, but there are some differences. First and foremost, there is a stricter separation between residential and industrial zones. These two uses together are more strictly regulated and are only common in agricultural areas. However, residential and non-polluting business uses in the same zone are possible. Secondly, there is a minimum distance between buildings, but it is significantly less than in North America. Thirdly, roads are usually a bit wider than in Japan. All in all, it feels a little less cramped but the advantages are mostly the same.

[nikkidinezza]

I never thought I'd enjoy a video about zoning so much 😂😂

[mapinoita]

This is so interesting!
I’ve lived in Japan for over 3 decades, so I know a lot of this “in my bones”, but I’d never heard it explained so clearly.
Growing up, I’ve lived in an American suburb and a very rural area.
I’d choose my medium sized Japanese town as the most comfortable and convenient.

[julianloef]

This is a way better system than we have in the Netherlands. It allows for more flexibility which also is in favour of the government itself! I got a MSc. in Urban Planning in the Netherlands and have over 8 years of working experience in the dutch construction, real estate & area development sector and a system like this could definitely solve a lot of problem we have in the Netherlands!!!! It's funny because the Netherlands is known to have the best ' urban planners'. in the world, but the system in the Netherlands fails at many fronts. Thanks for sharing these insights!

[islandofmisfitboys]

I'm an architect in San Francisco, CA and am completely enamored with zoning in Japan. My neighbors would lose it if they couldn't tell me what to do with my house lol.
Thank you for sharing, I love your channel!

[ashishy]

These mixed zoning laws are the reason why these japan walking tour videos are so interesting to watch.

[Surtfield]

I just want to say I am extremely happy to see so many content creators making videos about urban planning terms and concepts. I rarely used to see this type of content, especially from such a diverse number of creators, 10 or even 5 years ago. It's so important for people to know the regulations and tools that cities use to control the built environment, and I hope videos that show how built environments around the world are created keep getting more popular!

[lestywn]

This is an amazing video. As a person who has an interest in city planning, your video gives me more understanding of how Japan planned and built its cities.

[ashlogan]

Brilliant. Logical, seems well thought out and makes these neighbourhoods far more liveable

[Southpaw]

I'm an urban planner who loves your videos. Suffice to say, I geeked out when I saw this upload!

[stevens]

Japan is so cool. I just got back from Tokyo and I had a great time. Your channel makes me want to go back again.

[tbrowny]

I love japan and their people. What japan is now is not a miracle it's the people's hardwork with amazing brians 🙏💜

[sirflimflam]

I still remember when street view first came out for Japan. I spent hours wandering the streets admiring how there was a little smattering of everything. I live in a suburban neighborhood in southern california. It's great if you want to see a lot of houses with the same 3-4 housing blueprints (mirrored for extra "variation") and nothing else.

[RedShoesSmith]

Lovely shots, very well produced, informative and makes me leaving wanting more. Always an enjoyable adventure with life where i'm from.

[santivibes]

Felt like I was waking their … thank You great video 🙏 😌

[damedesuka]

Throughout the video, I was thinking to myself, "And why is this notable? Isn't this just normal?".
Then I read the comments and apparently in the US and Canada it's not like that. Interesting.

I'm Indonesian and there's a bunch of convenience stores, a doctor setting up practice at their own home, small restaurants and laundries, a private tutor service for students (also set up from a house), all within 200 meters radius of my home.

Interestingly, there's been some new housing zones built by some Indonesian housing developers who are clearly imitating American housing styles. As in, they made rows and rows of houses in one big zone, and you need to drive a few kilometers to reach the nearest convenience store or restaurant. Clear cut zoning. It might suit people who want a safer, quieter living environment, but personally I think it will be a hassle to live in that kind of place.