Sep 29, 2024
What makes your neighborhood great?
I saw recently that Gakugeidaigaku in Tokyo was named one of the world's coolest neighborhoods by TimeOut. It got me thinking though -- what makes your neighborhood in Japan great? Part of why I love my area of rural Niigata is that it really feels like there is community spirit that a lot of places in my home country seem to lack these days. We have neighbors that are like grandparents to our kids, and several neighbors bring us the surplus of their fresh produce that they grow. I also appreciate that even though we're a very small town, we're within walking distance of a shinkansen stop that gets us to Tokyo in 90 minutes. Would love to hear from you as to what makes your neighborhood an enjoyable place to live!
Best Answer
-
on Sep 29
I live within sight of Noda City's Shimizu Park, one of Japan's top 100 cherry blossom spots. On the west side of the Tobu Noda Line, it's mostly residential to the Edo River levee, and on the east, a mix of farms, forests, golf courses, light industrial, and residential bounded by the Tone River. That means a lot of wildlife - great for birdwatching and bug hunting. The immediate neighborhood isn't very dense (see my post about walkability) but the train connects three junction stations where I socialize, work, and shop. Even though new residential construction brings a lot of people here from other parts of Japan, there is a good community spirit here. Noda's not huge, so it's easy to connect with city hall, chamber of commerce, and community center staff.
-
on Oct 6
@TonetoEdo I'm a fan of places that are the "Goldilocks" of size -- not too big, but not too small. Sounds like your area fits the bill nicely in that regard! The wildlife and nature aspects sound great as well.
-
on Oct 24
-
on Mar 8
@genkidesu An update - I'm seriously considering moving this year. But not far away, either within my own city or one of the neighboring ones. Some locations I'm looking at are on the Tobu-Noda line which connects Kashiwa on the JR Joban line and Omiya with a Shinkansen platform. A lot of the neighborhoods along the line are rapidly becoming urban but still have a lot of green and neighbourhoods populated with people with deep roots here. Anywhere on the line is within easy distance of parks and the Tone and Edo riverbanks, so open spaces for families and dog walkers. When it comes to community, slowly some young people, both local and foreign, are establishing businesses and bringing back vibrancy. Mostly food and retail.
4 Answers