A glimpse of Tokyo…

Unlike the square grid cities like New York, San Francisco, Chicago, Toronto (USA)… or the radial spider webs like Paris (France), Moscow (Russia), Palmanova (Italy)… Tokyo develops in a topographical way like flowing water and floating flowers. Therefore, the streets here are square, there can be diagonally triangular corners, or have a very charming S-shaped curve.

Tokyo's architecture is diverse, innovative but not ostentatious, out of harmony with the urban environment. Some examples include the Nakagin Capsule Tower, Prada Aoyama inspired by light, SunnyHills Minami-Aoyama inspired by woven bamboo... Cocoon Tower is shaped like a cocoon, 204 meters high with 50 floors. The tower is shaped like a cocoon, symbolizing the nurturing and development of students. Inside the tower are the fashion training schools Tokyo Mode Gakuen, technology and design HAL Tokyo and medical school Shuto Iko. Cocoon Tower won the "Skyscraper of the Year 2008" award from Emporis.

The population of Tokyo, including satellite districts in the region, is 37 million. Therefore, this is a compact city. About 80% of the population lives in apartments under 60 m2. Of which, 34% of the working class lives in apartments from 20 to 30 m2. Some apartments are only 10 - 15 m2. Because every centimeter of land is precious, optimizing space is the strength of Tokyo people. If you look at it positively, you will not see any unnecessary volume. Apa Hotel is 3 stars, the room is about 11 m2, including a double bed, a table and chairs and a lovely toilet. Standing in one place, you can reach out to grab anything, no need to reach. This feeling comes when you return to Vietnam and see every room is spacious.

After all, everyone only goes to the hotel to sleep, so the Japanese have created a specialty called “capsule” hotels. Each customer will be placed in a box 2 meters long, 1.2 meters wide and high. Inside there will be a reading light, charging socket, TV, wifi, ensuring privacy. There are also capsules that simulate business class airplane seats. Tokyo has 53 “capsule” hotels such as The Millennials Shibuya, First Cabin, or Capsule Hotel Anshin Oyado. On average, there are 100 to 300 “capsules” in a hotel. At Narita Airport, there is also a hotel that has 129 “capsules” installed to serve customers when their flights are delayed.

At first glance, the center of Tokyo seems sparse with vehicles and pedestrians, but when you go down to the subway stations, you see people swarming like bees leaving their hive. The Tokyo subway system has 13 lines, with about 280 stations, transporting more than 9 million passengers every day. The first Japanese subway train rolled on the rails in 1927. This is the third system in the world , after London and New York.

On the streets and in the gardens, it is rare to see groups of parents and children, grandparents and grandchildren playing like in other countries. Children usually only play at school and at home. The population is aging, so young people are rare. The demand for labor in this country is alarmingly high. Therefore, Japan attracts up to 600,000 Vietnamese workers.

The elderly today are worried that a part of the younger generation is losing the spirit of diligence, sophistication, and prestige of their predecessors due to the encroachment of foreign culture and the constant pressure of economic life.

In the Kabukicho entertainment district in Shinjuku, a few young men with sunglasses and earphones in their ears dance from morning to night. The next morning, on the same street corner, they still wear earphones and dreamily sway from dawn to late at night. The next day, it's the same. It's impossible to know what kind of music they're listening to that makes them forget reality. This is a silent dance culture called Sairento Disuko. This word is a transliteration of Silent Disco.

There is a strange lifestyle that is spreading in Japan, the “Hikikomori” (retreat from life) trend. People who live this way “lock themselves up” in their homes, without communication for half a year or more. They isolate themselves and withdraw from society. Some people have withdrawn from life for up to 10 years or more. There are many causes related to mental health such as depression, anxiety disorders, etc. Statistics show that by 2022, there will be about 1.4 million Hikikomori people. They do not work, do not communicate, and have cut themselves off from life. Their parents provide food and drink. Middle-aged Hikikomori are increasing. The aging of parents and their Hikikomori children has led to the “8050 problem”, which means that parents in their 80s take care of their Hikikomori children in their 50s. This is a really big problem when parents are old or pass away.

If you see a group, a couple, or a trio laughing and joking while walking, you can easily tell they are tourists of European origin or from other countries. Tokyoites often walk briskly or cycle on the sidewalks without talking. Train passengers are as quiet as goldfish. They look at their phones, or take a nap. It seems that each person is an independent individual, unencumbered by community ties.

The marriage rate is on the decline. Women are increasingly independent and delay marriage for the sake of their careers and personal freedom. Men are often worried about income, financial responsibilities and family pressures. According to a 2023 Japanese government survey, about 80% of unmarried people still want to get married, but more than 50% said they "can't find the right person". In general, both men and women are in a state of lacking energy for love.

Because it is difficult to love and difficult to marry, the matchmaking service (Konkatsu) has developed. This can be called searching for marriage or rescuing marriage. Those who participate in Konkatsu will be organized offline to connect. Before connecting, they will learn basic courses on how to communicate politely, introduce themselves attractively, learn how to dress and present themselves better, learn how to share expectations in a tactful way about “house and children”… as long as they can win each other over. Among Konkatsu participants, the marriage success rate is from 20 to 30%. Some local governments also organize public Konkatsu, helping local people become childhood sweethearts.

There are some people who are depressed, hard to love, want to share, to tell stories, to cry and have someone wipe their tears and sweetly comfort them. At the Kabukicho entertainment center, there are dozens of girls dressed in cosplay style, short skirts, anime-style blue and red hair standing and inviting with signs saying 3,000 - 6,000 yen for an hour. This is not a prostitution service like the red light districts in the world. Those girls are hosutesu (club hosts) standing and inviting. Paying customers will be invited to a host club with a private space and there will be a girl to chat, praise, care, sympathize and comfort them. You must be fluent in Japanese to use this service, so the service is only for native speakers or people who are fluent in Japanese. Hosutesu is somewhat similar to Geisha, but Geisha must be trained in the arts, while hosutesu only need to be good-looking and know how to chat. Similarly, on the street there were also a few strong gym-like young men waiting for customers and being selected by a few ladies. Surely each lady had her own worries that needed someone to wipe away her tears.

Japan has the third fastest growing economy in the world, but it still faces many economic and social bottlenecks. The bottlenecks are visible through lifestyle, which can be heard through numbers, seen and felt on the streets, in families, etc.

Think about it, even if you become a dragon or a tiger, if the people are not happy, that wealth has little meaning. Look at your problems to realize that, even if we are receiving economic glory, we should not forget to take care of the people's livelihood issues in the future.

Source: https://cand.com.vn/Xa-hoi/mot-thoang-tokyo-i772133/