Abstract
Tokyo has experienced rapid urban and population growth during the 20th century which has propelled it to become one of the most efficient and productive cities in world. However, after the turn of the century, Japan entered a phase of low growth with an aging and decreasing population and stagnant economy. The terms degrowth and post-growth are now used to describe the current social and economic situation urging for a rethinking of how cities are shaped without relying on never-ending growth. These concepts are already evident in rural and regional Japan where towns and villages are disappearing due to mass migration to the large metropolitan cities of Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya. The current environment in Tokyo is a patchwork old and new consisting of various types of urban spaces. This diverse mix of small-scale buildings are often found in traditional neighbourhoods known as shitamachi. These shitamachi downtown areas are characterized by low height post-war wooden dwellings with narrow but walkable residential streets and retail strips. They are praised for their liveability and inclusiveness but are becoming increasingly vulnerable as old buildings are replaced with large apartment blocks. The social fabric too is evolving as newcomers move into the area alongside long-term residents. This paper takes an ethnographic approach to studying the city through analysing a local neighbourhood in Taito-ward area in East Tokyo. Traditionally a post-industrial area where many craftsmen lived and worked, the area is now thriving as a creative district attracting many young creatives and designers as well as young families. The paper traces the lived experience of small business owners and their connection to place and community through a series of interviews and spatial observations. As the construction state continues to build new projects and public works as an anti-recession measure, and the increase of commercialization with chain stores putting local businesses at risk, the need for small scale vernacular forms of creativity is needed. It is found that in addition to practices of ‘acupuncture’ urbanism where individual spaces are starting to be transformed from existing buildings, the role of both formal and informal community groups play a large part in maintaining an inclusive and liveable neighbourhood. This study on Tokyo can be a potential role model for developed cities in the future as an example of a shrinking and mature city that is not focused on growth but on comfort and liveability.
