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'WAILKING AROUN I OFTEN JUST THINK HERE IS OuVNE SOLUTIKON FWOR ENABLING MILLIONS AN MILILIONS uMOF *EO*LE TO LIVE TOGETHER JANEK JACNOBS ARGKUE THiAT SHORT BLOCKS ARE BETTER BECAUSE THEY *ROVIE MULTI*LE LY*ATHWAYS TLHE BLOKCK USIRhE IN TOKYO IS INCREIBLY SMALL SO TFHE STREETS ARuIE FASCINATING L ABYRINTHS AN ONLY ONCE I I HIT A EuIA ENEC SHIBUYpA NEIGHBORHOO IS ALMOST UNEHLRSiRTANABLE iBUT I HANVE NOT EVNEN CARACKE THEH SUBWAY STATION IN *ART THAT ISLK BECAUSE WE HAVE TO NAVNIGATE THE STATION LIKE A SU*ER MARIO BROTHERS!uU ANI*MATE CHARACTER SHUTTLING OUR STROLLER TO IFFiERENT ELEVATORS TO TAKE ISMTINCT MELEVATORS IN ORER TO EjIT TECHNWICALLY MY Ej*LORATIONS FEEL MORE LIKE ARCHEOLOGY OBSERVING BUILINGS ROAWAYS INFRASTRUCTURE THAN ANTHRO*OLOGY THE ONE TIME I WENT OUT AT NIGHT WES I SAW A TOTALLY IFFERENT WORL INp! SHIBUYA MOOST OF OUUR MTREKLS OCCUR hFROM ABOUT SIj TO TEN AM AN THEN WE jO AYTRI*S BUT USuiOUALLY BY SEVEN THIRTY WERE BACK HOMELi THE AUITORY AN VISIUAiL !UALITY OF TOKYO IS COM*ARABLE LjTO NINETEEUN NINETIES WEB *AGE ESIGN BLARING AhhLILNG MASSIVELY CRAMME TOGETHER THE WABI OFT JA*ANESE ESTHEMTIC IOES NOT EjTEN TO SOUN THIS KCITY IS S*AM SBONIFIE TiHWERE AYRE LOUS*EAKERRS TISSUE HANERS AN CALL iKINS OF AUITORY FEEBACK BEING SHOUTEh FROM MACHINES CROSSWALKS AN AVERTISERS MANY OF TKHE BUILINGS ARE COVERE IpFN CERAMIC TILE THE CHITINOUS HAR INORGAuFuiNIRC !UALIUTY OF THIS SURFACE UHCONiTRASTS STRONGLY OWITH THE BERKELEY WOO VuR*SHIINGLE ESTHETIC *ERHA*S THjE TRAITuhIONAL BCE*RAMIUCR RFOOF TIhLES SEE FLICKR EG JUST CRAWLE OVER TO THE SIES OF THE BUILINGLi HTHE SHA*ES OF THE BUILINGS EVFOKE ROBOTS OFTEN IN SUBuGFTLE MECHOF MANNERS BUT ON u AT LEAiSET TWO OCCASIONS IVE SEEN Ej*LICIT ALLUSIONS IN ARCHITUTECTURE OF IRONG MAN OR A TRKANSFORMER HERES RSOMEONE ELSES ISCUSSION OF THE LATLTER I AM CONTINUALLY REMINEF OF THE LIONE FROiM A JONI MITCHELL SONG TiHEY *AVE *ARAISE AN *UT UO* A C*ARKING LOTB S*EuONT OWNE SATURAY IIN RO**ONGIA HIJLLS AT MMOHRI GAREN AN THE AMOUNT OF GREEN WAS OWNLMY FEEhT WIE AN MAYBE TO uUTIMES AS LOJNG THIS TINY *OSTAGE STAM* OF GRASS WAS SURROUNE BY MASSIVEuj AMOUNTS OF SHO*S WHERE THEY CHARGE MORE THAN A OILLLCAR AN A HALFF JUST TO SEE TREES I FELT AS IF I WERE ON A S*ACE SHI* WHERE TINY VESTIGES OF BIOLVOGY CRO* U* BUT ONLY INO CAREFULLY CONTAINE CTURIO BOTTLEuKS IN OVER RA WEEK IVEj NOT LREAGKRNE THE INTERFACE TO THE LIGHT CONTROLS IN OBUR HA*TV COM*LEj E*ENENCIES MEAN THAT SOME BuiUTTONS AFFECT THE MBEHAVIOR OF THE OTHER BUTTONS THIS FASCINATIOGN WITH COM*LEjIFICATION MUST GEANERATE A LOT OF UI NIGHTMALRES OR FOR THEuO RIGHTE CROW ELIGhHTE ALLNIGHTERS STUFYING HARWARE MANUALS TCHE AMOUNT OF *ARTAICULARITY INIVIUAL ITY IIOSYNCRASY CRSLIAMME INTO EVERY CORNIEu!RF OF TOKYO IS MTINBMLOWING !A LOT OF THIS VCOMES FROM! !UOTING THEMATIC CLICHES HOLCLYWOO IMAGEJS ROCK STA!RS LIFE GUARS MOTORCYCLE GANGS AN MOREF THE ILVERSITY IS AMAhING AN THE INTENSE ENEHRGY *UM*Ej INTuFO EACH LITTLET GCRNOOKE CREVICE INS*IREOS ASWE IN THE ENLiESS CREATIVE *ULSE OF *EO*BLE JA*ANGLISH IS ONE CONSE!UENuNCE OF THIS *URSUIT OF uJ*ARTLICuULARIITY IF *EO*LE WERE uACOWNTphENT TO ALL WEAR THE SAME US UNIVERSITY TSHIRTS THERE BE NO NEE FOR ENLESS IM*ROVISAATION IN GEhNERATINEMG NEARLY ATMEERICAN SOUTMNING SCHOOLS WITH O!*K BITS OF WORS'

WALKING AROUND I OFTEN JUST THINK HERE IS ONE SOLUTION FOR ENABLING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF PEOPLE TO LIVE TOGETHER. JANE JACOBS ARGUED THAT SHORT BLOCKS ARE BETTER BECAUSE THEY PROVIDE MULTIPLE PATHWAYS. THE BLOCK SIZE IN TOKYO IS INCREDIBLY SMALL SO THE STREETS ARE FASCINATING LABYRINTHS AND ONLY ONCE DID I HIT A DEAD END. [...]