Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2020/06/10/watch-this-relaxing-walk-along.html
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Nice cityscape, quite relaxing. Disappointing lack of cats. 3/5
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Man I miss Japan. Might have gone again this year, if not for, well, you know.
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Same here. My favorite hostel/guesthouse in Kyoto is hurting. WIsh I could help them out.
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Is everything in Tokyo this nice and neat and well taken care of? It seems like everyone takes pride in their little part of the city here. Don’t think I saw a piece of trash, a hedge not trimmed, a single weed, or anything blighted too much. Everything fits together perfectly, too.
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I’ve only been to Tokyo and Kyoto (twice each) as well as Naoshima island, but based on what I’ve seen? More or less, yes.
But it extends into the culture much more widely. It is woven into food, architecture, landscaping, construction, retail, packaging, clothing, service industries, arts and crafts, music, etc. etc.
There are plenty of imperfections in Japanese culture, like all human cultures that I’ve ever come into contact with. But in terms of appreciation for the realm of the aesthetic, and its intersection with functionality? Japan is pretty tight, no joke.
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Another thing you’ll find in Japan is a sense of responsibility to the community that is almost completely lacking in the West. This goes a long way towards explaining how cities without public garbage cans on the streets can remain so clean.
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I loved this … TYVM
yup … that’s Japan. Even as a tourist I was compelled by the scenery to do my part and pitch in. Carried a lil baggie with me for other people’s trash - when you get to the touristy areas like the fox shrine in kyoto, you’ll see trashy tourists trying to ruin the place tossing bottles and wrappers.
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I like to walk around Cat Street and its intriguing side streets every time I go to Tokyo. It’s full of eclectic little stores and cafes and there are surprises around every corner.
So if someone says, “may you forever memorize ever nook and cranny of Cat Street until it is entirely familiar” it’s really a curse.
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I was expecting cats, also: Dangling from shop signs; bunches up in the trees; snoozing on along stairways; sunning themselves on top of parked cars; riding on peoples’ shoulders; directing traffic. You know. Cat Street.
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I think Istanbul has more of that
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Not directing traffic, though; permanent civil service job.
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Yes, pretty much. A city of 14,000,000 right there, almost 40,000,000 in the metropolitan area. Amazing what is possible when people give a shit.
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I was hoping this would be footage of Yanaka Ginza. I like the other cat street too, but there are actual cats in Yanaka Ginza.
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That street is in a particularly posh section of the city. There are some decidedly downscale parts which are not this well organized. But for the most part, yes.
You don’t find trash cans on the street in Tokyo but they also don’t abide by littering either.
Cat Street is a favorite in Harajuku. It is built on top of a small stream, so it is more organic than many other streets in the area. Apparently, decades ago, there was a small park with lots of cats and this park and its cats lent the street its name, but the cats are long gone, unfortunately. 
What is fun about a stroll through Harajuku is that you easily can see Takeshita Street for kawaii fashion and the like, Cat Street for somewhat more upscale/brand items, and Omotesando for full on luxury. Three streets are in the same area, and an easy stroll together, but quite different in terms of feel.
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Cat Street is particularly pretty and Omotesando is one of the most expensive streets in Tokyo, so not all shopping streets are quite this nice (although there are covered shotengai that arguably are better). Underappreciated alleys often are cluttered by power lines and parked cars and the like, but they still tend to be clean.
In a less affluent city, like Osaka, there is modest blight and vandalism in some neighborhoods, but even the most “dangerous” areas are remarkably safe and clean by global standards.
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