Urban Problems
-
Pollution
- As Tokyo becomes bigger and more heavily populated, pollution becomes an increasingly problematic issue. While many people use the underground subway system or bicycles, cars are also used frequently to get around the many streets in Tokyo. Pollution from factories has also become an issue recently, due to the higher demand in Japanese automobiles and other goods. Many car manufacturers have been sued over millions of dollars in complaints that lung cancer or asthma have been contracted from the high levels of pollution.
-
Transportation
-
- Trains
Trains in Tokyo have a serious problem with space. Tokyo's train system manages to carry more than 100,000 passengers on 30 trains per hour in one direction alone. During rush hours it becomes extremely difficult to board trains because they are usually filled to fit more than twice the number of passengers the cars were designed for. Many attempts have been made to create more lines to account for more people, but many of these projects have encountered some sort of problem, such as financial difficulties and complaints about noise etc.
- Air travel
Air travel is also an important issue in Tokyo. Many FIFO workers and tourists are visiting Tokyo every month, and demand for more runways and airports has increased dramatically. Many farmers are also complaining about the noise levels since Tokyo's Narita airport is 60km away from the city, creating a lot of noise pollution.
- Car transport
While most of the citizens in Tokyo prefer to use public transport to get around the city, there is still a large number people who use their cars to get around. There is a large number of congestion incidents happening each year in Tokyo, and the large amount of trucks and similar transports are using on the already busy roads are making the situation worse.
- Trains
-
Space/Crowding
- Space is also an extremely limited commodity Tokyo. Most people have to live in small apartment buildings or small two story houses. The average size of an apartment in Japan is 94.85 square meters, and the average number of people per room is 0.56. This makes living much more difficult than many other countries. Since the living space is so limited and expensive, many people have to share living spaces with relatives in order to keep living in the city.