There is something about this coexistence and codependency of the public and the private which feels even more important now than it was in our last Gilded Age.

We should be thinking much harder about ensuring children can make meaningful contributions, and we should teach them in ways that are sensitive to the context of the real world.

Familiarity is a misunderstood virtue. Cultivating a sense of belonging is under-practiced. No matter where you live it is worth trying to improve the small things of your world.

In sum, zakkyo buildings are part of the reason why Japan is such a consumer paradise. Greater Tokyo has 160,000 restaurants, compared to only 13,000 in Paris and 25,000 in NYC. Some of that is because of the Japanese government’s strong support for small retail businesses. But some of it is probably due to zakkyo buildings making it possible to sustain more small independent shops.