Japan Is Not a Magical Wonderland

Why is Japan… the way it is? Urbanists like me look with longing at Japan’s clean and timely trains, its dense but orderly cities, and its vibrant business climate, spanning massive multi-floor department stores to four-seat restaurants. Last year, we traveled to Tokyo, before taking the bullet train to Osaka (briefly), Kyoto, and then back to Tokyo. We saw many of those little micro-businesses, and visited a few. And it’s difficult not to wonder: Why don’t we have this in America?