Penguin Environmental Design

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Streets in Japan

I like walking lively shopping streets in Japan. Those streets look like toy boxes. Unexpected encounters wait for us. In October, I had a chance to walk on this kind of street in early morning. Then I noticed some points which many people do not pay attention to.

The photo shows a street in front of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. No trash and no stinky smell on the street. In addition to public services for cleaning streets, many shops always clean each shopfront including public walkways. This attracts customers. But I think that it results from more than the business reason. Keeping clean makes people’s minds fresh. Also you will feel more commitment on your local community.

The condition of infrastructure also caught my eyes. All catch basins function well. The road surface looks very flat, but it actually is slightly sloped in order to drain rainwater efficiently. I appreciate the amazing quality of the infrastructure in Japan now.  You might say that it is not a matter of course if you live in the US. You need to detour to avoid nasty pools at every corners of the street in Manhattan after rain.

New York City is one of the most vibrant cities over the world, as well as Tokyo. And probably much more money flows into the financial business in Manhattan than Tokyo. Obviously the current poor condition of the streets of Manhattan does not represent the power of this city. (T)

Blog

Streets in Japan

I like walking lively shopping streets in Japan. Those streets look like toy boxes. Unexpected encounters wait for us. In October, I had a chance to walk on this kind of street in early morning. Then I noticed some points which many people do not pay attention to.

The photo shows a street in front of Shinjuku Station in Tokyo. No trash and no stinky smell on the street. In addition to public services for cleaning streets, many shops always clean each shopfront including public walkways. This attracts customers. But I think that it results from more than the business reason. Keeping clean makes people’s minds fresh. Also you will feel more commitment on your local community.

The condition of infrastructure also caught my eyes. All catch basins function well. The road surface looks very flat, but it actually is slightly sloped in order to drain rainwater efficiently. I appreciate the amazing quality of the infrastructure in Japan now.  You might say that it is not a matter of course if you live in the US. You need to detour to avoid nasty pools at every corners of the street in Manhattan after rain.

New York City is one of the most vibrant cities over the world, as well as Tokyo. And probably much more money flows into the financial business in Manhattan than Tokyo. Obviously the current poor condition of the streets of Manhattan does not represent the power of this city. (T)

Japanese + Modern

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