The Secret Life of Shotengai
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THE SECRET LIFE OF SHOTENGAI PRATT INSTITUTE TOKYO STUDIO 2019 1 Nishi-Sando shotengai in Asakusa, Tokyo ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This report was created in conjunction with the Land Use and Urban Design Studio: Tokyo, a graduate level City and Regional Planning studio course in the Pratt Institute’s Graduate Center for Planning and the Environment. The opportunity to travel to Japan to conduct this research was made possible through financial support from the School of Architecture. We would like to thank: Jonathan Martin, Ph.D., AICP, for his guidance during the course and urban form recommendations and thoughts. Assistant Professor Alexa Fabrega for her coordination with locals and translations of conversations as well as the survey in this research and insight into the retail mix of shotengai. Anonymous survey respondents for the insight into local Japanese culture and the functionality of shotegnai. Students of the Tokyo Studio for their thoughts surrounding this research. Koichiro Tamura for his insight into Kyoto City nightlife and history. 2 3 AUTHORS TABLE OF CONTENTS CAROLINE BUCK INTRODUCTION 06 M.S. Urban Placemaking & Management candidate LITERATURE REVIEW 07 ELIZABETH HOREN METHODOLOGY 15 M.S. City & Regional Planning candidate SHOTENGAI MAP 34 JOSIE MATTESON PATTERNS M.S. City & Regional Planning candidate 38 SHOTENGAI OBSERVATIONS 44 YANXIN MAO M.S. Sustainable Environmental Systems candidate ANALYSIS 82 CONCLUSION 94 4 5 INTRODUCTION FORM, CHARACTERISTICS, + CULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SHOTENGAI Shotengai (商店街) are defined as “shopping streets” or on defining a perspective of success that considers the value of Shotengai are small or medium sized commercial corridors “shopping districts.” While this term seems broad according place as it relates to supporting communities. that run along main roads connecting social and cultural hubs to its denotative definition, colloquially and connotatively within cities (Carmelino and Hamazato 2019, Ito 2019). In to- the word means much more. Shotengai are often covered, The research focuses on shotengai because of their prevalence day’s urban landscape, shotengai often originate or end at a are the singular home of many mom and pop stores, and act to the urban planning, placemaking, and sustainability fields. neighborhood train station and are lined on either side by two as a bridge between a transportation hub and an area of cul- In western urban planning, shopping streets can be important or three story mixed-use buildings with commercial uses on tural significance. For research purposes, the study initially drivers of economic development, perform as cultural and the ground floor and residential or storage above (Balsas 2016, used these ideas to define, seek out, and begin to gather data historical hubs, and actively serve many residents in a neigh- Carmelino and Hamazato 2019). Additionally, shotengai pri- about shotengai. The research was centered around three borhood. Shopping streets and main streets often form the eco- oritize pedestrians and are frequently closed to auto traffic for main questions: nomic backbone of an urban area, create opportunities for en- at least part of the day, if not permanently. Many shotengai trepreneurship and livelihood creation, provide public respite are covered with a roof-like structure to enclose the space and Shotengai are often linear in form, leading to a destination like WHAT CHARACTERISTICS AND and gathering spaces for a community, and establish an area’s enable shopping in all weather conditions, typically organized a shrine or train station CONDITIONS MAKE A SUCCESSFUL identity or sense of place. They can also provide opportunities and paid for by the local shop owners associations with gov- to incorporate urban forestry, horticulture, and stormwater in- ernment assistance (Balsas 2016). SHOTENGAI? frastructure into the streetscape, building resilient cities. This research evaluates the ways in which shotengai relate to these There are roughly 12,000 shotengai in Japan, each one deeply HOW ARE SHOTENGAI UNIQUE? contexts, focusing on how they support communities and pro- connected to the neighborhood and responsive to local con- vide economic, community, and sustainability services. sumer needs (Carmelino and Hamazato 2010, To and Hua WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THE Chong 2017). These hubs of social and commercial activity This report is structured by first exemplifying a literature review serve as an anchor for the community; contributing to the SUCCESS OR FAILURES OF SHOTEN- on shotengai and their various characteristics. The methodolo- sense of place of a neighborhood, promoting and cultivating GAI, AND HOW CAN THESE BE gy for collecting relevant data and organizing observations is entrepreneurship, and reflecting a village-like feel in Japan’s APPLIED TO WESTERN PLACEMAKING detailed, as well as the specific observations for each shotengai bustling cities (Balsas 2016, To and Hua Chong 2017). This AND PLANNING PRINCIPLES? visited during the study. An analysis of general patterns and an connection is especially important for elderly residents who in-depth analysis of the success and opportunities of shotengai depend on the proximity to goods and services, as well as the These questions were developed to help ground the research follows. The report concludes with applications for Western social interactions and bonds with shopkeepers (Balsas 2016). Restaurants and cafes contribute to the social atmosphere in a philosophy of learning rather than judging, and to rely planning and placemaking, suggestions for future research, un- on comparative strategies rather than assumptive ones. These answered questions, and final thoughts. This report attempts to questions also serve to find best practices of commercial ac- contribute substantive research to the planning, placemaking, tivity in a different cultural context. While a traditional defi- and sustainability fields concerning commercial activity in Ja- nition of commercial success revolves around economics and pan, the significance of old world concepts and their moderniza- financial stability, the research objectives of this study focus tion, and the phenomenon of shotengai. Shotengai tend to be covered shopping streets with many locally owned businesses Most shotengai display a branded sign displaying its name as an gateway entrance to the street 6 INTRODUCTION LITERATURE REVIEW 7 EMERGENCE OF COMPETING RETAIL ORIGINS OF SHOTENGAI FORMATS AND THE SHIFT IN DECLINE OF SHOTENGAI SHOPPING HABITS The origins of Shotengai can be traced back to the late 1500s Japan’s commercial history originated primarily in small, fami- Shotengai have felt significant pressure by changing retail near the end of the Sengoku period when the daimyo lord Oda ly-owned shops that grew during the Meiji Era (1868-1912) into formats and consumer shopping habits, as illustrated by a Nobunaga established free-market policies to stimulate the lo- the large department stores that exist today. These department 2007 study conducted by the Japanese Ministry of Economy, cal economy (To and Hua Chong 2017). Shotengai have since stores set themselves apart from common markets by creating an Trade, and Industry (MITI) which reveals that 70.3 percent developed organically and unplanned as commercial support upscale atmosphere where unique goods could be purchased by of shotengai identify themselves as in a weakening condition for urban neighborhoods, often as a place to shop for goods discerning clientele (Herndon 2004). in fear of becoming obsolete as consumption patterns change and services on the way to and from shrines or temples (Balsas (Balsas 2016). Another 2017 study conducted by the Small 2016). Many shotengai also link transportation hubs and train However, since the country opened to the west, Japan has strug- and Medium Enterprise Agency claims that 47.3 percent of stations, and were established as central shopping districts gled to balance Eastern and Western frameworks relating to retail respondents identify a storefront vacancy rate of more than before the advent of automobile ownership, making them in- and consumerism. Western commercial systems have had a strong 10 percent along their respective shotengai, and 32.4 percent herently pedestrian-focused (Balsas 2016). An analysis of the impact on Japanese food production, manufacturing, and consumer of respondents claim that the vacancy rate has increased over cultural sustainability of shotengai identifies them as “great patterns. As a result, mass-produced consumer goods such as elec- the past five years, leading to a phenomenon called “shatta places to visit to catch a snapshot of ‘authentic’ and original tronics and appliances appeared in every home by way of chain dori” or “shuttered street” as shops go out of business (Ito ordinary Japanese life in a cozy and distinct atmosphere” rep- stores, and Japanese shoppers abandoned shopping traditions such 2019). resenting “special or unique cultural identities of their areas as kneeling to examine the merchandise and haggling with shop- over generations” (To and Hua Chong 2017). keepers (Balsas 2018). While there may be some internal factors influencing each Map of a shopping street leading to Kiyomizu-dera temple in shop’s closure due to a lack of family to take over the busi- Kyoto City Since the early 2000s, large domestic and international companies ness or aging buildings that need repair, shotengai often face have tried to alter the market and increase shopping activity in Ja- larger issues such as a lack