the city

“By example, most everyone in this neighborhood still gets around on foot or on a bicycle. That’s one small part of the very low-tech, low-cost, low-carbon footprint approach to life here. It is also likely a key to the health, happiness, and sense of community between people in this place.”

“To be sure, we have had many lessons in Japan about the importance of heavy stacks of paper. Yet miraculously, it is far easier to start a small business here than it is in the West. There is generally less regulation. Startup costs are a fraction of what they are in the states. Many fewer hurdles exist between an individual and their dream of owning a neighborhood micro business. In many ways, it feels like the culture here is set up to help individuals thrive. There are reasons why nearly every urban Japanese neighborhood has dozens or even hundreds of small 10-seat restaurants and pubs, and why a single chef-owner can make a living in such a space. I can’t remember however, seeing any such restaurant in an American city and it’s not for lack of wanting.”