THE KANSAS CITY KANSAN

– Oct. 8, 2002 –

Editor’s note: State Sen. Chris Steineger, D-Sixth Dist., recently returned from a trip to Japan, where he studied Japanese agriculture under a fellowship from the Japan Society of New York City. Here, he reports to the community what he discovered.

Japan is one of America’s largest trading partners and Kansas’ No.1 export market. It is our most reliable ally along the Pacific rim. It is an island nation that’s Asian in look, language and custom, yet is as wealthy and developed as the United States.

Japan has 125 million people squeezed into 145,000 square miles. For comparison, Kansas and Oklahoma combined have 152,000 square miles, but fewer than 6 million people! Moreover, two-thirds of Japan is very mountainous, with most of the 125 million people living on the coastal regions, which equal an area half the size of Kansas! The result is that Japan’s cities are very crowded, compact, heavily built and intense!

Tokyo - Compact capital

The city of Tokyo has 12 million people squeezed into an area that would fit inside of the Interstate-435 loop. When you add the adjacent cities of Yokohama, Kawasaki, and all the suburbs, the Tokyo metro area population reaches 20 million!

With all the cars, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, cats, dogs, birds, homes, buildings, trains, subways, vending machines and signage, it contributes to a very packed, constricted and congested environment. Tokyo is the most intensively built environment on earth.

Not a single square inch of space is wasted or ignored. Six and eight story buildings are squeezed onto a footprint the size of a typical American three-bedroom home. Most things are 10 to 40 percent smaller than in the United States: smaller restaurants and shops, smaller cars, vans, trucks, smaller furniture and fixtures, smaller plates, glasses and food portions.

Tokyo is amazingly clean despite all the people. The streets sidewalks and parks are nearly spotless.

A trait of Japanese individuals is self responsibility, which includes disposing of your trash either in the recycling bin or a secure trash can. Additionally, the Japanese have a custom that food and drink are usually consumed inside, not outdoors, and definitely not on the go. Nobody takes food out and consumes it on the street, and there are no drive-through windows. No food or drink packaging is carried out, so very little winds up dropped on the street.

In spite of all the planes, trains and automobiles, Tokyo and other Japanese cities are quieter than most U.S. cities.  Although traffic jams are everywhere, Japanese drivers are far more polite, courteous and cautious than we Americans. They seldom honk the horn and radios are seldom turned up loud. It is part of the Japanese trait of controlling one’s emotions, giving courtesy to others, and not bringing attention to one’s self.

Restaurants everywhere

Restaurants abound in Tokyo. There are far more restaurants per capita than in the United States, 95 percent of which are small, individually owned, and seat fewer than 20 people. Because of the small size of their homes, Japanese people prefer to entertain their friends at restaurants.

Additionally, because many workers have long commutes, they often grab a quick bite at a restaurant before catching the train or subway. Fast food is everywhere with familiar names like McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Starbucks, but it’s fast food with a dose of Japanese culture.

In Japan, you hurry in, order quickly, eat fast, then leave (or take it back to home or office). Nobody takes food out and eats or drinks it on the street, and there are no drive-through windows.

Masters of mass transit

With all these people on so little land, a variety of mass transit systems are the means for most people’s commute to work, shopping trips and even vacation trips.

The Tokyo subway system is the largest in the world both in terms of lines and number of passengers. It connects directly to an even more extensive commuter rail system of trains that extend out 20 to 30 miles from the city. There are several mono-rails and river taxis to choose from.

Japan is served by an extensive passenger train system that rivals anything in Europe. The most impressive of all is the Shinkansen, the bullet train. The “Shin” system stretches more than 100 miles from north to south. There are only two tracks, one strictly for northbound Shins, the other strictly for southbound, and the entire system is elevated off the ground on 40-foot tall piers or in tunnels bored through mountains. No crossings for automobiles or other trains. When the Shinkansen runs at 150 mph, there is no other vehicle in its path. The Shin looks and rides like a small jet without wings. The Shin stops at only a few major cities, and the stops last less than 90 seconds, before it accelerates silky smooth back up to warp speed. The Shinkansen is a mass transit masterpiece of system, operation and technology.

The Japanese are amazing with their ability to adapt to such crowded conditions, and their ingenuity in making use of every square inch of space above ground and below. The time I spent in Japanese cities makes me much more appreciative of the parks, boulevards and other open spaces in metro Kansas City. I wonder how Americans will adapt some day in the future when our big cities are similarly crowded.

10/01/2002