TOKYO

From the 1920s up to 1950s, the typical suburban development in Tokyo was sparsely populated single housing for a burgeoning middle class. This form of settlements provided a minimal or decent living environment, even though they had no flush toilets.[3] However, these houses were supplied with clean, adequate water. In this period, planning professionals developed plans and ideas for a greenbelt that would control suburban expansion. However, the green belt movement gained momentum in the late 1950s in Tokyo. Plans and designs were drawn, but unfortunately, they were never implemented.[2]

First, the Tokyo Regional Greenbelt Plan was established in late 1930s and the local government with an intention of facilitating the implementation of the plan purchased a big portion of land. However, a significant section or portion of the land was sold to farmers as part of realizing the farming land reform initiative that was passed after the World War II. Second, green belt zoning was designed as a restoration plan for Tokyo after the World War II. However, the local building authorities did not enforce the green belt zoning requirement in the context of population growth and postwar liberalism. Thus, it failed. Third, in the National Capital Region’s Development Plan that was first implemented in 1958, a new plan that was almost like the Greater London Plan 1944, was majorly advisory meaning it did not have effective action required to implement the green belt.[4]

For this reason, urban expansion in Tokyo was led by railway construction and developments along the railway line. There was no land use plan that regulated and guided the manner that land was used in Tokyo.[5] Japan was primarily a rural country before the 1960s meaning the majority of the people lived in rural areas. However, in the 1960s, post World War baby boomers immigrated for higher education and jobs from their rural homes to more developed metropolitan regions that included Tokyo, Nagoya, and Osaka. At first, the large numbers of immigrants moving to Tokyo were accommodated in lodging and dormitories and later on, they moved to social housings, wooden apartment houses, and small single-family houses for the ones that were lucky. Additionally, the popularity of condominium apartments was rising. Because the subdivision control system and planning system was weak in the 1960s, the infrastructural level of the houses was poor. Despite the poor infrastructural state of the houses, the minimum level of urban services that included elementary education and water services were the responsibility of the local governments.